The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-12-11
WINTER TEMPTATIONS.
Happy Homes Are the Best Safe
guards Against Them.
The Merry Christmas Season in Large
Cities Especially Dangerous to the
. Young-Thirty Ways to Per-
dition - Good Advice
to Parents.

1ecJ OF MS ldCeSb serhOh IhO NPNAN9
Winter" and pointed out the many
temptations it offers to the youth OF
the land. The text he selected was:
Titus iii. 2, 81 have determined there
to winter"
Paul was not independent OF sea-
sons. He sent for his overc oat to Iroas
on a memorable occasion. And now IN
the text he is making arrangements
for the approaching cold weather, and
makes an appointment with Titus to
meet him at Necopolis, saying: u nave
determined there to winter" Well this
is the eighth day of December and the
second Sabbath of winter. we have
had a few shrill, sharp blasts already,
forerunners of whole regiments OF
storms and tempest. No one hore needs
to be told that we are in the opening |
| pates of the winter. This season is not
| only test of ones physical endurance,
but in our great cities is a test OF
moral character. A vast number OF
people have by one winter OF dissipa'
tion been destroyed, and forever.
Seated in our homes on some stormy
night, the winds bowling outside, we
imagine the shipping helplessly driven
on the coast, but any winter night, II
our ears were good enough, we could
hear of the crash of thousand moral
shipwrecks. There are many people
who come to the cities. on the first OF
September who will be blasted by the
first of March. At this season of the
year temptations are especially ram
pant. Now that the long winter even
ings have come, there are many who
will employ them in high pursuits, in
intelligent sociali5ies, in Christian
work, in the strengthening and en-
nobling of moral character and this
winter to many of you will be the
brightest and best of all your lives,
and in anticipation l congratulate you.
But to others it may not have such et-
feet, and l charge you, my beloved,
look out where you spend your winter
nights.
In the first place, have to remarli
that at this season of the year evil al
lurements are especially busy There
is not very much temptation for mar
to plunge in on hot night amid blaz
ing gaslights, and to breathe the fetit
air of an assemblage, but in the colt
nights Satan gathers q great harvest
At such times the casinos are in ful
blast At such time, the grogshops II
one night make more than in four or tiv
NIGHTS in summer. At such times TIL
/ play bills OF low places OF entertain
|. ment seem especially attractive, an
> the acting is especially impressive, an
d the applause especially bewitchlng
t. Manv man who has kept right a
!, the rest of the year will be capsize
" now, and though last autumn he cam
q from the country and there was luste
o. in the eve, and there were roses in til
cheek and elasticity in the step, by tn
time the spring hour has come yc
will pass him in the street and say
YOUR friend: "What's the matter wit
O- that man? How differently he lool
from what he looked last September
Slain of one winters dissipation. 4
this time of the year there are man
entertainments. If we rightly en]t
!, them, and they are of the right kin
they enlarge our socialities, allow us
III make important acquaintance, build
up in our morals, and help us in
thousand ways can scarcely thir
of anything better than good neighbc
m hood. But there are those entertai
w ments from which others will come
M soiled in character. There are tho
who by the springtime will be brok'
no down in health, and though at t
opening of the season their prospec
"a were bright, at the close of the seas
they will be in the hands OF the d(
ar- tors, or sleeping in the cemetery. L
certificate of death will be made ol
and the physician, to save the feelln
I'm of the family, will call the disease b.
,et Latin name. But the doctors kno
''' and everybody else knows, they died
too many levees. Away with The
,er wine-drinking convivialities How di
YOU, the father of a family, tempt
appetites of the young people? +
.haps at the entertainment, to save
0i' feelings of the minister or some otl
. weak temperance man, you leave
decanter in side room, and only
people are invited there to parta
. but it is easy enough to know WI
YOU come out, by the glare of your \
and the stencil of your breath, Il
YOU have been serving the devil.
Men sometimes excuse themsel
and say, after late suppers it is nee
sary to take some sort of stimulant
aid digestion. My plain opinion is t
If you have no more self-control Il
to stuff yourselves until your digest
organs refuse their Office, you had
ter not call yourself man, but cl
n Yourself among the beasts that per
= At this season of the year the Yo1
Mems Christian associations OF the Il
send out circulars asking the pastor
sneak word on this subject, and
sound in your ear the words OF
Lord God Almighty: "Woe unto
that putteth the bottle to his ne
boris lips" Rejoice that you have c.
Are to the glad winter months that rem
YOU of the times when in your cl
ong hood you were shone on by the FAC
father, mother, brothers, sisters, S
)lce Of them, alasl no more to greet
with "Happy New Year." o
OF "Merry Christmas" But again
again have we seen on New "
,ods day the sons of some of the best +
lies drunk, and young men have
cused themselves by the fact that
wine cup has been offered by the la