West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-05-23

Sung W Dtf ~ IL inc example OF 1nuOlcnC
people IN our cities. They are I'm all our
cities. They dress better than some who arc
industrious. They have access TO all places
or amusement-plenty of money, and yet
Idle. They hang around our great hotels
tho Fifth Avenue tho Windsor, tho
House-an our beautiful hotels you find
them around there any day-men who do
nothing, never earn anything, vet well
dressed, having plenty. Why should Walk
why should you work. Why drudge and toll
IN bank and shop and Office, or on the scaf-
folding, or by tho anvil, when these men get
along 50 well and do not work.
Some OF them hang around the city halls Of
our great cities, toothpick i'm their mouth,
waiting for somo crumb 20 fall from tho
Office holders table. Some OF them hang
around the city hall for tho city van bring
ing criminals from the station houses. They
stand there and gloat over it~-really enjoy
tho disgrace and suffering of these poor
creatures as thoy get out of the city van and
60 into the courts.
Where do they got their money! That is
what you ask. That is what ask. Only
four ways OF getting money-only four: by
inheritance, by earning IL, by begging it, by
stealing it; and there are vast multitude
among us who get their living not by I'M
heritance, or by earning it, nor by begging
II. do not like TO take the responsibility of
saying how they get i'll
Now, these men are a constant temptation.
Why Should toll and wear myself out i'm
the bank, or the Office, or the store or tho
shop, or the factory? These men have moth
ing TO do. They get along n great deal bet
ter: And that is the temptation under
which great many young men fall. They
begin To consort with these men, these idlers,
md they go down the same awful sleeps.
The number OF men in our cities who arc
trying TO get their living by their wits and
by sleight OF hand is all the time increasing
a Now York merchant saw q young man,
one OF his clerks, in half disguise, going into
very low place of amusement The mer-
chant said to himself must look out for
that clerk; he is going In bad company and
goi6g i'm bad places Unjust look ont for him"
n few months passed on and one morning the
merchant entered his store and this clerk of
whom have been speaking came ND
IN assumed CONSERVATION and said: ooh
SIR, the store has been on fire; have put out
the fire, but there are n great many goods
lost; we have had great crowd OF people
coming and going.n Then the merchant
took the clerk by tho collar and said: III
me; where nre those goods you stoeY' Tho
young man instantly confessed his villainy.
~ the numbers OF people in these great cities
who are trying to get their living not honestly
And they are mighty temptation 20 the in
dustrious young man who cannot understand
it, While these others have it so easy thew
have 1t so hard. Horatius of olden time was
told that he could have just rs much ground as
he could plow around with yoke of oxen in
one day. He hooked up the oxen 10 the pillow
and he cut very large circle and plowed UNI
I'll no came TO the same point where he started
and all thatproperty was his. But have to tell
you today that just so much financial Just
so much moral, just so much spiritual pos
session you will have as you compass with
your own industries and lust so much ne
from the morning of your life to the evening
of your life you can plow around with your
own hard work. "Go to the ant thou slug.
gard; consider her ways and be wise" One
of tho most awful caldrons of death to-day is
an indolent life Thank God that you have
To work.
III. Once more 1 remark: that the dram
shop Is great caldron of iniquity in our
timo. Anacharsis said that the vine bore
three grapes: the first was Pleasure. the next
was drunkenness, and the next Misery.
Every saloon above ground or under ground
is n fountain OF iniquity. It may have q
license and 1t may go along quite respectfully
Tor while, but after n while the cover will
fall of and the color Of the iniquity will be
displayed
"Oh," says some one. "you ought to be
easier on such n traffic when it pays such a
large revenue TO tho government, and helps
support your schools and your great institu-
tons of mercy" And then / think of what
William 10. Gladstone said-I think it was
the first time he was chancellor of the ex-
chequer-when men engaged in the ruinous
traffic camo to him and said their business
ought to have more consideration from tho
fact that it paid such large revenue TO tho
English government, Mr.. Gladstone said:
Gentlemen, don't worry yourselves about
the revenue; give me thirty millions OF sober
people, and wen have revenue enough and a
surplus
We might in this country-this traffic per-
ished-haya less revenue, but we would have
moro happy homes, and we would have more
peace, and we would have fewer people in
the penitentiary, and there would be tens OF
thousands Of men who are now on the road
10 hell who would start on the road to heaven
But the financial ruin is n very small
part OF it. This iniquity of which / speak
takes everything that is sacred out OF
the family, every hing that is holy
IN religion, everything that is infinite in the
soul and tramples it under foot. The
marriage day has come Tho twain
are at the altar. Lights flash. Music
sounds. Gay feet go up and down
such bright and beautiful sea? The scene
changes. Dingy garrett. No FIRE. On a
broken chair sOrrowful wife. Last hope
gone. Poor forsaken, trodlen uudor foot
she knows all thosorrow of being n drunsard's
vile. Oh she says she was the l,indest
man that ever lived, he was no noble, he was
30 good God never made a grander man
than he was, but the drink did it, the drink
did itw Some day she viii press
her hands against her temples and cry: "Oh,
ny " AiAis MY BIbiu4 OI sic Will 20 NuE on
the abutment of the bridge somc moonlight
night and look down on tho CLASSY surface
and wonder If under That CLASSY surface there
Is not some restfor broken heart.
n young man, through.the intercession or
metropolitan friends gets place in bank
or store lie is going TO leave his country
nome. That morning they are up early in
tho Old homestead. The trunk IS on the
wagon. Mother says: 'My son, ! nut a
bibie IN the trunk, / hope you win read IL
'iten.' She wipes the tears away with her
apron. On he SAYS, 'come, don't you be
worried, ] know how 60 take caro- OF nv
SER. Don't be worried about mcn The IA.
ther says: My son, be n good boy and
write homo often, your mother will bc anx-
lous 70 hear from yOu.' Crack goes tho
whip, and over tho hills goes the wagon
rive years have passed on, and a dis5ipnued
nc mas done It's work for that young man
mere IS a henrse coming up in front Of the
Oh homcs end. The young men Of tho neigh.
Dorhood who have stayed on tho farm
come ln and say: "Isit poasibleg why. he
doesn't look natural. docs heY rs thnt the
iair brow we used 10 know is that the
nealthy check wc used 90 know 10 can't be
possible that is him" The parents stand
looking at the cash in the forehead from
which the life COzed out and they lift their
hands and cay: Oh. my son, Absalom. nav
son, my son Abe0lom. would God that bod
died for thee oh ADeaigm. my son. rnv con n
LORENZO dc Mcdici was very sick and some
Of bis superstitious friends thought IN they
could dissolve certain number Of pearls In
and fItrr. Ff. u