The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-08

has been a bond of union leading from the
home to the gamblers hell. l know all
by what is called "good society. but
these all go down before the awful fact
that scores OF men in gambling hells to-
night took their first lessons round the
card table at home. A short time ago l
looked through, the iron bars Of prison
door into the haggard face of a. young
man, reared in a Christian home In luxury,
graduated from one OF the best colleges
IN the state. started out in life with bril-
liant prospects and splendid opportunities.
but when a boy at home he could win at a
game OF cards. He took an intense inter-
est In 1t; at college he played better yet
ana son began to play for money. He won.
He lost. He lost. he borrowed and lost;
he borrowed and lost; he forged and lost
and lay there in the felon's cell. Better
ten thousand times II he had never known
the name Of a card. l could stand here
and fill the hour with similar examples.
INVITED TO PLAY CARDS.
A young friend Of mine was invited to
play cards one evening In the parlor OF an
elder of certain church. The young Ia
no objection could be made to- playing
cards at home. And while they played the
doorbell rang and In an instant the cards
were dashed out of sight under the table.
MY Sdlu tndI ne tneH anu tueIe ue-
termined that he would never be found
doing what he did not wish any one to
see him do and he never played cards
again.
One stormy night a man entered his
room In the hotel, locked the door, put the
key in his trunk, locked that and went to
bed. One hour, two hours. he lay awake;
then arose and paced his room; then
dressed, took the key from his trunk and
next morning was hauled home drunk
rnhhpl n Of ", demand
learned to play cards at home.
OF all evil social customs that which has
been the greatest curse to our country Is
the drinking custom. All other vices fol-
curse, that blights both body and soul and
brings misery to tens of thousands OF in-
nocent sufferers is strong because Chris
tian people have tolerated the social glass
in their homes and in their communities.
The other day / was asked to go and COM
fort mother whose son was dying or de-
lirium tremens; but she had made him
drunkard
The other night the Kelley league held
Its anniversary in my church. In our city
we have between sixty and seventy men
restored to their families and enabled to
lead sober. industrious lives through the
Kelley treatment, and their es.imony
was that they had learned to drink wine
taste,grew and they expected to stop some
time, but all self-control was gone before
they knew it. Our word Temperance
means anything or nothing. 1t means q
claret cup, a drop of sherry, a glass CT
ale, a pint Of wine, a bottle of whiskey.
shameful night, u blank day.. debt.
dishon6r, disease, delirium. death. In
somo peoples minds there seems to be
from tn first taste of ruby wine to the
fiery thirst OF the dying drunkard.
. THE DRINKING EVIL.
The first thing that Christian -EIndeavor.
ers must do in this crusade is to use all
proper means to Danish social drinking
from every home in the land and arouse
such a sentiment In the church and com
munity that every self-respecting man
and woman will get down off the fence on
tion and be ready to say, .'if drinking
wine make my brother to offend, l will
drink no wine while the world stands"
And while We purify the social circles. In
fluence to remove temptation from the
community in which We live. Proper ac,
ton on the part Of a few persoE5 VIII
close any gambling den in any town IN the
state. Proper action on the part OF the
Christian citizens will close great many
saloons and save large sections OF this
Commonwealth from the curse of drink.
But II Is not enough to stand up. III pulpit
or hall and denounce these things. We
need to take definite action and have 1t
ness under God to make this world a
cleaner and better place In which to i've;
and II some people don't like IT, men It
is Just so much the worse for them.
Drive out harmful amusemen.s ny ming
the home with proper amusements. Home
should be the center of all pure pleas
ures. With tennis and croquct, with the
score of excellent parlor games. with all
manner of musical instruments. with our
musicales and lectures and libraries and
social gatherings in our churches. with
opportunities for study and recreation
found in every community, or at least ca
pable of being introduced into every conf
munity in all the land. there Is no en-
cuse for harmful amusements.
DO you say this is great task to revo-
lutionize the amusements and social Gus
toms of the community in which you live
IT will be glorious work for these grand
will be breezy work for the Master, and
1t Is the place where our next advance
is made. We have been singing long enough,
have been studying our Bibles long enough
to be able to do something and the COM
mand comes, prepare ye the way Of the
Lord; make His paths straight" But
what II the task be great. Years ago a
young engineer. surveying great ma
tiOnal road, came upon the Niagara river
below the Falls. He approached the bank
and. looking over, saw, hundreds OF teet
below him, the mighty torrent rushing
down its rocky bed, dashng its waves
twenty feet in air. He glanced at the dis
tant shore and shrank back disheartened.
HE TOOK COURAGE.
But he looked again and took courage.
He promised to bridge the chasm. A boys
kite bore twine over. and the twine. u
rope, and the rope a cable. The months
went by and one day great crowd lined
the river banks and down the iron rails
the great iron horse slowly moved to the
rivers brink Then the young engineer
stepped on board and. while men held
their breath and women turned pale, the
over the bridge. 1t passed on to the mid
die, and on to the farther shore, when a
great shout went up. and today the i'm
mense commerce of two nations and the
wealth and fashion of all lands rushes
over that bridge. 1t was great task and
a great victory. And not unlike this will
be your splendid triumph. II the threads
of influence which go out into the COM
munity shall all be used to overcome the
seemingly impossible barriers that rise in
the way of true Christian progress.
Miss Van Der WORT, contralto of the
Elm Park church, rendered a delight
full solo, after which Rev. J. p. Millar,
studious and practical address on I'm
righteous Business and Business Meth
ods."
O. bUSlN ESoS AN - Tttof fEnl L.
Business as connected with property,
normally, Is remunerative employment.
Three simple ideas are included under this
definition. One is labor, for business Is
the opposite Of idleness or amusement.
Another is usefulness. for legitimate busi-
ness is neither aimless or worthless. These
two ideas, labor and usefulness, make UP
industry. The third idea in business is a
substantial equivalent beniit received In
return for the industry. business is not
benevolence; 1t exacts full value in GN-
change for its outlay of Industry. Labor,
usefulness and a return in equivalent val
ues, then, are the elements which prop
erly make up business.
In order to ma;n:a'n the principle Of
righteousness in business. all industry
must be carried on without interfering
with either of the two great branches of
the law Of love-either with the supreme
devotion Of the heart to God: or with
that love to our neighbor which the law
Of Christ requires. We have only to re-
member that 1.-The earth is the Lords. and
the fulness thereof, the world and tncy
tha. dwell therein" to see that If a. man
l. er cagel in any sort of Occupa ion Y. mic 4