Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-04

and recreatiOns with strength in your arm
and color in your cheek and a fash in
your eye and courage in your heart. In
this great battle that is opening against
the kingdom Of darkness, we want not
only Il consecrated soul but strong arm
and stout lungs and mighty muscle. 1
bless God that there are SO many recrea-
tons that have not on them any faint of
iniquity- recreations IN which we may
engage for the strengthening of the body,
for the clearing of the intellect, for the
Illumination of the soul.
There is still another form of recreation
which L commend To you. and that is the
pleasure of doing good. / have seen young
men, weak and cross and sour and repel-
ling il their disposition, who, 10y one
heavenly touch. have Weakened mp and be-
come blessed and buoyant. 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 | have not the means.
My dear brother. let us take an account
of stock. You have Il large estate, if you
only realize il. Two hands, two feet. You
will have. perhaps, during the next year
at least $40 for charitable contribution
You Will have 100 cheerful looks. if you
want to employ them. You will have 1000
pleasant words. if You wans TO speak
them. Now, what an amount that is TO
start with
You 30 our tomorrow morning, and you
see Il case of real restitution by the way
side. You give him cents. The blind
man hears the pennies rattle in his hat.
l. l.
YOU" You pass down the street, trying
to look Indifferent. but you feel from the
very depth of your soul 4 profound salts
faction that You made that man happy.
You go on still farther and find poor boy
with whcelbarrOw. trying to get it up on
the curbstone. He fails in the attempt.
You say: stand back. nay lad. Let me
| try" You push it 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 it all the week.
On the street tomorrow morning you
will see Il sick man passing along. All"
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 one of those 100 cheerful looks
| that you have garnered up for the whole
year. Look JOY and hopefulness into his
soul. 1t will thrill him through, and there
will be reaction upon your own soul.
Going n little farther on. you will come
to the store of Il friend who is embarrass-
| cd in business matters. Iou will 90 in
and say: What 4 fine store YOU have. L
! think business will brighten up, and you
will have more custom after awhile. |
| think there is coming Il great prosperity
to all the country. Good morning" You
pass out. You have helped that young
man. and you have helped yourself.
The Greatest Joy.
| Col. Gardiner. who sat with his elbow
on table spread with all extravagant
| viands, looking off at dog on the rug,
saying, How l would like to change
| places with him, | be the dog and he be
Col. 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 go in
! there you will never come out. We never
allow any one to come out for he would
bring the conta gion. Then they made
their wills and went in, first to help the
sick and then to die Which was the hap
! pier-Co. Gardiner or the Moravian mis-
sionarics dying for others? Was it all
sacrifice when the missionaries wanted to
bring the gospel to the negroes at the Bar
BADGES 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
/ Il and . a II. IL.
the JOY of doing good. 1t is the most
magnificent recreation to which a man
ever put his hand or his head or his
heart.
But before closing l want to impress
upon YOU that mere secular entertain
mcnts are not fit foundation for YOUR
soul to build on. | was reading of a
woman who had gone all the rounds of
sinful amusement. and she came to die
She said II will die tonight at 6 clock"
oh" they said. Il guess not. You don't
seem TO be sick" Il shall die ut &
o'clock. and my soul will he lost. | know
1t will be lost. l have sinned away my
day of grace" The noon came. They
deSire,i her 10 seek religious counsel.
/ '-Ol:." she said. 'it is OF no use. Nv day
is gone. l have been all the rounds of
worldly pleasure, anu it is too late.
shall die tonight at q o'clock" The day
wore away, and it came to I o'clock and
to ) clock and she cried out at ) o clock.
"Destroying spirits. you shall not have
me yet. 1t is not tit is not 6r' The
moments went by, and the shadows be-
! gan To gethcr. and the clock struck q. and
while it was striking her soul went. What
hour God will call for us do not know
whether q o'clock tonight, or 3 o'clock
this afternoon. or at ] o'clock, or at this
moment. Sitting where you are. falling
forward, or dropping down. where will
you go to!
| The last hour of our life. will soon be
here. and from that hour we will review
this days proceedings. 1t will be a sol
cmn hour. If from our death pillow we
| have TO look back and see a life spent in
sinful amusement. there will be a dart
that will strike through our soul sharper
than the dagger with which Virginius
slew his child. The memory of the past
will make us quake like Macbeth. The
| mi nd