The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-09-20

But there was one weak point in that chain
bridge There was middle bolt that was OF
poor material, but they did not know how
much depended on that middle bolt OF tho
chain bridge. On the opening day pro
cession started, led on 10y the builder OF the
bridge; and when the mighty weight OF tho
procession was fairly on IL. the bridge broke
and precipitated the multitudes The bridge
was all right except In that middle bolt. So
the bridge OF character may be made up Of
mighty links, strong enough to hold n
mountain but IL there be one weak spot,
that one point unlocked after may be the de-
struction OF everything. And what multi.
tudes have gone down for all time
and all eternity because in the
chain bridge OF their character there
was lacking n strong middle bolt He
had but one fault and that was avarice;
hence. forgery. He had but ons fault and
that was n burning desire for intoxicants;
hence, his fatal debauch. She had but one
fault and that an inordinate fondness for
dress. and hence her own and her husbands
bankruptcy. She had but one fault aud that
quick temper hence the disgraceful out.
burst What we all want Is to have put
around us strong chain OF good influences.
Christian association is link Good litera-
ture is link Church membership Is link
Scripture research is n link. Faith in Col Is
alink. Put together all these influences.
Make n chain
Most excellent is IL for us TO get into con-
pany better than ourselves. II wo are given
to telling vile stories let us put ourselves
among those who will not abide such utter
ance. II we are stingy let u' put ourselves
among the charitable IL we are morose let
us put ourselves among tho good i-natured IL
we are given to tittle-tattle let us put our.
selves among those who speak no i'll of their
neighborS IL we are despondent let us put
ourselves among those who make the best of
things. IL evil Is contagious, I am glad 20
say that good is also catching. People go up
into the hill country for physical health: so
II you would be strong In your soul get
Yourself up off the lowlands into ths alti.
tudes of high moral association. For many
or the circumstances Of our life we are
not responsible. For our parentage we are
not responsible For tho place of our
nativity, not responsible; for our features,
our stature. our color, not responsible; for
the family relation in which we were born
for our natural tastes, for our mental
character, not responsible. But we are re-
sponsble for the associates that we choose
and the moral influences under which we put
ourselves Character seeks an equilibrium.
a. Is. is good man. Y. u. is a bad man.
Let them now voluntarily choose zach
others society. A. b. will lose part Of his
goodness and V. H. part of his badness aud
they will gradually approach each other
IN character and will finally stand on the same
level One of the old painters refused
to look at poor pictures because he
said IL damaged his style. musician
cannot afford To dwell among discords nor
can writer afford TO peruse books of inferior
style, nor an architect walk out among dis
proportional structures. And no man or
woman was ever so good as TO be able TO
afford to choose evil associations Therefore
] said, have IL a rule of your life TO 90 among
those better than yourselves Cannot find
them' Then what pink of perfection you
must be- When was your character com.
plcteit What misfortune for tho saintly
and angelic OF heaven that they are not on.
joying the improving influence of your
society Ah, il you cannot find those better
than yourself, 1t is because you are ignorant
Of yourself. Woe unto you, Scr!bes and
Pharasees, hypocrites
But, as | remarked in the opening, in
sacred and in all styles of literature chain
means not only adornment and ROYALTY of
nature but sometimes captivity. And sup
pose there are those in that sense deliberately
and persistently making chain. Now here
Is a young man of good physical health good
manners and good education. How shall he
put together enough links to make n chain
for the down-hill road! will give him some
directions. First, let him smoke. Ii he can.
not tstand cigars let him try cigarettes. think
cigarettes will help him on this road a little
more rapidly because the doctors say there
Is more poison in them, and so he will be
helped along faster, and | have the more
confidence in proposing this because about
iiitY OF the first young men of Brooklyn dur
ing the last year were, according to the doc.
tors reports, killed by cigarettes Let him
drink light wines first, or ale or lager, and
gradnally he will be abe TO take some.
thing stronger, and as all STYLES of
strong drink are more and more aduteratpd
his progress will be facilitated. With the old
time drinks a man seldom got delirium
tremens before thirty or forty years of age:
now he can get the madness by the time he is
eighteen. Let him play cards, enough money
put up always 70 add interest to the game.
II the father aud mother will play with him
that Will help by way OF cOuntenancing the
habit Aud 1t will be such Il pleasant
thing to think over in the day of iudg.
ment when the parents give account for the
elevated manner in when they have reared
their children. Every pleasant sun lay
afternoon take n carriage ride and stop at
the hotels ON either side the rold for sabbath
refreshments Do not let the old. .fogy preiu.
dlccS against sabbath breaking dom,nata
you, Have n membership OF some club
where lihertines go and tell about their VIC
torlous sins, aud laush rs loud ~ any o, them
III der sion of those who belong TO the same
sex as your sister AMI mother Pitch your
Biblo overheard aS old fashioned and lt only
Tor women and children. Read all the maga.
Hlne articles that put Christianity ut diSli.
vantage, and go to hear all the lectures that
inalIgh Christ, who, they. say, instead Of be-
Ing tho Mighty Ono he pretended to be was
an lmpoSter and the imp!anter of great de
lnSlon. Go at first out of curiosity, To SEQ
all tho houses Of dissipation, and then 20 be.
cause you have felt the thrall of their fas IL
hi,IoH' bettllls along Splcndldiv now
Let me- sea what further can | suggest in
that direction. Become mora defiant of all
decency, more loud-mouthed in your atheism,
more thoroughly alcoholi2eI, and instead OF
the small stakes that will do well enough for
games of chance in a ladies' parlor, put up
something worthy, put up more, put up all
You have Well done! You have sue.
ceeded. You have made n chain-the
tobacco habit one link, the rum habit one
link, the impure club another link iufi lelity
another LINK, Sabbath desecration another
INK, uncleanneSS another link and altogether
they make cham. Aud SO there is n chain
ON your hand and a chain on your foot an
achan on your tongue and a chan on your
eye ana cham ON your brain aud chan
on your property and chain on your
soul. Some day you wake up and
you say: ~ am tired of this and
] am going TO get loose from tins snncKie.
You pound away with the hammer of good
resolution, but cannot break the thrall
Your friends join you in IA conspiracy OF
help, but fail exhausted in the unayaling at
tempt. Now you begin, and with the writh.
ing OF a LAGOON, to try to break away, and
the muscles are distended, and the great
beads Of perspiration dot your forehead,
and the ewes stand out from the sockets,