Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-07

should rot Gin. This maxim will appeal
strongly to the many who believe neither
in God rcr hereafter. and II is,-do
not sin because shining does not pay.
Leave all thought OF the burning lake
out o; the question. cnn any such thing
as rciribution bcyosd the grave myth.
SIN the lives OF Others and our own In
oiVidual experiences assure us that plea
suTes. so called. derived through the
medium OF sinful oct or practice rlust
b. paid for In TINS lie q. a terrible cos,
Tut how does this punishment come?
PROBABLY either IN the form OF exposure
10 the world or the tortures OF con-
science which cannot be arpeaeed So
people who care nothing for religion mrct
admit that II Is common sense that says
10 them. DO not sin, because shining
epesnt pay because any pleasure derived
from SHINING has 10 be paid for at a cost
30 great that the supposed pleasure IL
swallowed Up in the terrible price.
OSCAR WILDE
oscar Wilde. as he sits with tho curl
out or his hair IN prison cell. would
proDsbly endorse these views or course
You know who he ie. ana why he's there
j. was sensation FOR a moment in Lon
d'n. but there was no universal roar Of
cordemnf ton. None Of the resDecta bic
dai.ies had editorials expressing their hor-.
ror 1T this blot Oh nineteenth century
civilization. No; because the innate moral
decency Of each individual, protested in
tones all too deep for utterance.
But some few people had such odd
views on the subject hat IL Is worth a
note. Their exponent was a well-known
noyel-writer. In a letter to the press he
seemed to regard this wilde quite In the
light Of an object o. pity. He poured his
indignation over those calling themselves
Christians who had expressed for the
creature I'm question their loathns and
disgust. Pity Ia the signing of the heart.
but there are some regions AZ whose
thresholds even pity must pause. For
pity Is, to n certain extent acquie scence
with the act Of the object pit;ed. That IL.
We put ourselves in the pace OF that
object. and feel. in our own personalities.
the punishment suffered.
We read in the history Of the world OF
men who were neither appreciated nor
understood by their contemporaries. But
now we fully realize that these were great
men; that they were even benciactOrs.
This is explained by saying they were
not appreciated because they lived In
advance Of their age Had they nourished
some centuries later an advanced civiliza-
ton would have acknowledged th"'r
who was misunderstood because he lived
long after his proper time In the word
history? No? Wei. let's put one or
record. oscar Wide is the man. To have
been thoroughly appreciated, esteemed,
perhaps. he should have lived about 3,79}
years ago. II the date does not suggest
the reason why ne should have numbered
the earth at that particular time The
cause will dawn by the time the end Of
this letter IS reached.
THE DEVILS DUE.
As the reader probably knows, the devil
himself has been consid rcd by some
as an object worthy of their pity. They
have thought it very hard Zines that par
doning grace Is not extended TO him. For
IL is not unlikely, they say. were the op-
portunity offered him, be would give up
his present business and turn 10 better
things. No. no; men like Wide, who have
had the advantages Of religion ana edI-
cation. yet In spite OF il. reduce them
selves below the lcVe, Of beasts, such
men are beyond the pale Of pity. Never
theless, his sympathi2ers may desire 10
erect a memorial To testify their Chris
tian" feelings for the prosecuted. Let
this be suggested:
II is the belief OF some travellers in
Palestine that the Dead Sea now covers
the site once occupied by Sodom ana
Gomorrah. Let his admirers collect sub
scriptions. and with the proceeds rear n
lofty column on the shore Of that sea.
Then place on its summit. with appro-
pirate ceremonies. life-si2ed statue in
bronze of said Wide. In solitary grandeur
let him gaze over the expanse Of those
Dead-Sea waters. Let him deplore that
he had not lived in the days Of those
buried cities. among whose citizens he
doubtless would have been a shining light
and honored member. SIX.