The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-03-26

they do not like the corn is because II
is not ground in their own mill. How
long before we shall learn to he fair in
( our religious cr1ticisInsg The keenesl
jealousies on earth are church jealous
les The field CT Christian work is sc
large that there is no need that oul
hoe handles hit
THE LIES OF SOCIETY.
Next ] speak Of social lies This evil
makes much Of society insincere. You
know not what to believe. When PEG
pie ask you to come you do not know
whether or not they want you to come.
When they send their regards you do
not know whether il is an expression OF
| their heart or an external civility. We
have learned TO take almost everything
at a discount. Word IS sent. Not al
home" when they are Only too lazy to
dress Themselves They say, The fur
mace has just gone out, when in truth
they have had no fire in it all winter.
| They apologize for the unusual bar
renness of their table when they never
live any better. They decry their most
luxurious entertainments to win a
shower OF approval They apologize
for their appearance as though it were
unusual, when always at home they
look just. 50. They would make you
| believe that some nice sketch on the
wall was the work of a master painter
at was an heirloom, and once hung
on the walls OF a castle, aud duke
| gave it to their grandfather" When
the fact is that painting was made by
a man down east, and baked so' as
| to make it look old. and sold with
| others for ten dollars Il dozen People
who will lie about nothing else will lie
about q picture. On a small income
we must make the world believe that
we are afiuent, and our life becomes a
cheat, q counterfeit and sham.
| Few persons are really natural.
| When / say this / do not mean to slur
| cultured manners. 1t is right that we
| should have more admiration for the
| sculptured marble than for the un-
known block of the quarry. From many
circles in life insincerity has driven out
vivacity and enthusiasm. A frozen
| dignity instead floats about the room.
and iceberg grinds against iceberg.
You must net laugh outright; it is vul-
gar. You must smile You must not
| dash rapidly across the room, you must
glide. There is a round of bows and
grins and batteries and ohs and abs!
and sinpering and nambypambyisln-
a world of which is not worth one
good, round, honest peal of laughter.
From such a hollow round the tor
tured guest retires at the close of the
evening, and assures his host that he
has enjoyed himself!
What a round of insincerities many
people run in order to win the favor of
the world! Their life is a sham and
their death an unspeakable sadness
Alas for the poor butterflies when the
frost strikes them!
LIFE A MASQUERADE TO SOME.
Compare the life and death of such
one with that of some Christian aunt
WHO was once a blessing to your house
hold. do not know that she was ever
offered the hand in marriage. She
lived single, that untrammeied she
might be everybody's blessing. When
ever the sick were to be visited, or the
poor to be provided with bread, she
went with a blessing. She could pray
or sing Rock of Ages" for any sick
pauper who asked her. As she got
older there were days when she was a
little sharp, but for the most part
puntie was q sunbeam-just the one
for Christmas eve She knew better
than any one else how to fix things
Her every prayer, as God heard it, was
full of everybody who had trouble.
The brightest things in all the house
dropped from her fingers. She had pc
culiar notions, but the grandest notion
she ever had was to make you happy.
She dressed weil-auntie always dressed
well--but her highest adornment was
that Of meek and quiet spirit, which |
in the sight of God is of great price.
When she died you all gathered low
ingly about her, and as you carried her |
out to rest the Sunday school class al |
most covered the coffin with japonicas,
and the poor people stood at the end |
of the alley with their aprons to their |
eyes, sobbing bitterly; and the man of |
the world said, with Solomon, Her
price was above rubies," and Jesus, as
unto the maiden in Judea commanded,
Il say unto thee, arise!'
But to many, through insincerity,
this life is masquerade ball. AS at
such entertainments gentlemen and la
dies appear in the dress of kings or
queens, mountain bandits or clowns,
and at the close of the dance throw off
their disguises,' so in this dissipated life
all unclean persons move in mask.
Across the floor they trip nerrily The
lights sparkle along the wall or drop
from the ceiling-a cohort of fire. The
music charms. The diamonds glitter
1he feet bound. Genmed hands
stretched out clasped gemmed hands
Dancing feet respond to dancing feet.
Cleaning brow bends to cleaning brow.
On with the dance! Flash and rustic
and laughter and unreasonable merry
making! But the languor of death
comes over the limbs and blurs the
sight.
Lights lower! Floor hollow with
sepulchral echo. Music saddens into
wall. Lights lower! The maskers can
hardly now be seen. Flowers exchange
their fragrance for sickening odor.
such as comes from garlands that have
lain in vaults of cemeteries. Lights
lower! Mists fill the room. Glasses
rattle as though shaken by suIlen thun-
der. Signs seem caught among the
curtains. Scarf falls from the shout
der OF beauty-a shroud Lights
lowerl Over the slippery boards in
dance of death glide jealousies, disap-
pOintmentS, lust, despair. Torn leaves