Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-04-13


YOU good morning. Morning of peace
for all your troubles. Morning of liberia
tion-for all your incarcerations. Morn
ing of resu - ction for your soul buried
in sin. Good morningl Morning for the
resuscitated household that has been
waiting for your return. Morning for
the cradle and the crib already disgraced
with being that Of a drunkard's child.
Morning for the daughter that has
trudged off to hard work because you
did not take care of home. Morning for
the wife who at 40 or 90 years has the
wrinkled face, and the stopped shoulder,
and the white hair. Morning for one
Morning for all. Good morning! In
Gods name, good morningl
BEFORE PITFALLS.
In our last dreadful war the Federals
and the Confederates were encamped on
opposite sides of the Rappahannock, and
one morning the brass band Of the north
ern troops played the national air, and
all the northern troops cheered and
cheered. Then on the opposite side OF
the Rappahannock the brass band Of the
Confederates played my Maryland"
and Dixie" and then all the southern
troops cheered and cheered. But aftei
awhile one Of the bands struck up
Home, Sweet Home" and the band
on the opposite side OF the river took up
the strain, and when the tune was done
the Confederates and the Federals all
together united as the tears rolled down
their cheeks in one great huzza, huzza!
Well, my friends, heaven comes very
near today. 1t is only a stream that
divides us, the narrow stream Of death,
and the voices there and the voices here
seem to commingle, and we join trum-
pets and hosannahs and hallelujahs, and
the chorus Of the united song Of earth
and heaven is Home, Sweet Home. ="
Home of bright domestic circle on earth.
Home Of forgiveness in the great heart
of God. Home Of eternal rest i'll heaven.
Homel Homel Homel
But suppose you are standing on a
crag of the mountain and on the edge
of a precipice, and all unguarded, and
some one either in joke or hate shall
run up behind you and push you off. 1t
is easy enough to push you off. But who
would do so dastardly deed? Why, this
is done every hour of every day and ev-
cry hour of every night Men come to
the verge of city life and say: "NOw,
we will just look off. Come, young man,
do not be afraid. Come near let us look
off," He comes to the edge and looks
and looks until, after awhile, satan
sneaks up behind him and puts hand
on each of his shoulders and pushes him
off. Society says it is evil proclivity on
the part of that young man. Oh, mol
Hewas simply an explorer and sacrificed
his life in discovery.
A young man comes in from the coun-
try Dragging that nothing can do him
any harm He knows about all the tricks
of city life. why" he says, did not l
receive a circular in the country telling
me that somehow they found out 1 was
q sharp business man, and If l would
only send q certain amount Of money by
mail or express, charges prepaid, they
would send package with which could
make a fortune in two months, but did
not believe it. Ny neighbors did, but
l did not Why, no man could take my
money. 1 carry it in pocket inside my
vest. No man could take it. No man
could cheat me at the faro table, Don't
l know all about the cue box, and the
dealers box, and the cards stuck to-
gether as though they were one, and
when to hand in my checks? Oh, they
,an't cheat me. I know what I am
about, while at the same time, that very
moment, such men are succumbing to the
worst satanic influences in the simple
fact that they are going to observe.
Now, if man or woman shall 60 down
into haunt of iniquity for the purpose
of reforming men and women or for the
sake of being able intelligently to warn
people against such perils; if, as did
John Howard or Elizabeth Fry or Thorn
as Chalmers, they 60 down among the
abandoned for the sake Of saving them,
then such explorers shall be God pro-
tected, and they will come out better
than when they went in. But if you go
on this work Of exploration merely for
the purpose of satisfying 3 morbid curl
osity 1 will take 20 per cent Off your
moral character.
A PERILoUS ROAD.
Sabbath morning comes. You wake
up in the hotel You have had a longer
sleep than usual. You say: Where am
1? A thousand miles from home? have
no family to take to church today. My
pastor will not expect my presence. l
think l shall look over my accounts and
study my memorandum book Then l
will write a few business letters and
talk to that merchant who came in on
the same train with me-" Stop! You
cannot afford to do it.
But" you say, II am worth $780,
OO0" You cannot afford to do it. You
say, II am worth $1,000, 000." You
cannot afford to do it. All you gain by
breaking the Sabbath you will lose. You
will lose one of three things-your intel
lect, your morals or your property-and
you cannot point in the whole earth to
a single exception to this rule. God gives
us six days and keeps one for himself.
Now, if we try to get the seventh, he
will upset the work Of all the other six.
remember going up Mount Washing
ton, before the railroad had been built,
to the Tip-Top House, and the guide
would come around to our horses and stop
us when we were crossing a very steep
and dangerous place, and he would
tighten the girth Of the horse and
straighten the saddle. And have to tell