The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-10-28
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
A Discourse to Young Men About
to Enter City Life.
The Careers of Two Young Men-Through
Idleness and Dissipation to Death
by Industry to Wealth and
Honor-An Earnest Appeal.

Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, in recent
sermon at the Brooklyn Tabernacle took
for his text:
Ponder the path Of thy feot.-lProv. TX. 26,
and preached the following sermon on the
subject:
1.-TWO young men who came to live In
the CITY,"
1t was on Monday, September 20, at
country depot. Two young men are to
take the cars for the city. Father brought
them in a wagon with two trunks. The
evening before at the old home was a sad
time. The neighbors had gathered in to
say good-by. Indeed, all the Sunday af-
ternoon there had been strolling that
way from adjoining farms, for it was gen.
orally known that the two boys the next
morning were going to the city to live,
and the whole neighborhood was inter-
ested some hoping they would do well and
others, without saying anything, hoping
for them city failure. Sitting on the fence
talking over the matter the neighbors
would interlard their conversation about
the wheat crop of last summer, and the
apple crop yet to be gathered, with re-
marks about the city prospects of Edward
and Nicholas, for those were the names OF
the two young men-Edward seventeen,
and Nicholas nineteen; but Edward, al
though two years younger, being little
quicker to learn, knew as much as Mich o.
las. They were both brown-faced and
hearty, and had gone through all the cur
riculum of hearty sports, by which muscle
is developed and the chest filled out.
cd in tho oifvr
with considerable inquiry of policemen on
street corners and questioning of car-driv-
ers the two commercial establishments to
which they were destined, so far apart
that thereafter they seldom saw each
other, for it is astonishing how far apart
two persons can be in alarge city, espe-
cially if their habits are different. Prac-
ticallv hundred miles from Bowling
Green to Canal street, or from Atlantic
avenue to Fulton.
Edward, being the youngest, we must
look after him first He never was in so
large store in all his life. Such inter-
minable shelves, such skillful imitation of
real men and women to display goods on,
such agility of cash boys, such immense
stock of goods, and whole community of
employees! His head is confused as he
seems dropped like pebble in the great
ocean of business life.
"Have you seen that greenhorn from the
country" whispers young man to young
man. "He is in such aud such a depart.
ment. We will have to break him in some
night" ~
Edward stands at his new place all day
so homesick that at any moment he could
have cried aloud if his pride had not sup.
pressed every thing. Here and there 6
tear he carelessly dashed off as though il
were from Influenza or cold in the head
But some of you know how a young mar
feels when set down in city of strangers
thereafter to fight his own battles, and M
one near by seeming to care whether BIZ
lives or dies. The center of a desert, 6
months journey to the first settlement, il
not much more solitary.
But that evening, as the hour for closing
has come, there are two or three young
men who side up to Edward and ask him
how he likes the city, and where he ex.
poets to go that night, and if he woult
like them to show him the sights HI
thanks them, and says he shall have t,
and making arrangements, as he hat
just arrived, but says that after awhile h,
will be glad to accept their company. AT
ter spending two or three evenings in hi
clearinghouse room, walking up ant
down, looking at the bare wall or an ole
chrome hung there at the time that relig
Gus newspapers by such prizes advanced
their subscription lists, and after an hou
toying with the Matchbox and ever an,
anon examining his watch to see if it i
time to retire-and it seems that te,
O'Clock at light or even nine o'clock viii
never come-he resolves to accept tn
chaperoning Of his new friends at tn
store.
The following night they are all out to
gether. Although his salary is not arge
he is quite flush with pocket money, whicl
the old folks gave him after saving by TO
some time. He can not be mean, an,
these friends are doing all this for hi
pleasure, and so he pays the bills. At tn
door Of places of enchantment his com
panions can not find the change, and the,
accidentally fall behind just as the tickle
office Is approached, or they say they
will make it all right, and will tbemselve.
pay the next time. Edward, accustomed
to farm life or village life, is dazed and
enchanted with the glitter of spectacular
sin. Plain and blunt iniquity Edwar,
would have Immediately repulsed, but sir
accompanied by bewitching orchestra
sin amid gilded pillars and gorgeous up
holstery; sin arrayed in all the attrac
tions that the powers of darkness in com
bination can arrange to magnetize
young man, is very different from sin il
its loathsome and disgusting shape.
The same young men and others of
growing acquaintance ever. ready to es
cort him. There is never any lack of sucl
guidance. If a man wants to go the Who'll
round of sin, he can find plent-
to take him, a whole regiment VIII
know the way. But after awhil
Edwards money is all gone. He has re
ceived his salary again and again, but
was spent before he got it, borrowing
little here and little there. What sha]
he do now? Why, he has seen in hi
rounds of the gambling tables men VIII
put down dollar and took up ten, pu
down hundred and took up thousand
Why not he? To reconstruct his finance
ha 60 la hand a~I q.