The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-10-10

my old mothers cray bair for so 000
such caricatures Of humanity. And If
the life of wording, if the lie Of d:sci-
pie given 10 The world, is sad, the close
of such life is simply tragedy.
Let me tell you that the disslpations
OF social life are despoiling the useful
ness O! q vast multitude CT people. What
do those people care about the fact that
there are whole nations in sorrow and
suffering and sgo1y when they have ior
consideration the more important ques-
ton about the size OF glove Or the tie
OF cravaI? Which one of them ever
bound up the wounds of the hospital?
Whict one OF them ever went out to care
for the poor! Which Ct them do you
fnd iu the haut,ts of sin, distributing
tract? They live on themselves, and 1t
is very poor pasture.
S7barls was great city, aud it once
sent out 300 horsemen in ba!tla. They
had minstrel who had taught the
horses Of the army a gres! trick, and
when the old minstrel played a 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 he 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 ninstrels certain tune. Then
when the cavalry troop came UP the old
mlnstreal and all the other minstrels
played certain tune, -assE9a aae>a a. { iBe most
critical m1ca1estC-ln mca1leess u the battle, when the
horsemen wanted 10 rush to toe conflict,
the horses reared and beat time to the
music with their tore feet, and ID disgrace
and out the enemy fed. All, my friends,
I have seen it again and again-the
minstrels of pleasures the minstrel5 OF
dissipation, the minstre of goddess as
sociatlop have defeated people ID the
hardest fgnt of life. Frlvolity has lost
the battle for 10000 folk. Oa, what
belittling process to the human mind,
this everlasting question about dress,
this discussion of fashionable indnltesl.
uals, this group looking askance at the
glass, wondering with 40 infnity Of earn
sslness how that last geranlum leaf does
look, this shriveling OF mans moral
dignity until it is not observable TO the
naked eye, this Spanish iLquisition of q
tight shoe, this binding up Of an immor.
tai soul in rufls, this pitching off OF an
immortal nature over the rocks when
Ged intended it for great and everlasting
uplifting!
With many life is masquerade ball,
and as at such entertainments gentle
men and ladies put on the grab of kings
and queens or mountebanks OF clowns
and at tie close put off the disguise, 30
great many pass their whole life in a
mask, 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 gemmed hand, and
cleaning brow bends to cleaning brow.
On with the dance! Flush and laughter
of immeasurable merrymakiag. But at.
ter awhile the languor Of death comes on
the limbs and blurs the eyesigtt. Lights
lower. Floor hollow sepuchral echo.
Music saddened into a wal. Lights
lower. Now the maskers are only seen
io he dim light. Now tie fragrance OF
the flowers is like the slckening odor
that comes from garlands that have lain
long in tie vaults of cemetries. Lights
lower. Mists gather in the room. Glas-
ses shake as though quaked by sullen
thunder. Sigh caught in the curtain.
Scarf drops from the 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 extingushed. Torn garlands
will not half cover the ulceratad feet.
Choking damps. Feet still. Hands
closed. Voices hushed. Eyes shut.
Light out.
Oh, how many Of you have foa'ed far
away freu God through social dlsslpa'
tions! And it is tins you turned. For
I remember that there were two vessels
on the, sea and in story. 1t was very,
very dark AID the two vessels were 60
ing straight for each other, and the cap
tsins knew it not. But after awhile the
man on the lookout saw the approaching
ship. and he shouted, Hard a.larboard"
and from the other vessel the cry went
up, Hard a-larboard!" and they turned
Just enough to glance by and passed in
safety to their harbo ors, Some OF you
are IN the storm of temptation, and you
are driving on and coming toward fearful
collisions unless YOU change your course.
Hard a -larboard! Turn ye, turn ye, tor
why will ye die, o house Of Israeli"