Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-31

father who loved her because she was |
your mother, more than he did when |
she was simply his wife. You were
the tie between two loving hearts, aud
what have you shown as an evidence of
your gratitude to them? Ny friend,
when that page OF your lifs is read you
will cover your face with your hands
to hide your shame.
You think about murder That, of
course, Is counted out If your life--is
it? How many timeS have you struck
an inoffensive amman How many
times have YOU hurt with bitter words?
And what have you killed in yourselfg
Your innocence, your hope and your
faith. You have murdered the best OF
yourself, and you stand murderer as
great in the eyes of God as that ole
who killed his fellow man. He did 1t
in the quick spasm Of anger. You
have killed gradually and slowly the
good that was in you, and you have
buried what you killed 30 deep that
l wonder If, even now, 1t can be resur-
rected. That seventh law. What
about the book you dropped from your
hands an hour ago? Would you like to
offer it to the pretty girl who made her
debut this afternoon WHAT about the
pitbuio budb 1ou ldIbh W a sTOuH
of your fellows? What about tho foul
story which caused the clubhouse TO
ring with laughter as you told itY And
then, what about the women whose
minds you have staineds You pride
yourself on never having led an limo
cent woman into committing absolute
evil. But you, and men like you,
make her steps to wickedness very easy.
You pay her the doubtful compli-
ment-you murmur to her the jest that
has double meaning. and you urge
her to cultivate an easy manner with
men that certainly makes the descent
to the devil very much quicker How
does that page lookr Take up another
| Are you innocent of stealing? Where
is the tithe you should have given to
the poor2 How about the doubtful
deal in tine stock market? What do
you think you would have been il your
last Investment had failed and you had
been discovered? The polite world
would have called you an embezzler-
the more crude people would have said
you were a thief, but as the venture
was success and you did not disturb
the money that belonged to others, you
count yourself free from blame. Are
you? In the great Judgment Book in
tent and act are synonymous. You have
an idea that you leave gossiping to
women; there is no feminine gossip
who can compare with man like you.
You say things that women are afraid
to hint. OF the young woman who Ia
overflowing with happiness. who cam
not keep her Joy to herself, and who
believes that all men are gentlemen
like her husband and her father, you
speak with shrug that means much
and sneer that tells all that ia in
your own wicked mind. You are always
bearing false witness against good
women. 1t is part of your mean, cyni-
cal belief to deny purity to women. 1t
is part of your dastardly unfaith to
claim that no man is decent. You are
sure that every kindness shown has a
hidden motive. Oh, how smeared this
page is Soiled and smirched, until
reading it becomes abominable.
Indeed, drop the book, |, who am
human, cannot try you any longer with
those stone tablets as the questioners
But you will be tried, and that book
will make or mar your future. But
always there is given to you a choice
God is more merciful than men. He
gives you this chance to read your Life
Book, to see, as in a looking. glass, the
story of your life unfold, and He says
Repent and do better while there is
yet time" What are you going to do?
Now the time has come for you to de-
eide. The new Book is white and
clean, and on it is written: 1.-THE
Story of 1872 What will it be? You
are to write il, and it is in your power
to fill it with history of kindness
done, of mercies shown, of good gifts
given, of an increasing faith, and of a
sweet and pure life. How can you long
for anything else? How can you. origi.
naly kind of heart and strong of brain,
be satisfied to kill yourself for the
benefit of the brutal world? For after
all, even the world respects good
man. 1t may be cynical; it may be
bitter; it may have very little faith
but it bows with respect before that
man who keeps the Book of his Life q
clear one, a clean one and one full Of
faith, hope and charity
The New Year has come; greet
you, my friend and my neigbhor, wher
, ever you may be. / hope that this
: year will bring to each one of us the
greatest of all possessions--a true
knowledge of ourselves. Then we viii
: | no sure W nldho ueUteF IIl1o BOOK.
You will forgive me for preaching t.
: you. my friend; l cannot help it, Al
= : | turn the tiny calendar that marked
/, the last day of the year. it read: EYE
! hath not seen nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man thu
: things which God hath prepared fol
! ! them that love Him." And it seemed
i. that | must remind you, before tn
: bells rang in another year, and bofor,
the fresh Book was opened, OF th,
! wisdom of reading the book marked
! 1896" We have done 1T together; W,
= have clasped hands aud prom ised eacl
= = to help the other, and so we will begil
|, with belief in humanity, faith in God
and great willingness to hold up who
ever is weak, and to lift up that ont
: who falls and give him another chance
= Then, if wo try, even ii we do no
!, succeed in it all, we may rest assured
!. that on the black pages OF the Judg
ment Book there will not be writer
> your name, or that OF your neighbo
+, or that which belongs TO Bah.
= COESTERFEfT MONEY, .
A Never Failing Mothad for Detecting In