The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-03-12
HENDERSON, N. G., THURSDAY, MARCH l2. 1891.

putty. NdlilIClltS WoildlllCu " itot
until you put them on the third time.
Shoddy in all kinds of clothing.
Cbromes. Pinchbeck., Diamonds for
dollar and a half. Book bindery
that holds on until you read the third
chapter. Spawned horses by skilful
dose of jockeys for several days made
to look spry. Wagon tires poorly put
on. Horses poorly shod. Plastering
that cracks without any provocation
and falls off. Plumbing that needs to
be plumbed. Imperfect car wheel that
halts the whole train with hot box.
So little practical religion in the
mechanism of the world. l tell you,
my friends, the law of man will never
rectify these things. 1t will be the all
pervading influence of the practical re-
ligion of Jesus Christ that will make
the change for the better.
Yes, this practical religion will also
go into agriculture which is proverb-
tally honest but needs to be rectihed !,
and it will keep the farmer from send
ing to the New York market veal that
is too young to kill, and when the
farmer farms on shares it will keep the
man who does the work from making
his half three -fourths, and it will keep
| the farmer from building his posts and
rail fence on his neighbors premises,
and it will make him shelter his cattle
in the winter storm, and it will keep
the old elder from workldg on Sunday
afternoon in the new ground when no.
body sees him. And this practical re-
ligion will hover over the house, and
over the barn, and over the field, and
over the orchard.
Yes. this practical religion of which
l speak will come into the learned pro-
fessions. The lawyer will feel his
responsibility IN defending innocence,
and arraigning evil, and expounding
the law, and it will keep him from
charging for briefs he never wrote, and
for pleas he never made, and for per-
centages he never earned, and from
robbing the widow and orphan be-
cause they are defenseless. Yes, this
practical religion will come into the
physicians life, and ne will feel the
responsibility as the conservator of the
health, a profession honored by the
fact that Christ Himself was physi-
clan. And. it will make him honest,
and when he does not understand 4
case he will say SO, not trying to cover
up his lack of diagnosis with ponder
Gus tecnnlcahties, or send the patient
, to reckless drug store because the
apothecary happens to pay a percen-
tage on the prescriptions sent.
And this practical religion will
come to the school teacher, making
her feel her responsibility in preparing
our youth for usefulness, and for happi-
ness, and for honor, and will keep her
from giving sly box to a dull head,
Christening him for what he cannot
help, and sending encouragement all
through the after years of lifetime.
This practical religion will also come
to the newspaper men, and it will help
them in the gathering of the news, and
it will help them in setting forth the
best interests of society, and it will
keep them from putting the sins of the
world in larger type than its virtues,
and its mistakes than its achievements.
Yes, this religion, this practical reli
gion, will come and put its hand on
what is called good society, elevated
society, successful society, SO that peo-
pie will have their expenditures within
their income, and they will exchange
the hypocritical ''not at home' for the
honest explanation "too tired" or "toc
busy to see you,' and will keep inno-
cent reception from becoming intoxi
eating conviviality.
Yes, there is great opportunity fol
missionary work in what are called the
successful classes of society. 1t is nc
rare thing now to see a fashionable
woman intoxicated in the street, Of
the rail car, or the restaurant. The
number of fine ladies who drink toe
much is increasing. Perhaps you may
find her at the reception in most exalt
ed company, but she has made too
many visits to the@ inc room, ano
now her eye is CLASSY and after awhile
her cheek is unnaturally flushed, and
then she falls into fits of excruciatins
laughter about nothing, and then sh,
offers sickenlng batteries, telling som'
homely man how we'll he looks, ane
then she is helped into the carriage
and by the time the carriage gets It
her home it takes the husband ant
coachman to get her up the stairs
The report IS, She was taken suddenl,
i'll at german. All. no. She tool
too much champagne, and mixec
> liquors, and got drunk. That was all
: Yes, this practical religion will hav
to come in and fix up the marriag
relation in America. There are mem
bers of churches who have too man
wives and too many husbands. Soci
ETY. needs to be expurgated and washe'
. and fllmigated and Christianized. W
have missionary societies to retorr
5 Elm street, in New York, Bedfor
5 street, Philadelphia, and Shoreditct
= London, and the Brooklyn docks; bu
: there is need of an organization to re
| form much that is going on in Beaco
. street and Madison square and Ritter
S house square and West End an
e Brooklyn Heights and Brooklyn Hill
: We want this practical religion nc
< only to take hold of what are calle
/, the lower classes, but to take hold {
!. what are called the higher classe
: The trouble is that people have a
0 idea they can do all their religion Q
y Sunday with hymn book and pray'
e book and liturgy, and some OF the
o sit in church rolling up their eyes