The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-08-31

f.SaS ~ Ps EI0m Od8uafy 10 1cocAi-
Der the struggle koes on. Night gives
NO quiet I'd limbs tossing in rest
lesshess, nor to i brain. that will
not stop thinking. The dreams are
narrowed BY imaginary loss. and
auehsd with imaginary gains. Even
the Sabbath can not dam back the
tide OF anxiety, for this wave of world
illness dashes clear over the churches,
and leaves its foam OH Bibles and
prayer books. Men who are living on
salaries, or by the cultivation of the
soil can not understand the wear and
tear of the body and mind to which
our merchants are subjected, when
they do not know but that their liveli-
hood and their business honor are de-
pendent upon the uncertainties of the
next hour. This excitement of the
brain. this corroding care OF the heart,
this strain of effort that exhausts the
spirit, sends great many of our best
men, In middle life, into the grave.
Their life dashed out against money
safes They go with their store on
their backs. They trudge like camels,
sweating, from Aleppo TO Damascus.
They make their life a crucifxion.
Standing behind desks and counters,
banished from the fresh air, weighed
down by carking cares, they are so
many suicides. Oil / wish could,
| to-day, rub out some of these lines of
care; that / could lift some of the bur.
dens from the heart; that / could give
relaxation to some of these worn mus
cles. 1t is time for you to begin to
take it a little easier. Do your
best, and then trust God for the rest.
Do not fret. God manages all the
affairs of your life, and he manages
them for the best. Consider the lilies
they always have robes. Behold the
fowls OF the air-they always have
nests Take a long breath. Bethink,
betimes, that God did not make you
for pack-horse. Dig yourselves out
from among the hogsheads and the
shelves. and in the light of the holy
Sabbath day resolve that you will give
to the winds your fears, and your fret
fulness, and your distresses. You
brought nothing into the world, and
it is very certain you can
carry nothing out Having food and
raiment, be Herewith content. The
merchant came home from the store.
There had been great disaster there
He opened the front door and said, in
the midst of his family circle: Il am
ruined. Everything isgone. l am all
ruined" His wife said: 81 am left"
and the little child threw up its hands
and said: Papa, am here" The
aged grandmother. seated in the room,
said: Ethan you have all the promises
of God besides, John" And he burst
into tears, and said: ''God forgive me.
that have been so ungrateful find
l have great many things left. God
forgive me-"
Again l remark that many of our
business men are tempted to neglect
their home duties. How often it is
that the store and the home seem to
clash; but there ought to be no COLI
sion. 1t is often that the father is the
mere treasurer of the family, sort of
agent to see that they have dry goods
and groceries. The work of family
government he does not touch. Once
or twice a year he calls the children up
on Sabbath afternoon, when he has a
half hour he does not exactly know
what to do with, and in that half hour
he disciplines the children and chides
them and corrects their faults, and
gives them great deal of good advice,
and then wonders all the rest of the
year that his children do not do bet
ter, when they have the wonderful
advantage of that semi-annual castiga-
ton.
The family table, which ought to be
the place for pleasant discussion and
cheerfulness, often becomes the place
Of perilous expedition. If there be
any blessing asked at all, it is cut off
at both ends, and with the hand on
the carving-knife. He counts on his
fingers making estimates In the in
terstices of the repast. The work done.
the hat goes to the head, and he starts
down the street. and before the family
have arisen from the table he has
bound up another bundle Of goods.
and says to the customer. ANY
thing more I can do for you
to-day. sir?" A man has more
responsibilities than those which are
discharged by putting competent in
structors over his children, and giving
them drawing master and music
teacher. The physical culture of the
child will not be attended to unless
the father looks to it. He must some
times lose his dignity. He must I'M
Timber his joints. He must lead them
out to their sports and games. The
parent who can not forget the
severe duties of life sometimes,
to fly the kite. and trundle the
hoop, and chase the ball and jump
the rope with his children, ought
never to have been tempted out of
crusty and unredeemable solitariness.
1t you want to keep your children
away from places of sin you can only
do it by making your home attractive.
You may preach sermons, and advo-
cate reforms. and denounce wicked
ness, and yet your children will be
captivated by the glittering saloon of
sin unless you can make your home a
brighter place than any other place on
earth to them. Oh! gather all
charms into your house. If you
can afford it, bring books, and pic
lures, and cheerful entertain
mcnts to the household. But, above
all, teach those children, not by half
an hour twice year on the Sabbath
day, but day after day; and every day
teach them that religion is great
gladness; that it throws chains of gold