The Russellville Democrat., 1889-06-13

d policeman has come in. and, leaning
 oyer, has tapped on the shoulder Of 8
 young man. saying '.I want yon sir.7
 He has not worked during the day. but
 somehow has rake0 together a shilling or
 two 10 get into the top gallery. He is an
 idler. The man on his right hand is an
 idleF and the man on kis left hand is an
 idier.
 Shrink back from idleness in yourself
 and in others f you would maintain 8
 right position. Good old AshbeI Green,
 at more than eighty years Of age, was
 found busy writing, and some young man
 said to him. "why do yOu keep busyi
 IL is time for you to rest" He answered.:
 'I keep busy tO keep out. Of mischief" No man is strong enough to be idle.
 Are you fond of picturss' If so, will
 show you one Of the works oi an old mas
 ter. Here 1t is: 1I went by the field of
 ths sIotkful. and by the vineyard Of the
 man void of understanding, and lol 1t
 was all grown over with thOrns, and net
 ties had covered the face thereof. and the
 stone wall was broken down. Then I saw
 and considered we'll looked upon #,
 and received instruction. Yet little
 sleep. a little slumber, little folding Of the
 hauds to sleep. So shall thy poverty come
 a. one that traYelefh and thy want as
 au armed man" don't know of another
 sentence in the Bible more explosive than
 that It first misses softly. like tho fuse Of
 a cannon, and at last bursts like a fifty
 four pOunder. The old proyerb was right:
 "The devil ternpts most men, but idlers
 tempt the devil" 4 young man came to
 A man of ninety years Of age and said to
 him: How have you made out to live so D gsfr 1fI 4swx
 tae youngstcr to an orchard and, point ing tO some large trees full Of apples,
 said. "I planted these trees when was
 Q boy, and do you wonder that now am
 permitted to gather the fruit of themf"
 We gother in old age what we plant in our youth. Sow to the wind and we reap the whIrlwind. Plant in early life the right kind of Christian character, and you will eat luscious fruit in old age, and gather these harvest apples in eternity.
 Again, urge you to avoid the perpetual pleasure seeker. ] believe in recreation and amusement. I need it as much as need bread. and go to my daily exercise with as conscientious a purpose as go to the Lords Supper; and all persons of sanguine temperament must have anuse- ment and recreation. God would not have made us with the capacity to laugh if He had not intended us sometimes to indulge it. God hath hung in sky, and set in wave, and printed on grass many roundelay; but he who chooses pleasure seeking for his life work does not under stand for what God made him. Our amusements are intended to help us iu some earnest mission. The thunder cloud hath an edge exquis- itely purpled, but, with voice that jars the earth, 1t declares: Il go to water the green fields" The wild flowers under the fence are gay, but they say: "We stand here to make a beautiful edge for the wheat field, and to refresh the husbandmen in their incoming" The stream sparkles and foams, and frolics, and says: "I go to baptize the moss. I leave the spots on the trout. slake the thirst of the bird. turn the wheel 0. the mill. l rock in my crystal cradle muck shaw and water lily" And so, while the world plays, 1t works. Look out for the man who always plays and never works.
 You will do well to avoid those whose regular business t is to play ball, skate or go a boating. All these sports are grand in,their places. I never derived so much anYantage from any ministerial association as from a ministerial club that went out to play ball every Satur- day afternoon in the outskirts of Phila- delphis. These recreatious are grand to give us muscle and spirit for our regular toil. believe in muscular Christianity. a man Is not so near God with weak stomach as when he has a strong digestion. But shun those who make 1t their life occupation to sport. There are young men whose industry and usefulness have fallen overheard from the yacht on the Hudson or the Schuyl- kill. There are men whose business fell through the ice of the skating pond, and has never since been heard of There Is a beauty in the gliding of boat in the song of skates, in the soaring of a we'll struck ball, and I never see one fly but inyoluntarily throw up nay hands to catch !., snG. so far as laying an injuction upon ball-playing, CT any other innocent sport, claim them all as belonging of right 10 those of ns who toll in the grand indus- tries of Church and State. A
 But the life business of pleasure seek ing always makes in the end criminal or a sot. George Brummell was smiled upon by all England and his life was given to pleasure. He danced with peer esses, and swung round of mirth and wealth and applause, until exhausted of purse, and worn out of body, and bank rupt of reputation, and ruined of soul, he begged a biscuit from grocer, and de- clared that he thought dog's life better than a mans. Such meh will crowd around your desk or counter or work bench or seek to decoy you of. They will want you to break out iu the midst of your busy day to take ride with them to Coney Island or to Central Park. They will tell you of some people you ought to see; of some excursion that you must take; oi some Sabbath Day that you ought to dishonor. They will tell you of exquisite wines that you must take; of costly operas that you must hear; of wonderful dancers that you must see; but before you accept their convoy or their com remember that whtle at the end Of a useful life you may be able to look back 10 kindnesses done, to honor able work accomplished, to poverty helped, to a-good name earned, to Chris. tian influence exerted, to a Saviour's cause adyanced-these pleasure seekers on their death bed have nothing better to review than q torn play bill, ticket for the races, an empty tsnkard and the cast-out rinds of carousal; and as in the delirium of their awful death they clutch tho goblet and press 1t to their lips, the dregs of the cup falling upon their tongue will begin to hiss and uncoil with the adders of an eternal poison.
 Cast out these men from your company. Do not be intimate with them. Always be polite. There is no demand that you ever sacrifice politeness. A young man accosted @ Christian Quaker with: "Old chap, how did you make all your moneyf" The Quaker replied; By dealing in an aFticle that thou mayest deal in if thou wilt-ciyility." Always be courteous, but at the same time firm. Say no as If you meant it. Have 1t understood in store, aud shop, aud street, that you will not stand in the companionship of the skeptic, the idle, the pleasure seeker. Rather than enter the companlonship of such, accept the invitation to a better feast. Tho promises of God gre the