St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-08-25

saw IL was uOG d VIII oedSt. IL was a
man, an immortal man, man made in
Gods own image; and the poor wretch
crawled up to the feet Of the invalid and
asked for strong drink, and the invalid
took his wine flask from his pocket and
gave the poor wretch something to drink,
and then under the stimulus he rose up
and gave his history. He had been a
merchant in Glasgow, Scotland. He had
gone down under the power Of strong
drink until he was so reduced in poverty
that he was lying in boat just off the
beach.
"Why," said the invalid, II knew a
merchant in Glasgow once-a merchant
by such and such a name," and the poor
wretch straighten edshimself and said: 81
am that man." "Let him that thinketh
he standeth take heed lest he fall"
Again remark that the senior brother
of my text stands for the spirit Of envy
and jealousy. The senior brother thought
that all the honor they did to the returned
brother was wrong to him. He said:
Il have stayed at home, and ought to
have had the ring, and I ought to have
had the banquet and ought to have had
the garlands."
Alas for this spirit of envy and jeal-
ousy coming down through the ages |!
Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, Saul and
David, Haman and Mordecai, Othello and
Iago, Orlando and Angelica, Caligula
and Torquatus, Caesar and Pompey,
Columbus and the Spanish courtiers,
Cambyses and the brother he slew be-
cause he was better marksman. Diony-
slus and Philoxenius, whom he slew be-
cause he was a better singer. jealousy
among painters. Closterman and Geoff
rey, Kneller, Hudson and Reynol DIS.
Francia, anxious to see picture of
Raphael, Raphael sends him picture.
Francia, seeing it. falls in a fit of jeal-
ousy from which he dies. Jealousy
among authors. How seldom contempo-
raries speak Of each other. Xenophon
and Plato, living at the same time, but
from their writings you never would sup
pose they heard Of each other. Religious
jealousies The Mahommsdans praying
for rain during drouth; no rain COM
ing. Then the Christians begin to pray
for rain, and the rain comes. Then the
Mahommedans met together to account
for this, and they resolved that God was
SO pleased with their prayers He kept the
drouth on so as to keep them praying,
but that the Christians began to pray,
and the Lord was so disguised with their
prayers that He sent rain right away SO
He would not hear any more of their sup
plications. Oh, this accursed spirit of
envy and jealousy! Let US stamp it out
from all our hearts.
A wrestler was so envious of Theogenes,
the prince of wrestlers, that he could not
be consoled in any way, and after
Theogenes died, and statue was lifted to
him in a public place, his envious antag-
onist went out every night and wrestled
with the statue until one night he threw
it. and it fell on him and crushed him to
death. SO jealousy is not only absurd,
but it is killing to the body and it is kill
ing to the SOUL How seldom it is you
find one merchant speaking we'll Of a
merchant in the same line Of business.
How seldom it is you hear Of physician
speaking well Of physician on the same
block. Oh, my friends, the world is large
enough for all of US. Lot US rejoice at
the success of others. The next best
thing to owning a garden ourselves is to
look over the fence and admire the how-
ers. The next best thing to riding In fine
equipage is to stand on the street and
admire the prancing span. The next best
thing to having banquet given to our
selves is having banquet given to our
prodigal brother that has come home to
his fathers house.
Besides that if we do not get as much
honor and as much attention as others,
we ought to congratulate ourselves on
what we escape IN the way Of assault
The French General, riding on horseback
at the head of his troops, heard soldier
complain and say: SIT is very easy for
the General to command US forward while
he rides and when we walk" Then the
General dismounted and compelled the
complaining soldier to get on the horse.
Coming through q ravine bullet from
struck the rider, and he fell
dead. Then the General said: "How
much safer it is to walk than to rider
Once more I have to tell you that this
senior brother of my text stands for the
pouting Christian. While there is so
much congratulation within doors. the
hero Of my text stands outside, the cor
ners Of his mouth drawn down, looking as
he felt-miserable. lam glad his lugu-
brious physiognomy did not spoil the
festivitv within. How manv pouting
Christians there are in our day-Chris-
tians who do not like the music of our
churches, Christians who do not like the
hilarities of the corresponding, pouting, !
pouting at society, pouting at the fash |
ions, pouting at the newspapers, pouting :
at the Church, pouting at the Governs I
ment, pouting at the high Heaven Their .
spleen is too large, their liver doe not j
work, their digestion is broken down. !
There are two cruets in their caster al !
ways sure to be we'll supplied-vinegar t
and red pepper. Oh come away from |
that mood. Stir little saccharine into
your disposition. While you avoid the /
Of the younger son, avoid
llso the Feasibility and the petulance ;,
Ind the pouting spirit of the elder son,
md initiate the father, who had EN- braces
or the returning prodigal and coaxing i
words for the splenetic and malcontent
All! the face Of this pouting elder son is
out before US in order that we might bet
er see the radiant and forgiving face of
he father. Contrasts are mighty. The
srtist in sketching the field of Waterloo,
ears after the battle, put dove in the
mouth of the cannon. Raphael, in one Of
lis cartoons, beside the face Of wretch
,ut the face Of happy and innocent
hid. And SO the sour face Of this iras.
ible and Disguised elder brother is
,rought out in order that in the contrast
We may better understand the forgiving
md the radiant face Of God. That is the
meaning of it-that God is ready to take
Jack any body that is sorry, to take him
lear back, forever, and forever, and for
yer; to take him back with a loving hug,
INIT bicc ~, hi- Jipc