The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-01-10

NNN 1T YOU VIII De- HlIl now while I sneak.
when you got 90 bb as ola as I am viii
be a. SIN u % mouse There was not
another whisper that afternoon. ho was
a. much a boy a. ANY OF them. on. in
these approaching holidays. let ua turn
back our natures 20 what they were
years ago and DO boys again and girls
again aud make aIl our homes happy. God
viii hold you responsible for tha influences
you now exert, and e viii bo very bright
and very plea ant If some winter night
when We are sleeping under the blankets of
snow, our children shall ride along in the
merry party aud hushing % moment into
s0lemnlty. look Oh aud say, "rher8 sleep
Che best uther and mother that ever made
happy new year Arm yourself against
,hrss temptations of December, January and
February. Temptation will come 90 you Ina
the form Of an angel OF light
know that the poets represent satan a.
horned and hooied. II / were a poet aud
were going 90 picture satan, I would repre-
sent him as a human being. with manners
polished 10 the last perfection, hair falling
IN graceful ringlots, eye little bloOdsh0t.
but floating In bewitching langOr. hand soft
aud diamonded foot exquisitely shaped,
voice mellow as a flute, breath periumod
as though nothing had ever touched the lips
but balm Of thousand flowers, conversation
Iaoile. carefully toned and Frenchy But /
would have the heart incasad with the scales
Of mOnstorand have It stuffed with all pride
andbeWtiness OF desire and hyp0crloy and
! death, and then / would hayeit touched with
! the rod OF dlsenchantment until the eyes be-
! came the cold orbs OF the adder, and 10 the
| lip should come the foam OF raging intoxica-
tion, and 70 the foot the spring OF the pan.
| Their, and 70 the soft hand the change that
! would make II the clammy hand of the
wasted skeleton, and then 1 would suddenly
| have the heart break out IN unauenchable
] flames, and the affected lisp OF the tongue
| become the hiss Of the worm that never dies.
/ But until dlsenchanted, rngleted and dia-
monded and lute voiced and conversation
iaclle, carefully toned and Frenchv.
Oh, what a beautiful thing It Is TO see a
young man standing up amid these temp
tations Of city life incorrupt while hundreds
! are falling! / will tell your history You
will move In respectable circles an your
days, and some day q friend OF your father
will meet you and say; "GOod morningl
Glad to see you. You seem 10 be prosper.
ing. You look like your father for ali the
world. l thought you would turn out
well when / used 10 hold YOU on my
knee. II you ever want any help or ans
advice, come to me. As long as remember
your father I'll remember You. Coco
morning" That will be the history O.
hundreds Of these young men. How DO
know III 1 know 1t by the way YOU
start. But here's a Young man who take
the opposite route. Voices OF sin charm hin
away. He reads bad books, minges in bal
society. The glow has gone from his cheek
and the sparkle from his eve. and the puritl
from his soul Down he goes little by little
The people who saw him when he eame L
town while YET lowered over his head thi
blessing OF a pure mothers prayer and there
was on his lips the dew OF a pure sister,
kiss, now as they see him pass cry, "Wha
an awful wreck" Cheek bruised in or 2
shop fight. Eye Dleared with dissipau %
Lip swollen with induigences. DO careful
what you say to him; for triae he woulC
take your life.
Lower down. lower down until, outcast Of
God and man, he lies in the asylum, blotct
Of loathsomeness and pain. One moment he
calls for God and then he calls for rum. III
prays, he curses, he laughs as a fiend laughs
then bites his nails into the quick, then put.
his hands through the hair hanging around
his head like the name Of a wild beast, then
shivers until the cot shakes, with unuttera
BILE terror, then with his fists fights back thu
devils, or clutches for serpents that seem t
wind around him their awful folds, then ask
for water. which is instantly consumed OF
his cracked lips. Some morning the sur
geon going his rounds will find hin
the matted locks. Straighten out the limbs
wrap him in a sheet, put him in a box, anC
let two men carry him down to the wagon a
the door. With a piece OF chalk write OF
top Of the box the name Of the destroyer anC
destroyed. Who is it? 1t is you, oh, man
if, yielding to the temptations OF a dissipateC
life, you 90 out and perish. There is a wa!
that seemeth bright and fair and beautiful
to man, but the end thereofis DEATH En-
ploy these long nights ofDecember, Januar.
and February in high pursuits, in intelligen
socalities, in innocent amusements, il
Christian work. Do not waste this win
ter, for soon you will have seen your las
snow shower and have gone up into the com
panionship Of Him whose raiment is whit
as snow, whittier than any fuller on cart
could whiten it. For all Christian heart
the winter nights OF earth will end in tn
June morning of heaven. The river OF LII
from under the throne never freezes over
The foliage OF hfe's fair tree Is never frost
/, bitten. The festivities, the hilarities, tn
family greetings of earthly Christmas time
, will give way to larger reunion and brighte
! lights and sweeter garlands and mightier io
= In fha great holiday of heaven