The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-03-25

furnace has jdst gone out" when in |,
truth they have had no FIRE In 1t all win
ter. They apologize for the unusual bar
renness Of their table, when they do not |
live any better. They decry their most
luxurious entertainments, to win q
shower Of approval. They apologize for |
their appearance, as though it were un-
usual, when always at home they look
Just SO. They would make you believe
that some nice sketch on the wall was
the work Of a master painter ut was
an heirloom and once hung on the walls
Of castle; and duke gave 1t to their
grandfather" When the fact is that
painting was made by man down
east" and baked, so as to make II look
old, and sold with others for $40 dozen
People who will lie about nothing else
| will lie about picture. On q small in
come we must make the world believe
that we are affluent, and our life be-
comes cheat, counterfeit and sham.
Few persons are really natural When
say this, I do not mean to slur cul-
tured manners. 1t Is right that we
should have more admiration for the
sculptured marble than for the unknown
block of the quarry. From many cir
cles in life insincerity has driven out
vivacity and enthusiasm. A frozen dig
nifty instead floats about the room, and
iceberg grinds against iceberg. You
must not laugh outright; 1t is vulgar.
You must smile. You must not dash
rapidly across the room; you must glide.
There is round Of bows, Of grins, and
batteries, and obs! and abs! and SIM
pering, and nambypambyism-a word
Of which is not worth one good, round,
honest peal Of laughter. From such
hollow round the tortured guest retires
at the close Of the evening and assures
his host that he has enjoyed himself.
What round of insincerities many
people run in order to win the favor Of
the world. Their life is sham and
their death an unspeakable sadness.
Alas for the poor butterflies when the
frost strikes them!
Compare the life ana death Of such a
one with that Of some Christian aunt
} who was once a blessing to your house
. hold. do not know that she was ever
J offered the hand in marriage. She
lived single, that untrammelled 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 blessing She could pray,
, or sing "Roclr of Ages" for any sick
pauper who asked her. AS she got
older, there were days when she was a
7 little sharp, but for the most part
auntie was sunbeam-just the one for
l Christman Eve. She knew better than
3 anyone else how to fix things Her
, every prayer, as God heard it, was full
8 of everybody who had trouble. The
5 brightest things in all the house dropped
from her fingers. She had peculiar no
5 tions, but the grandest notion she ever
had was to make you happy. She
: dressed well-auntie always dressed
Q we'll; but her highest adornment was
d that Of meek and quiet spirit, which
{ in the sight of God, is Of great price
i When she died, you all gathered low
u ingly about her; as you carried her Gu
Q to rest the Sunday-school class almost
l covered the coffin with japonicas anC
Il the poor people stood at the end Of thu
It alley, with their aprons to their eyes
d sobbing bitterly; and the man Of th'
c world said, with Solomon, "Her pric,
It was above rubies;" and Jesus, as unit
It the maiden in Judea commanded, Sc
G say unto thee, arise!"
t. But TO mauy through insincerity thi
!? life is masqu rade ball. AS, at sucl
a entertainments, gentlemen and ladie
o appear in the dress of kings and dqueens
u mountain bandits or clowns, and at tn
It close Of the dance throw off their dis
'e guise, so, in this dissipated life, all un
1T clean passions move in mask. Acros
r the floor they trip merrily. The light
S, sparkle along the wall or drop from tn
s: ceiling-a cohort of fire! The must
10 charms The diamonds glitter. TIL
n feet bound. Gemmed hands stretche,
out clasp gemmed hands. DancinI
It feet respond to dancing feet. Cleaning
'f brow bends TO cleaning brow. o.
Ie with the dance! Flash and rustic
70 and laughter, and immeasurabl
n merrymaking! But the languor o
% death comes over the limbs, an
It blurs the sight. Lights lower! Floo
TX hollow with sepulchral echo. Musi
g. saddens into wall. Lights lowerl TIL
i maskers can hardly now be seen
n Flowers exchange their fragrance for
ID sickening odor, such as comes from gar
st lands that have lain in vaults Of GENE
It teries. Lights lower! Mists all tn
'e room. Glasses rattle as though shake
Is by sullen thunder. Sighs seem caugh
n among the curtains. Scarf falls fror
s. the shoulder of beauty shroud
1t Lights lower! Over the slippery boards
IS in dance of death, glide jealousies, dis
y appointments. lust, despair. Tor
q leaves and withered garlands only hal
hide the ulcered feet. The stencil o
Il smoking lamp-wicks almost quenched
, Choking damps Chilliness. Feet still
3. Hands folded. Eyes shut. Voice
, liushed. Lights out!
WurnaA