The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-10

Ry Rev. George H. Ray, Jr)
I have 30 Grievance against the world.
For me the time Is not out Of joint, or
4 Il Is ! am not born 70 put II right eil,,,
n fine morning 10 kiss her gray old brow
and % caress her wiihered cheeks. love
the people around me" men my brOtners,
men the workers and ] hold 1t better
to stand with them to-day "the heir
Of all the ages. foremost in the file OF
time than 70 have lived In any other
day. The world Is not worse now than
ever before but better. Let US hold 10
that and be thankful for IT, But. beau
uful as our world Is. and as many good
people as II contains, that which Is per
rect Is not come yet. We have yet 10 see
what should be-the world once more
Gods paradise
That which made It the devils was
lie The serpent said, ''Ie shall not surely
die" and Eve believed him. and so came
man dlsobedience and all our Woe.
From that time till now the most promi-
nent sin has been lying. From the day
the rOseate hue Of innocence went from
the brow OF Adam. falsehoOd has been
the most subtle and far-reaching sin. Inc
antedeluvians were liars, for they did
not think even good man Ike Moan
would tell the truth. Jacob lied and MS
ten sons heaped his lie tenfold upon his
aged head David lied, and that lie burst
like tightening into his family and scat
tered 1t 10 the four winds. What was
Judas? What fate was that which beieH
those two worldlings who lied TO the
Holy Ghost? The history Of the world.
believe, has largely been that Of broken
and acted falsehOod. and their cOnse-
auences. We thank God that there is one
Figure in history who lived and was
the Truth. and before the majesty Of
whose character the telleTs Of falsehoods
are ashamed and confused.
Wordsworth called England "a fen or
staguant waters" Altar, sword pen,
and nreside" were corrupted, and we are
Id Frrf
our fair America. our politics are SO
corrupt that honest men fear 10 enter
them lest they lose their honor. All
politicians are not liars. but they are
so apt 70 learn 20 be in public ljfe
that IL little surprises the world 90 NnQ
enc wlo stood high in church and state
recreant 70 every vow man can MAKE
and that he is defended by a man who
claims all men as dishonest The guilty
partner Of his fall is feted because the
world forgets that by falseho0d she has
the statesmen Of to-day God save the
mark make their great fortunes when
they enter public lie poor and re-
ceive only small salaries? The father OF
lies knows
/ asked a clergyman how he explained
the present hard times. lie said be-
cause the world IS dishonest. Men have
begun TO dstrUst each other Fraud has
over-reached itself has destroyed the
foundations Of commerce. until the house
Is lettering to its fall. Wendal Phillips
said I'm Congress, that every dollar with
the head Of Liberty on 1t, circulatins
lie. We may reply that the money IS
no more honest now, for IL Is mined by
trickery and coined by falsehOOd. The
hard times tell us that our country has
been sowing lies and is reaping distrust
and stagnation and mire.
Is a fashionable lie better than others
If n man win lie for nOliteness' sake,
viii he tell the truth when larger in
"a tg nY
has learned 10 lie with glibncss in little
society matters to be trusted with the
sacred name Of wife and mother Honest
men will say that no fortune. 10 wit
no beauty. can outweigh one lie. however
small II may be. \ he Is q lie forever
more, however bright the mind however
beautiful the lips that utter. Mr.. Holmes
in his AutOcrat at the breakfast Table.
says Of woman what h. might with equal
force have said Of man Il quote from
memory: II would have a woman true
as death. When the first lie has worked
its way outward she should be teulerly
chloriformed and borne by good angels
TO another and better world and be fed
on heavenly fruits until she be made all
over again even 10 the bones and mar
row" There IL no double standard of
truth. Men and women alike must be
II is 70 the children Of to-day that the
world must look for its honor and purity
tomorrow. The children then must be
taught 10 De lFQtAlul NJ lie must ne
allowed TO 60 unreproved UNPUBLISHED. No
greater scene ever took place in any
parents life than that told Of Austin
Phelps by his gifted daughter and J
would that all could read Der words
His word was Ike the law Of the Lordf
To tell him the utter truth was inevi-
table lie and honor were one in our
minds. The scene in his study when
one Of his eldest children told the first
lie is too well remembered. The child
was seven, and the falsehoOd was proved
and ACKNOWLEDGED. To the young rather
this commonplace incident was q heart
rending experience ne nad come nome
from a Journey exhausted. but the moral
crisis must not wait for q man 10 rest
The awe in the little offenders heart
when the fatigue Of travel deepened on
that sensitive face, the deadly. palor OF
overwhelming emotion cannot be forgot
ten vet He spoke to the child In d low
stern vet, quiyering voice. such as behtted
the soleunity Of some tremendous moral
event. It ceased TO be an event-it be-
came an epoch TO have uttered false
hood He spoke of the holiness Of truth
and the beauty Of honor; he dwelt In
language quite clear to the chid's mind
on the enormty Of that little act le-
meath HIS breath he touched Tor mo-
ment upon the tendency Of falseness IN
the heart Liars. he said. in an awe
struck all but inaudlbie tone, mars go 10
hell But then and there before the chnd
could cover beneath the moral shock Of
his displ &c sure--a dispieasure which COM
Ing from that ideal of fathery gentleness.
seemed Ike the rebuke Of offended God
Himself-this too human father bowed
his face and wept bitterly.
Those heavy sobs. that melting sight
never heard or seen before or since
effected what word or rod could not
have done Awcd into shame, sMenced
by this revelation OF the truth that the
soul sinneth to itself. the child crept 20
his feet and sobbed with him. AT that
hour was the adherence Of dshonor
born in the heart. That lie was the cost"
Who can measure the extent Of Aus
tin Phelps work In making men and
" omen truei-Methodlst Recorder