The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-06

S~NS SNSJ SSSFN ~ SAAN W. WIG ia SS ~
modern society the theory is abroad that q
man must not marry until he has achieved
a fortune, when the twain ought to start
at the foot of the hill and together elmo to
the top. That is the old fashioned way and
that will be the new fashioned way ii socie.
ty is ever redeemed. But during the hard
times, the dull times, so many men were dis.
couraged, so many men had nothing to do,
they could get nothing to do, a pir ate bore
down on the ship when the sails were down
and the vessel was making no Roadway.
People say they want more time to think.
The trouble is to many psople they have had
too much time to think, and If our mer-
chants had not had their minds diverted,
many of them would long before this lave
been within the four walls Of an in
sane asylum. These long winter evenings,
be careful where you spend them. This win
ter will decide the temporal and eternal des-
tiny of hundreds Of men in this audience.
Then the winter has especial temptations
in the fact that many homes are peculiarly
unattractive at this season. In the summer
months the young man can sit out on the
steps, or he can have a %bouquetin the vase on
the mantel, or the evenings being so short,
soon after gaslight he wants to retire any
how. But there are many parents who do
not understand how to make the long winter
evenings attractive to their children, 1t is
amazing to me that so many old people do
not understand young people. To hear some
Of these parents talk you would think
they had never themselves been young, and
hal been born with spectacles on. Oh, it is
dolorous for young people to sit in the house
from Z to II o'clock at night and to hear par
ents groan about their ailments and the
n%othingness of this world. The nothingness
of this world! How dare o talk such
blasphemy? 1t took God six days to make
this world, and He has allowed it six thou
sand years to hang upon His holy heart, and
this world has shone on you and blessed you
and carressed you for these fifty, sixty or
seventy years, and yet you dare to talk about
the nothingness Of this world Why,
it is a magnificent world. I do not be-
lieve in the whole universe there is a
world equal to it, except it be Heaven. You
cannot expect your children to stay in the
house in these long winter evenings to hear
you denounce this s%tarlighted, ~sun-warmed,
shower baptized, flower-stream, angel
watched, God inhabited planet. Oh,make your
homes bright. Bring in the violin or the
picture. 1t does not require a great salary,
or q big house, or chaste silver, or gorgeous
is wanted is a fathers heart, a mothers heart
in sympathy with young folks. haveknown
a man with S700 salary, and he had no other
income, but he had a home so happy and
bright, that though the sons have gone out
and won large fortunes, and the daughters
nave gone out into splendid spheres and be-
came princesses Of society, they never can
think of that early home without tears of
emotion. 1t was to them the very vestibule OF
heaven, and all their mansions now, and all
their palaces now, cannot make them forget
that early place. Make your homes happy.
You 90 around your house growing about
your rheunatisms and acting the lugubrious.
and your sons will go into the world and
plunge into dissipation. They will have
their own rheumatisms after q while. Do
not forestall their m~isfortunes You were
young once, and you had your bright
and Joyous times. Now let the young
folks have a good time. stood in front Of a
house and 1 said to the owner Of the house:
"This is a splendid tree" He said in a whin:
ing tone, eyes, but it will fade" walked
around in his garden and said: "Ihis is
glorious garden you have" eyes" he said,
"but il will perish" Then he said to my lit
tie child whom 1 was leading along. Come
AMI kiss me-" The child protested and turned
away. He said. ooh, the perversity of hui
man nature" Who would want to kiss him!
I was not surprised to find out that his
only son had become a %vagabond.
You may groan people out Of de-
cency, but you can never groan
them into it, and l declare in the presence Of
these men and women of common sense that
it is q most important thing for you to make
your homes bright if you want your sons and
your daughters to turn out we'll. Alas! that
old people so much misunderstood young
folks. There was a great Sunday school an
niversary and there were thousands OF chill
dred present; indeed, all the Sunday schools
of the town were in the building, and it was
very uproarous and full Of disturbance, and
the presiding officer on the occasion came
forward and in a very loud tone shouted Isl
lence''! and the more noise the presiding
officer made the more noise the chill
dren made. Some one else rose on the
platform and came forward, and with more
Stentorian voice shouted: "Silence!' And
the uproar rose to greater height, and it did
seem as if there would be almost q riot and
the people would have to Re called in, when
old DIR. Beaman, his hair white as the driven
snow, said: "Let me try my hand" So
be came forward with slow step to the front
of the platform, and when the children saw
tie venerable man and the white hair they
thought they would hush up that instant and
hear what tho old man had to say. lie SAID:
"Boys. want to'make a bargain with you.
If you will be still now while I speak, when
YOU get to be as old as / am I will be
as still as O mouse; There was not another
whisper all the afternoon. He was as much
a boy as any Of them. Oh, in these holidays
let us turn back our natures to what they
were years ago., and be boys again and girls
again, and make all our homes happy. God
will hold you responsible for the influence
yoa now exert, and it will be very bright and
very pleasant if soma winter night whs1
are sleeping under the blankets OF the snow,
our children shall ride along in the merry
party, and hushing a moment into solemnlty,
look off and say: There sleeps the best
father and mother that ever
made a happy New Year" Arm I'm
ccmber. January and February. Tempta-
ton will come to you in the form Of an angel
of light. 1 know that the poets represent
satan az horned and hoofed. If 1 were 9
poet and I were going to picture satan, 1
would represent him as q human being WIN
manners polished to the last perfection. hair
falling in graceful ringlets, eye little blood,
shot but floating in bewitching languor, hand
soft and ~diamonded, boot exqulsitely shaped,
voice mellow as a flute, breath perfumed as
though nothing had ever touched the lips put
balm of a thousand flowers, conversation
facile, carefully toned and Frenchy. But
would have the heart cncased with the scales
of q monster and have it stuffel with all
pride and b%eastliness of de-
Sire and hypocrisy and death, and then
I would have it touched with the rod of dis
%enchantment until the eyes became the cold
orbs of the adder, and to the lip should come
the foam of raging ~intoxication. n to the
foot tho spring of the panther, and to the sou
hand the change that would make IL the
cIammy hand of the wasted skeleton, and
then would suddenly nave the heart break
out in unquenchable flames, and the affected
lisp of the tongue become the his OF the
worm that never dies. But until Olsen
chanted, ringleted and diamonded and hut
voiced and conversation facile, careful
" toned and Frenchy.. Oh, VIVA
a beautiful thing it is to see sboso
of city life incorrupt while hun
dreds are falling. l will tell your history.