St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-05-23

Bu0Il80t, mOxO Oh euO oU8u0Ou O1
Aeld eporta cry out for II In behalf
Of the Church Of God % we'll - In BE-
half Of secular interests. wish that
our ponds and our rivers and our CaPe-
toline grounds might b III squske
with tho heel and the shout Of the
swift skater. I wish that when the
warm weather comes tho graceful oar
might dip tho stream, and tho evening
tide be resonant with boetmen's song,
the bright PROV splitting the crystal
line billow.
We shall have the smooth and grassy
lawn, and we win call out people Of all
and professions and ask
them to join in tho ball-player's sport.
You will come back from these outdoor
and rccreations with strength
in your arm and color In your cheek
and . flash In your eye and courage
In your heart. In this great battle
that il opening against the kingdom
Of darkness, we want not only . conse-
Grated soul, but . strong arm and stout
lungs and mighty muscle. l bless God
that there are SO many recreations
that have not on them any faint OF In
iquity; recreations In which we may
engage for the strengthening Of the
body. for the clearing Of tho intellect,
for the illumination of the soul.
There is still another form Of recre-
alton which l commend to you. and that
is the pleasure Of doing good. l have
seen young men, weak and cross and
sour and repeliing in their disposition
who by one heavenly touch have
wakened up and became blessed and
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. II
should like that recreation above
all others, but have not the
means" My dear brother, let MS take
an account OF stock. You have large
estate, II you only realize it. Two
hands. Two feet. You will have.
perhaps, during the next year Ut least
$40 for charitable contribution. You
will have $500 cheerful looks, il you
want to employ them. You will have
5000 pleasant words II you want
to speak them. Now, what an amount
that II to start with.
You 20 out tomorrow morning and
you SEQ . case of real restitution 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 Indifferent; but
you feel from the very depth Of your
souls profound satisfaction that You
made that man happy. You 60 ON
still farther. and find . poor
boy with . wheelbarrow, trying
to get it up on the curbstone.
He fails in the attempt. You say:
''Stand back, my lad; let me try" You
push 1t up ON the curbstone for him
and pass on. He wonders who that
well-dressed man was that helped him.
You did kindness to the boy, but you
did . great joy to your own soul. You
will not get over 1t all the week.
On the street tomorrow morning.
you will seee a sick man passing along.
"Ah," you say, ''what can do to make
this man happy? He certainly does
not want money; he is not poor. but
he Is sick" Give him ono Of those
$500 cheerful looks that you have gar
nered up for the whole year. Look Joy
and hopefulness into his soul. It will
thrill him through, and there will be .
reaction upon your own soul. Going .
little farther on. you will come to the
store Of friend who is embarrassed In
business matters. You will 60 in and
say. "What fine store you have! ]
think business will brighten up, and
You will have more custom after
awhile. / think there is coming =
great prosperity to all the country.
Good morning." You pass out. You
have helped that young man. and you
have helped yourself.
Col. Gardiner, who sat with his ell
bow on table, spread with all extrsv-
agant viands. looking OF at dog on
the rug, saying: How l would like to
change places; be the dog and he be
Col. Gardiner" or, those two Moravian
missionaries who wanted to 70 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 anyone 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-Col. Gardiner
or the Morsvian missionaries dying for
others? Was it all sacrifice when the
missionaries wanted to bring the
Gospel to the negroes at the Barba-
does, and, being denied the privilege,
sold themselves into slavery, stand.
ing side by side, and lying side by side,
down in the very ditch of suffering. in
order that they might bring those mon
up to life and God and Heaven? Oh,
there il . thrill in the joy Of doing
good! 1t is the most magnificent recrea-
ton to which man ever put his hand,
or his head, or his heart.
But, before closing, I want to inn
press upon you that mere secular en-
tertainments are not = At foundation
for your soul to build on. I was read
ing Of woman who had gone all tho
rounds Of sinful amusement, and she
came to die. She said: II will die to-
night at six o'clock" ''Ohw they
said, II guess not; you don't seem to
be sick" II shall die at six o'clock and
my soul will be lost. know it will
be lost. have sinned away my day
Of grace" The noon came. They de-
sire her to seek religious council. 'Oh,
she said. ''it is no use. My day is done.
have been all the rounds Of
worldly pleasure, and it Is too late.
shall die tonight at six o'clock. The
day wore away, and 1t came to four
o'clock, and to FIVE o'clock, and she
cried out 1t Eve o'clock. destroying
spirits, ye shall not have me yet; it is not
9; it is not 6!' The moments went by,
and the shadows began to gather, and
the clock struck six; and while It was
striking her soul went. What hour
God will call for us do not know
whether six o'clock tonight or three
o'clock this afternoon. or At one o'clock,
or 1t this moment. Sitting where you
are. falling forward. or dropping down.
where will you go to?
The last hour of your life will soon
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