The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-10-10

my old mothers gray hair for SO, 900
such caricstures of humanity. Aed If
the life of a wording, if the life of disci-
pie given 10 tie world, is sad, the close
Of such a life is simply a tragedy.
| Let nae tell you that the disslpatlons
of social life are despoiling the useful.
ness OF vast multitude Of people. What
do those people care about the fact that
there are whole nations 10 sorrow and
suffering and agony when they have ior
consideration the more important cues
ton about the sizs OF a glove or the tie
OF crayal9 Which one of them sveS
bcuud up the wounds of the hospital?
| Which one Of them ever went cut to care
for the poor! Which Of them do you
fad 10 the haunts OF sin, distributing
traci? They live on themselves. and 1t
is very poor pasture.
SPbarls was a great city, and it once
sent out 800 horsemen in battle. They
had minstrel who had taught the
horses of the army great trick, and
when the old minstrel played g certain
| tune the horses would rear and with
their front feet seem to beat time to the
music. Well, the old minstrel was of.
sended with his country, and he went
over to the enemy, and be said to the
enemy, "You give me the nastershlp OF
the army, and will destroy their troops
when those horsemen come from Sy-
baris." So they gave the old minstrel
the management and he taught all the
other n1instrels certain tune, Then
when the cavalry troop came up the old
mlnstreal and all the other m!nstrels
played certain tune, and at the most
critical moment in the battle, when the
horsemen wanted to rush to The corf;ct,
the horses reared and beat time to the
music with their fore feet, and in disgrace
audrout the enemy fed. An, my triends,
I have seen it again and again-.he
minstrels of pleasurels the midstrels OF
dissipation. the minstre Of goddess as
socistlon have defeated people II the
hardest fgot of life. Frivolity hiss lost
the battle for $1,000 folk. Oa, what a
belittling process to the human mind,
this everlasting question about dress,
this discussion Of fashionable in6nitesl.
maIs, this group looking asksnce at the
glass, wondering with an infnity OF earn
estness how that last geranlum leaf does
look, this shriveling OF mans moral
dignity until it is not Observable to the
naked eye, this Spanish irquisition OF q
tight shoe, this binding up of an immor-
tai soul in q ruff }, this pitching off OF an
immortal nature over the rocks when
God intended it for great and everlasting
uplifting!
With many life is masquerade bali,
and as at such entertainments gentle
men and ladies put on the grab of kings
and queens or mountebanks OF clowns
and at the close put off the disguise, so
great many pass their whole life IN
mack, taking off the mask at death.
| While the masquerade bail of life goes on
they trip merrily oyer the floor, gemmed
hand is stretched to genued hand, and
cleaning brow bends to cleaning brow.
On with the dance! Flush and laughter
of immeasurable merrymaking. But at.
| ter awhile the languor Of death comes on
toe limbs and blurs the eyesight. Lights
lower. Floor hollow sepulchral echo.
Music saddepsd into wall. Lights
lower. Now the maskers are only seen
iu he dim light. Now the fragrance OF
the flowers is Ike the slckening odor
that comes from gsrlands that have lain
long in tie vaults of cemetries. Lights
lower. Mis:s gather in the room. Gias.
ses shake as though qGaked by sullen
thunder. Sigh caught in The curtain.
Scarf drops from tie shoulder OF beauty,
shroud. Lights lower. Over the
slippery boards in dance of death glide
iealousies, envies, reveuges, lust, de-
spair and death. Stencil the lampWlcks
almost extingu.shed. Torn garlands
will not half cover the liberated feet.
Choking damps. Feet still. Hands
closed. Voices hushed. Eyes shut.
Light out.
Oa, how many CT you have fosted far
away from God through social dlsslps'
tions! And it is tins you turned. For
7 remember that there were two vessels
on the.sea and in q story. l: was very,
very dark and the TWO vessels were 60
ing straight for each other, and the cap
tsins knew it not. But after awhile the
msn On the lookout saw the approaching
ship, and he shouted, "Hard a.larboard!'
and from the other vessel the cry went
I'D, Hard a-lerbosrd!" and they turned
Just enough to glance by and passed IN
safety to their harbors, Some OF you
are N the storm of temptation, and you
are driving on and coming toward fearful
collisions unless you change your course.
Hard -larboard! Turn ye, turn ye, tor
''why will ye die, 0 house of lsrael?'