San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-12-06
Thus was the mis-

| the homes that our bodies inhabit,
wherein is it bad thing to put the
screen at the door or window of that
other home, the house of the soul, the
shrine where the spirit dwells? II
the body is the better for the inter
posing screen, surely the soul is no
worse off for putting up the screen
against the pestiferous bugs, gnats,
mosquitoes, insects of every kind,
winged vermin which infest the air Of
all our lives? There is not one rea-
son that is accepted for putting up the
wire screenagainst the physical annoy
ances that interfere with our comfort,
that does not hold dOubly good for
putting up n moral or affectiOnal or
mental screen against the pestiferous
human vermin that seek us only to
sting us.
1t is useless to say that there should
be no screen. That there should be
such an open life as to defy envious
assaults, and that purity always
courts the light of day and fears moth
ing from the shafts of malice, or
falsehood, or envy. Go tell that tale
to the stars, or into the ears of the
man or woman who has never mixed
with the human throng, but not to
these sore hearted and wet eyed chill
dren of sorrow who are suffering to-
day because they trusted in their
conscious cleanness of life and pure
ness of heart and put no screen at
the door. When prying curiousity
passes no more the door Of the life,
to take note for it's own vile purposes
of what passes within, then it may
do to abolish the screen. Until then
keep it up. 1t will save you many
sleepless hours and spare you much
soul pain.
When SANDER dies at the door Of
falsehood, and the envious tongue for
gets to spit forth its calumnies, then
it will do to forsake the admonitiOn
of the text and abolish your screen.
When the secret things of your own
soul are certain Of no misapprehen-
sion as they come forth to light, and
all that you hold sacred can be safe
ly entrusted to the lips and eyes of
the profane, then it will do to take out
your screen, but until then nail it fast
in the easement if you would avoid
that hell which innocence is ever
plunged into when it trusts too blind
ly to the good offices of those who
wait in secret as hyena for his prey
When hell is thing of the past, and
malice has no home on earth, and
there is no more an envious man or
a cruel Tipped woman, then it will do
to take out your screen and put it
away in the garnet. Until that hour
dawns, keep that screen before your
lips, your heart, your life, if you
would be at peace.
What business have you to let the
street into your house? What domes.
tic life does not need its own privacy?
What household management does
not feel that it has an absolute right
to such screening Of it's doors and
windows as will best insure its own
comfort. What business have you
to let the world into your secret life?
hnt irhf hn 20,
over you that it cannot show title
to? What title can the world show to
anything of your interior self, save
that which you voluntarily confer?
Verify nothing. Your house is no
more yours, nor half so much, as your
inner self is your own individual pri-
vate property and concern, The law
protects you from invasion in your
household rights, and puts its hand
on the man or woman, who, passing
along the street, would take the
screen out of your door. Your own
act must protect you against the mis-
chievOus human who would take the
screen from your LIE.
A screen in the street window, or
door, that the passer by cannot see
through, does not argue anything IN
lawful within. The putting up the
screen before your own soul, your
heart, your life, does not argue any
thing wrong there. 1t does give no
tice to the inquisitors that you do not
recognize their right to pry into your
heart for any purpose. That you
hold the key to the situation and
propose to keep it That the very
ones not to be trusted with any
Intimate knowledge OF your interior
self, are those who have their noses
fastened against the screen, hoping
to catch a glimpse Of something with
in that they can spread abroad to
your injury. No matter what is be-