Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-03-26


at night, but ever and anon be aroused,
until getting up ON one elbow, he should
shi lex out, "Whos there?"
A merchant can, to tho last item, be
thoroughly honest There is never any
need of falsehoo6. Yet how many will,
day by day, hour by hour, utter what they
know to be wrong. You say that you are
selling at less than cost. II so, then it is
right to say it, But did that cost you less
than what you ask for 1t? II not, then
you have falsified. You say that that
article cost you twenty-five dollars. Dia
it? IL so, then all right II it did not,
then you have falslfed. Suppose you are
O purchaser. You arc cheating down.
the goods. You say that that article for
which five dollars is charged, is not worth
more thar four Is it worth no more than
four dollars? Then all right. II it be
worth more, and for tho sake of getting il
for less than its value you wilfully
depreciatc it, you have fnlsifed. You may
call it a sharp trade. The recording angel
writes it down on the ponder Gus tones Of
eternity-"Mr. So and So, merchant on
Water street, or in Eighth street, or in
State street; or Mrs So and So, keeping
house on Beacon street, or on Madison
avenue, or Rittenhouse square, or Brooklyn
heights OF Brooklyn hill, told one false
hood
In the next place. notice mechanical
lies. There is no class OF men who admin
lister more to the welfare of tho city than
art sans. To their hand we must look for
the building that shelters us, for the gar
ments that clothe US, and for the car that
carries US. They WELD a widespread
influence. There is much derson Of wha.
Il. ,,4; h,,t
the latter day of the worlds prosperity,
think that the Christian viii be muscular.
We have right to expect of those stLlwart
men of toll the highest poss BILE integrity.
Many of them answer all our expectations,
and stand at the front of religious and
philanthropic enterprises. But this class,
like the others that have named, has in
it those who lack in tho element OF
veracity. They cannot all be trusted. In
times when the demand for labor is great,
it is impossible to meet the demands of the
public, or do the work with that prompt
ness and perfection that would at other
times be possible But there are
mechanics whose word cannot be trusted
at any time. No man has a right to
promise more work than he can do. There
are mechanics who say they will come on
Monday, but they do not come until We'd
nesday. You put work in their hands that
they tell you shall DO completed in ten
days, but it is thirty. There have been
houses built of which it might be said that
every nail driven, every foot of plastering
put on, every yard of pipe LAID, every
single hammered every brick mortared,
could tell of falsehood connected Herewith.
There are men attempting to do ten or fl
teen pieces of work who have not the time
or strength to do more than five oP six
pieces; but by promises never fulfilled keep
ell the undertakings within their own
grasp. This is what they call nursing
the .ob.
/ next notice celestial lies; that is,
falsehoods told fol the purpose of adyanc-
ing churches and sects, or for the purpose
of depicting them. There is no use in ask
ing many Calvinist what an Armnian
believes, for he will be apt to tell you that
the Arminian believes that man can con-
vert himself; or to ask the Arminian what
the Calvinist believes, for he will tell YOU
that the Calvinst believes that God made
some men just to damn them. There is nc
need of asking a pRdo- Baptist what Bap.
fist believes, for he will be apt to say that
the Baptist believes immersion to be posi-
lively necessary to salvation. 1t Is almost
impossible for one denomination of Chris.
tians, without prejudice or miSrepresenta;
ton, to state the sentiment of an opposing
sect, If a man hates Presbyterians. and
you ask him what Presbyterians believe,
he will tell you that they believe there are
infants in hell span long!
To many, through insincerity, this life
is a masquerade ball. As, at such enter
tainments, gentlemen and ladies appear in
the dress of kings or queens, mountain
bandits, or clowns, and at the close OF the
dance throw off their DISCUSSES, so, in this
dissipated life, all unclean passions move
in mask. Across the floor they trip mel
rily. The lights sparkle along the wall,
or drop from the ceiling-a cohort of fire!
The music charms. The diamonds glitter
The feet bound. Gemmed hands stretched
out clasp gemmed hands. Dancing feet
J respond to dancing feet. Cleaning brow
bends to cleaning brow. On with the
dance! Flash and rustic, and laughter,
and Unreasonable merry-lnaking! 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 a sickening
| oder, such as comes from garlands that
I have lain in vaults of cemeteries. Lights
! lower. Msts fill the room. Glasses rattle
! as though shaken by sullen thunder. Signs
! seem caught among the curtains. Scarf
! falls from the shoulder of beauty
shroud! Lights lower! Over the slippery
| boards, in dance of death, glide
! iealousies, disappointments, lust, despair.
/ Torn leaves and withered garlands
only half hide the tired ulcered
feet. The stencil Of smoking
lamp wicks almost quenched. Choking
damps. Chiliness. Feet still. Hands
| folded. Eyes shut. Voices hushed.
Lights out!