The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-04-08

oar might dip the stream, and the eve
ming tide be resonant with boatman's
song, the bright Prov splitting the
crystalline bilIow.
We shall have the smooth and gras-
sy lawn, and we will call out people
of all occupations and professions and
ask them to join ia the ba!lplayer's
sport. You viii come back from these
outdoor exercises and recreations with
strength in your arm and color IN
your cheek and 3 flash in your eye
and courage III your heart. La this
great battle that is opening against the
kingdom of darkness, we want not
only a consecrated soul, bat strong
arm aud stout lungs and mighty mus
Gle. l bless God that there are 50
many recreations that have not on
them any faint OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
in which we may engage for the
strengthening Of the body, for the
clearing OF the intellect, for the illu.
mination OF the soul.
There is still another form Of recre.
alton which commend to you, and
that IS the pleasure of doing good. l
have seen young men, weak and cross
and sour and repelling in their dis
position, who, bv one heavenly touch,
have wakened up and become blessed
and bouyant. the ground under their
feet and the sky over their heads
breaking forth into music. "Oh, "
says some young man in the house to-
day, Il should like that recreation
above all others, but l have not the
means." My dear brother, let us take
an account of stock. You have large
estate, if you only realize it. Two
hands, two feet. You will have, pr
haps, during the next year at least SO
for charitable contribution You Will
have 2 500 cheerful looks, if you want
to employ them. You will have 5000
pleasant words, if you want to speak
them. Now, what an amount that is
..sota.rt with.
You 90 out tomorrow morning, and
you see a case of real destitution by
the wayside. You give him two cents.
The blind man hears the pennies rat.
tie in his hat, and he says: Thank
you, sir! God bless you" You pass
down the street, trying to look indif-
ferent, but you feel from the very
depth OF your soul a profound salts
faction that you made that man hap
py. You 60 on still farther and find
poor boy with wheelbarrow, try
ing to get it up on the curbstone. He
fails in the attempt. You say: STAND
back my lad. Let me try" You
push it up on the curbstone for him
and pass On. He wonders who that
well dressed man vas that helped him.
You did kindness to the boy, but you
did great JOY to your own soul. You
will not get over It all the week.
On the street tomorrow morning
you will see sick man passing along.
All" you say, what can I do to
make this man happy He certainly
does not want money; he is not poor,
bat he is sick" Give him one of those
$500 cheerful looks that you have
garner,d up for the whole year. Look
Joy and hopefulness into his soul. 1t
will thrill him through, and there will
be a reaction upon your own soul:
Going a little farther on, you will
come to the store of a friend who is
embarrassed in business matters. You
will 60 in and say: "What a fine
store you have! I think business will
brighten up, and you will have more
custom after awhile. l think there is
coming a great prosperity to all the
country. Good morning" You pass
out. You have helped that young
man, and you have helped yourself.
Colonel Gardiner, who sat with el-
bow on table spread with all extrav-
agant viands, looking off at dog on
the rug, saying, How I would like
to change places with him, be the
dog and he be Colonel Gardiner" or
those two Moravian missionaries who
wanted to go into the lazaretto for the
sake of attending the sick, and they
were told: ''If you 60 in there you
will never come out. We never allow
any one to come out, for he would
bring the contagion." Then they made
their wills and went in, first to help
the sick and then to die. Which was
the happier-Colonel Gardiner or the
Moravian missionaries dying for
others? Was it all sacrifice when the
missionaries wanted to bring the gcs
pei to the negroes at the Barbados,
and, being denied the privilege, sold
themselves into slavery, standing side
by side and lying side by side down in |
the very ditch of suffering, in order
that they might bring those men up
to life and God and heaven2 On, there !
is a thrill in the joy of doing good
It is the most magnificent recreation |
to which man ever put his hand, or
his head or his heart.
But before closing 7 want to impress
upon you that mere secular entertain
ments are not itfoundation for your
soul to build on. I was reading of a |
woman who had gone all the rounds |
of sinful amusement and she came to
die. She said: Il will die tonight at
s o'clock" "Oh." they said, Il guess
not2 Youdon't seem to be sick" L
shall die at o'clock. and my soul will
be lost. l know it will be lost. I have
sinned away my day of grace. The !
noo1 came. They desired her to seek
religious counsel. oh" she said, lit
is of no use! Ny day is gone. | have
been all the rounds of worldly pleas
ure, and it is too late. I shall die to-
night at 6 o'clock" The day wore
away, and it came to o'clock and to
5o'clock, and she cried out at 5 o'clock:
Destroying spirits you shall not
have me yet! 1t not cit is not s."
The moments went by, and the shad
ows began to gather, and the clock
struck 6 and while it was striking her |
soul went. What hour God will call
for US I do not know-whether 81
o'clock tonight or o'clock this after
noon, or at l o'clock, or at this mo-
ment. Sitting where you are, falling
forward, or dropping down, where
will you go to?
The last hour OF our life will soon |
he here and from that hour we will