The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-12-20

/ this world has shone on you and
blessed and caressed you for these fifty
or seventy years, and yet you dare
talk about the nothingness of this
world. Why, il is a magnificent world.
do not believe in the whole universe
there Is world equal to it, except it
is Heaven. You can not expect your
children to stay in the house these
long winter evenings, to hear you de-
nounce this star-lighted, sun-warmed,
shower-baptised, flower-strewn, angel
watched, God-inhabited planet
Oh! make your home bright Bring
in the violin or the picture. 1t does
not require a great salary or a big
house, or chased silver, or gorgeous
upholstery to make happy home. All
that is wanted is a fathers heart, u
mothers heart, n sympathy with
young folks. / have known a man
with seven hundred dollars salary,
and he had no other income, but
he had a home so happy and
bright, that, though the sons have
gone out and won large fortunes, and
the daughters have gone out into
splendid spheres, and become princesseS
of society, they can never think of that
early home without tears of emotion.
1t was to them the vestibule of Heaven,
and all their mansions now, and all
their palaces now, cannot make them
forget that early place. Mako
your homes happy. You go around
your house growing about your rheu-
matisms and acting the lugubrious,
and your sons will go into the world
and plunge into dissipation. They will
have their own rheumatisms after
awhile. Do not forestall their misfor-
tunes. You were young once, and you
had your bright and joyous times.
Now let the young folks have
good time. / stood in front of
house and / said to the owner
of the house: 'This is a splendid
tree" He said, in whing tone: "Yes,
but It will fade" / walked around in
his garden, and said: This is glo-
rious garden you have" EYES," he
said, "but it will perish" Then he said
to my little child, whom was lead
ing along: "Come and kiss me-" The
child protested and turned away. He
said: ''Oh, the perversity of hui
man nature!" Who would want to
kiss him? l was not surprised to
find out that his only son had become
a vagabond. You may groan people
out of decency, but you can never groan
them into it, and declare in the pres
ence of these men and woman of COM
mon sense that is Is most important
thing for you to make Your homes
bright if you want your sons and
daughters to turn out well.
Oh, what beautiful thing it is to be
a young man standing up amid these
temptations of city life incorrupt while
hundreds are falling. 1 will tell you
your history. You seem to be prosper
ing; you look like your father for all
the world; 1 thought you would turn
out well when used to hold you
on my knee; if you ever want
any help or any advice, come
to me; as long as / remember
your father I'll remember you. Good
morning." That will be the history of
hundreds of these young men. How
do know it? know it by the way
you start. But here's a young man
who takes the opposite route; voices of
sin charm him away. The glow has
gone from his check and the sparkle
from his eye, and the purity from his
soul. Down he goes, little by little. Tho
people who saw him when he came to
town while yet lowered over his head
the blessing of a pure mothers prayer
and there was on his lips the dew of a
pure sisters kiss, now as they see him
pass cry: "What an awful wreck"
Check bruised in grogshop fight. Eye
bleared with dissipation. Lip swollen
with indulgences. Be careful what you
say to him, for trifle he would take
your life Lower down, lower down,
until, outcast of God and man, he lies
in the asylum, g. blotch of lonesome
ness and pain. One moment he calls
for God and then he calls for rum. He
prays, he curses, he laughs as fiend
laughs, then bites his nails into the
quick, then puts his hands through the
hair hanging around his head like the
name of wild beast, then shivers un-
til the cot shakes, with unutterable
terror, then with his fists fights back
the devils, or clutches for serpents that
seem to wind around him their awful
folds, then asks for water which is in
stantly consumed on his cracked lips.
Some morning the surgeon going his
rounds will find him dead. Do not try
to come out or brush back the matted
locks. Straighten out the limbs, wrap
him in sheet, put him in box, and
let two men carry him down to the
wagon at the door. With a piece of
chalk write on top of the box the name
of the destroyer and the destroyed.
Who is it? 1t is you, oh, man, if,
yielding to the temptations of dis
sipated life you go out and perish.
There is way that seemeth bright
and fair and beautiful to a man, but
the end thereof is death. Employ
these long nights of December, jan
uhry and February in high pur-
suits, in intelligent socialities, in
innocent amusements, in Christian
work. Do not waste this win.
ter, for soon you will have seen your
last snow shower, and have gone ur |
into the companionship of Him Whose
is white as snow, whittier thar |
any fuller on earth could whiten it
For all Christian hearts the winter |
nights of earth will endin the June |
morning of Heaven. The river of life |
from under the throne never freezes |
over. The foliage of life's fair tree is |
never frost-bitten. The festivities, the |
hilarities, the family greetings Of |
earthly Christmas times will give way /
to larger reunion, and brighter lights /
and sweeter garlands and mightier joy /
in the great holiday of Heaven.