Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-14

Alas, that old people 50 much lnisunder.
stand yong folks! There was a great
4 Sunday school anniversary, and There
! were thousands of children present In
/ deed aii the Sunday schools of the town
were in the building and it WAS very up
( roarious and full OF disturbance. and The
( presiding officer on the occasion came for
! ward and in 4 very loud tone shouted,
I silence" and the more noise the preS;d-
4 ing officer made the more noise the chill
! drgn made. Some one else rose ON The
/ piatfotm and came forward and with
more Stentorian voice shouted "Silenca..'
and the uprOar rose To greater height
and il did seem rs if there would he al
most riot and the police have To be
called in when old Dr. Bcaman. his hair
white - the driven snow. said. Let me
try my hand" SO he came forward with
Il slow step TO the front of The platform.
and when the children saw the vencra'-'-
man aud the white hair they though.
! they would hush up that instant and
hear what the cid man had 10 say lie
said Boys. ! want to make Il bargain
with Won. If YOU viii be still now While
I ! speak. whom You get To be rs old rs [
am | viii be rs still as mouse" There
Was not another whisper that afternoon.
He WAS as much boy as any of them.
Oh. in these approaching holidays let us
turn back our natures To what they were
years ago AID be boys again and girls
again and make MI our homes happy.
God viii hold you responsible for The
influence You now exert. and it will be
very bright and very pleasant if some
winter night when we are sleeping IN
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shall ride along in the merry party. and
hushing 4 moment into solemnity look off
and say. There sleep the best fatllcr and
mother that ever made a happy new
year" Arm yourself against these temp
tations of December, January and Feb
ruary. Temptations will come to you in
the form of an angel of light
/ know that the poets represent satan
as horned and hoofed. If | We're Il poet
and l were going to picture satan.
would represent him as a human being
with manners polished TO the last perfcc-
ton, hair falling in graceful rinsletS,
eyes n little bloodshot. but floating in
bewitching lanGuOr, hand soft and dia-
monded, foot eXquisitely shaped. vocf
mellow Il flute, breath perfumcd ~
though nothing had ever touched the
lips but balm of a thousand flowers. con
versation facile, carefully toned and
Erenchy. But would have the heart in
cased with the scales of monster, and
have it stuffed with all pride and bcastli-
ness of desire and hypocrisy and death,
and then ! would have it touched with the
rod of discnchantmcnt until the eyes be-
came the cold orbs of the adder. and Ia
the lip should come the foam of raging
intoXication, and TO the foot the spring
of the panther. and TO the soft hand tho
change that would make it the clammy
sand Of the wasted skeleton. and then
you'd suddenly have the heart break
dut i'll unQuenchable flames, and the af-
sected lisp of the tongue become the hiss
II the worm that never dies. But until
disenchanted ringleted and diamonded
and flute voiced, and conversation facile,
carefully toned and Frenchy
Engage in High Pursuits.
oh. what beautiful thing it is to see
n young man standing up amid these
temptations of city life incorrupt while
hundreds are falling. | will tell your his
tory. You will move in respectable cir
cles all your days, and some day 4 friend
of your father will meet you and say:
Good morning. Glad 10 see you. You
seem to be prospecting. You look like
yOur father for all the world. ] thought
You would turn out well when | used IL
hold You on my knee. If YOU ever want
any help or any advice, come 10 me. As
long as | remember your father III re'
member you. Good morning" That
will be the history of hundreds of these
young men. How do | know ii? ! know
hI- bn q,
young man who takes the opposite route
Voices of sin charm him away. He reads
bad books. minglcs in bad society. The
glow has gone from his cheek, and tina
sparkle from his eye and the purity from
his soul. Down he goes. little 10y little.
The people who saw him when he came
To town while vet lowered over his head
the blessing of a pure mothers prayer. |
and there was on his lips the dew of u |
pure sisters kiss, now as they see HIM |
pass cry. What an awful wreck" Cheek |
bruised in groGshop fight. Eye bleared |
with dissipation. Lip swollen with in
dulgences Be careful what you say Ia |
him; for Il trifie he would take your life. |
Lower down, lower down, until out
cast of God and man, he lies in the asy-
lun. a blotch of loathsomene>s and pain.
One moment he calls for God. and then |
he calls for rum. He prays: he curses;
he laughs as a ficnd laughs. then bites his
nails into the quick. then puts his hand
through the hair hanging around his head
like the name of a wild beast, then shiv-
erS until the cot shakes with unutterable
terror. then with his fists fights back
the devils or clutches for serpents that
seem t. wind around him their awful
folds then asks for water which is in
stantly consumed OH his cracked lips
Some morning the surgeon going his
rounds will find him dead. DO not try to
comb out or brush back the matted locks.
Straghten out the limbs, wrap them in
4 sheet. put him in n box and let two
men carry him down 10 the wagon at the
loor. With a piece of chalk write on top
IF the box the name of the destroyer and
he destroyed. Who is it g! 1t is YOU @ man,
f. yielding to the temptations of Il dissi-
Dated life, ycu go out and perish. There
8 way that seemcth bright and fair
md beautiful to Il man. but the end
hereof is death. Employ these long
nights of December, January and Feb
'uary in high pursuits, in intelligent So
.ialities, in innocent amusements. in
christian work Do not waste this win
err. for soon You will have seen your last
snow shower and have gone up into the
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