Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-05-23


the pulpit a s l stepped out of it and said
30, my son, my son, my son." There il
many young man proud of his mother
who would strike 10 the dust any man WHIT
would insult her. who at this moment him
self, by his evil doing and his bad habits
is sharpening a dagger to plunge through
that mothers heart. A telegram brought
him from afar. He went bloated anc
scared into the room and he stood by the
lifeless form of his mother.
Her hair gray; it had turned gray II
sorrow. Those eyes had wept floods Of
tears over his wandering. That still
white hand had done him many kind
ness and written many loving invita-
ton and good counsel. He had broken
her old heart He came into tho room and
threw himself on the casket and he sobbed
Outright: Mother! Motherw but those
lips that had kissed him in infancy and
uttered so many kind words spoke not;
they were sealed. Rather than to have
such a memory come to my soul, / would
prefer TO have rolled over me the Alps and
the Himalayas.
But while sometimes there are sons who
turn out very badly coming from good
homes. want to tell you for your encour-
/
unhappy and undisciplined home is the
poisonous caldron from which a vast
multitude drink their death.
| Second-I remark that another caldron
of iniquity is an indolent life All the
rail trains down the Hudson river yester-
day, all the rail trains on the Pennsyl-
yania route, all the trains on the Long
Island road brought to these cities young
n1an 70 nf
them are here this morning, doubt not
| Do you know what one of your great
temptations is going to be: 1t is the ex-
ample of indolent people in our cities.
They dress better than some who are in
dustrious They have access to all places
of amusement-plenty of money, and yet
idle. They hang around our great hotels
the Fifth Avenue the Windsor. the
Brunswick, the Stuyvesant, the Gilsey
House-all our beautiful hotels, you will
find them around there any day-men who
do nothing, never earn any thing, yet
well dressed. having plenty. Why should
| work? Why should you work: Why
| drudge and toll in bank and shop and Of
flee or on the scaffolding, or by the anvil,
when these men get along so we'll and do
not work?
halls of our great cities, toothpick in their
mouth, waiting for some crumb to fail
from the officeholder's table. Some of
them hang around the city hall for the
city van bringing criminals from the sta
ton houses. They stand there and gloat
over it-really enjoy the disgrace and
suffering of those poor creatures as they
get out of the city van and go into the
courts.
Now, these men are a constant tempta-
ton. Why should toll and wear myself
out in the bank. or the office, or the store,
or the factory? These men have nothing
10 do. They get along a great deal better,
and that is the temptation under which
great many young men fall. They begin
to consort with these men, these idlers,
and they go down the same awful sleeps.
The number of men in our cities who are
trying to get their living by their wits and
by sleight of hand is all the time increas-
ing
Where do they get their money? That
is what you ask That is what 1 ask.
Only four ways of getting money-only
fourS by Inheritance, by earning it, by
begging it, by stealing it; and there are n
vast multitude among US who get their
living not by inheritance, nor by earning
it. nor by begging it l do not like to
take the responsibility of saying how they
get it!
A New York merchant saw young maI,
one of his clerks, in half disguise, going
into a very low place of amusement The
merchant said TO himself: ct must lock
out for that clerk; he is going in bad COM
pany and going in bad places; | must
look out for him" . few months passed
on and one morning the merchant entered
his store and mis- clerk of whom l have
been speaking came up in assumed con-
sterTation and said: 20, sir, the store has
been on fire; l have put out the fire, but
there are great many goods lost we
have had a great crowd of people coming
and going" Then the merchant took the
clerk by the collar and said: Il have had
enough of this; you can not deceive me;
where are those goods you stole?" The
young man instantly confessed his viii
lainy.
o, the numbers of people in these great
cities who are trying to get their living
not honestly! And they are a mighty
temptation to the industrious young man
who can not understand it. While these
others have it so easy they have it so hard.
Horatius of Olden time was told that he
could have just as much ground as he
could plow around with a yoke of oxen in
one day. He hooked up the oxen to the
pillow and he cut very large circle and
plowed until he came to the same point
where he had started, and all that prop
erty was his. But have to tell you to- day
that just so much financial just so much
moral, just so much spiritual possession
you will have as you compass with your
own industries, and just so much as from
the morning of your life to the evening of
your life you can pillow around with your
own hard work. go to the ant thou
consider her ways and be
wise" One of the most awful caldrons
of death to-day is an indolent life. Thank
God that you have to work.
Thiri-Once more / remark, that the
dramshop is a great caldron OF iniquity in
our time Anacharsis said that the vine
bore three grape<-the first was Pleasure.
the next was Drunkenness and the next
Misery. Every saloon above ground is
a fountain of iniquity. 1t may have a IL
cense and it may go along quite respecta-
BILE for awhile. but after awhile the cover
will fall off and the color of iniquty will
be displayed.
%, Says some one, you ous to be easier
on such traffic when it pays such a large
revenue to the Government and helps sup
port your schools and your great institu-
ton of mercy" And then think of what
Z. Gladstone said-I think it was
the first time he was Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer-when men engaged in the ruinous
traffic came to him and said their business
ought to have more consideration from
the fact that it paid such large revenue
to the English Government Mr.. Glad
stone said: Gentlemen, don't worry