Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-12-14

I leisure on the winter nights After tea,
the man puts ON his hat and coat, and he
goes out. One form of allurcment says,
Come In here" Satan says: ''It l. best
I for You tn 90 In. You ought not To be 50
/ green. by this time you ought To have
seen everything" and the temptations
shall he mighty in duh times such aS we
1 have had. hut which. believe are gone,
for hear all over the land the prophecy
Of great prosperity. and the railroad men
and the merchants. they all tell mo Of the
days II prosperity they think nrc coming.
and In many departments they have ri
ready come, and they nrc going To come In
all departments but those dull times
through which we have passed have de-
struycd n great many men. The question
Of livelihood Is with "a vast multitude the
great question. There are young men who
expected before this TO set up their house
hold. hut they have been disappointed in
the gains they have made. They cannot
support themsclycs-how can they support
others? And Ia the curse of modern society
the theory is abroad that man must not
marry until he has achieved n fortune.
when the twain ought To start at the foot
OF the hill and together climb to the top.
That Is the old fashioned way. and that
will be the now fashioned way II society is
ever redeemed. But during tho hard
times, the dull times. so many men We're
discouraged. So many men had nothing 10
do-thcy could get nothing todo-a pirate
bore down on the ship when tho sails were
down and the vessel was making no head
way. People say they want more time to
think The trouble is too many people
boil hf..t-
our merchants had not had their minds di-
verted many of them would long before
this have been within the four walls Of an
insane asylum. These long winter even
ings, be careful where you spend them
This winter will decide tho temporal and
eternal destiny of hundreds OF men in this
audience.
Unattractlve Homes.
Then the winter has especial temptations
In the fact that many homes are peculiar
~ unattrnctive Mt this season. In tho
summer months the young man can sit
ont on the steps. or he can have bouquet
I'm the vase ON the mantcl. or, the evenings
being so short, soon after gaslight he
wants TO retire anyhow. But there are
many parents who do not understand how
to make the long winter evenings attract
i've 20 their children. II Is amazing TO
me that so many old people do not under
stand young people To hear some Of
tkesc parents talk you would think they
had never themselves been young and had
been born with spcc,aclcs on. oh, 1t Is
dolorous for young people to sit In the
house from to IL o'clock at night and to
hear parents groan about their ailments
and the nothingness of this world The
nothingncss Of this world? How dare you
talk such blasphcmy? 1t took God six
days to make this world. and he has al
lowed 1t q, 00O years to hang upon his holy
heart, and this world has shonc ON you and
blessed you and carcsscd you for these so
or 40 years, and yet you dare talk about
the nothingncss of this world. Why, IL Is
n magnificent world. / do not believe in
the whole universe there Is world equal
TO 1t except IL BE- heaven. You cannot cx-
pcct your children to stay in the house
these long winter evenings to hear you de
nouncc this star lighted, sun warmed,
shower baptized, flower strcwn, angel
watched, God inhabited planet.
Oh, make your home bright! Bring in
the violin or the picture. 1t does not re-
quirc "a great salary, OF big house, or
chased silver, or gorgeous upholstery to
make happy home All that is wanted
Is fathers heart, mothers heart in
sympathy with young folks. have known
"A man with 500 salary, and he had no
other income, but he had 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 princcsscs of society,
they can never think of that early home
without tears Of emotion. II was to them
f1.t,l. ~ all
sions now, and all their palaces now, can
not make them forget that early place.
Make your homes happy You go around
your house growing about your rheuma-
tisms and acting the lugubrious, and your
sons will 60 into the world and plunge in
to dissipation. They will have their own
rheumatisms after awhile. do not forestall
their misfurtuncs. You were young once,
and you had your bright and joyous times
Now let the young folks have "A good time
l stood in front Of house and said to
the owner Of the house This is n SPLEEN
did tree" He said in whining Tone
l"Ycs, but IL will fade" walked round
his garden and said, This Is glorious
garden you have" YES, " he said, but
Il will perish Then he said 10 my little
child, whom / was leading along. Come
and kiss me" The child protested and
turned away. He said, "Oh. the pcrvcr-
sity of human nature' Who would want
TO kiss him: was not surprised - lind
out that his only son had become "a vaga.
bond. You may grnan people out of de.
ccncy, but you can never groan them into
IL, and l declare In the presence Of these
men and women OF common sense that II
Is most important thing for you to make
your homes bright II You want your sons
and daughters to turn ont well.
Arm Against Temptation.
Alas, that old people So much misundcr.
stand young folks. There was n great
Sunday school anniversary, and there were
thousands Of children present. Indeed all
the Sunday schools Of the town were in
the building and II was very uproarious
and full of disturbance, and the presiding
officer ON the occasion came forward and
In very loud tone shouted, "Silenccr'
and the more noise the presiding officer
| made the moro noise the children made.
Some one else rose ON the platform and
came forward and with more stcntorian
voice shouted, "Silencer' and the uproar
rose to greater height. and II did seem ms
II there would be almost riot and the po-
lice have 10 be called In when old DIR. Bca.
man, his hair white as the driven snow,
said, Let me try my hand So he came
forward with u slow step To the front of
the PLATFORM and when the children saw
the venerable man and the white hair they
thought they would hush up that instant
and hear what the Old man had to say
He said: Boys, want to make "a bargain
with you. II you will be still now while
/ speak, when you get to be rs old rs am
] will bc rs still as n mouse There was
not another whisper that afternoon. He
was as much boy any of them. OH
In these approaching holidays let us turn
back our natures To what they were years
ago and be boys again and girls again and
make all our homes happy. God will hold
you responsible for the influence you now
exert, and it will be very bright and very
pleasant II some winter night when we
are sleeping under the blankets of snow
our children shall ride along in the merry
party, and hushing u moment into sol
emnity look off and say, There sleep tho
best father and mother that ever made a
happy new year" Arm yourself against
these temptations of December, January
and February. Temptations Will come to