The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-11-20
The Blank Young Man.

The Blank Young Man.
At the Park Avenue Congregational
Church last night, Rev. DR.. Smith Baker
gave his second lecture on young men.
His subject was 1.-The Blank Young Man."
He took for his text the words from the
parable of the talents, ''But he that re.
ceived the one went away and digged in
the earth and hid his lords money"
my lecture may be the best illustration
of my subject" remarked the hearty
preacher, glancing around the we'll filled
pews. '"rhiS servant was not condemned
for what he did do. but for what he did not
do. Money was given him to earn more
money with and he did not squander it-he
was not prOdigal. He simply hid it. He
was financial blank.
lit is sometimes spoken as compliment
of young man: He did no harm,' as
though that was all the expanding powers
of human nature were made for-to roll up
in napkin or to hide in the earth. There
are thousands of souls hid in napkin till
they lose their brightness. and some of them
were never very bright. The blank young
man need not be vicious or immoral, but
One who, stunning outward evil, has not
courage to do right. There are three classes
OF people. Those who love sin, and seek
it without shame. Those who love the
good and do it with all their hearts, and
those who, ashamed to be known as wicked
and afraid to be known as good who seek
to be good enough not to be called wicked
and not so good as to be called religious.
The man who does no good and does no
harm is blank.
There are men clean in habits, intelli-
gent and right believing. with generous i'm.
pulses and fine talents, with splendid posi-.
bilites. God only knows how much they
might be. but now they are blanks.
There goes One-a rich mans son. His
life is full of OppOrtunities-mOney enough
from Standardization, and travels
when and where and how he pleases. He
has been through the best schools and into
the best society. but there he goes driving a
horse his fathers money bought, wearing
the clothes his fathers money paid for. 60
ing to concerts. clubs and dinners his
fathers money provides. He simply kills
time, engages in no honest labor. earns no
money, takes no interest in education or
reform or religion. He spends life in kill
ing time-a fashionably dressed. barbered,
boot BACKED. kid-glOved blank. adding not
1 cent to the financial, moral or religious
worth of society: an harmless dude, Observ-
ing the rule of social etiquette, his mothers
baby and his father's-mOrtification
After this very unique roast upon the
rich young man the doctor administered a
like portion to the petted sons of hard
working parents. These he fixed as
blanks" good for nothing but to fool with
foolish girls and be fooled by them.
why" said he. when a healthy young
man cannot take care of himself the sooner
he dies the better" Such young man was
better than the lOafer but the doctor had no
sympathy for young man who simply
worked. ate and spent his money for good
time. such young man is a blank,
understanding alone he amounts to moth
ing. On the right side of some one who is
somebody; he increases the value of the
man who uses him, but on the wrong side
he goes down to less than one. This need
not be, for the weakest, poorest young man
may be counted ono in society, in party.
in church and be respected as one and be as
good as any other one. 1t is wicked not to
be counted one.
"a simple servant girl one can love, but
merely servant young man is an object of
pity. The supreme test of character with
all men is this: Is the world any better for
his having lived in it?'
'"There is the blank man i'm politics, who
takes no interest in such things and only
votes when some one dragS him out and
tells him how or hires him. But in a re-
public politics is as much mans duty as
the morals of a mans family. In democ
racy each man is part of the government
This is the fearful responsibility of freedom
that it imposes obligation. The poorest
man has no more right to neglect his ballot
than the President his Office" The doctor
proceeded to the religious blank and wound
up with the terse remark:
1.-The sign in Africa that poor Zulu de.
sres to be Christian is that he buys pair
OF pants and chair. The sign in our land
that one is starting for the kingdom of
heaven. that his soul wakes up to be some