Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-02

New York, Dec. 27.-The bells are
ringing out the Old and ringing in the
New Year. And suddenly, as if during
the year it counted for nothing, some
of us become conscious of an unpleas-
ant little sensation, provoked by con-
science. Somehow, it doesn't seem as
il in the year we had done all we
might; as il the soft answer had not
been offered often enough, and as if the
year itself had been one in which
there were few good works. The book
of the year looks blotted and blurred.
Here a sorrow, there a sin; here a
weakness, there worry, but only
few, very few Of tho pages are white
and fair. and worthy of being offered
to the King of Kings. Take hand
glass and look at yourself You are like
most other people, SO you think neither
better nor worse, and, Struggling your
shoulders, you hatter yourself that you
haven't committed murder, or been
guilty of theft, or done any of those
dreadful things that all the world calls
sin. No, you are not murderess, nor
thief Perhaps. though, you are just a
guilty. Perhaps that one who killed
his brother succumbed to momentary
ifmptation, and committed the one
Avful act. But there are many ways
OK killing beside numbering the flesh.
Have you, by word of mouth, mur
qered the faith in any human soul?
Killed in any young soul it's belief,
either in God or manY That is worse
than material murder.
OUR LIFE DURING 1895.
Fancy having to live all one's life
without hope and without belief |!
Fancy having to think that no one
does kind act without hoping to gain
something from it-that must be awful.
A living unbelief seems TO me the
worst state into which human soul
can get. No wickedness is comparable
with 1t. Look in the glass again, and
watch as your eyes flash, how they
seem to say 1--WE are honest; we have
stolen nothing Perhaps not, but
you never were hungry, you never
needed the money to buy food and
warmth for those you love; but you
have stolen Just the same. Perhaps not
in the material way, but surely when
you are bitterly envious and malicious,
you are thousand times worse than
the poor wretch who steals TO atisfy
his hunger. Because you know better,
and he is ignorant of so much You
60 to church, bend your pretty head
in devout way, make your prayer
after each commandment and thank
God that you are not like other people.
That your soul is clear, and you haven t
on your day book the breaking of
any one of these commandments. Ten
Of them. None of them very long. But
all you trouble yourself about is the
II %act word of each, and though at other
D times you are clever enough, you will.
fully blind yourself, and refuse TO read
between the lines
Take the first one. Say it to your
Self. You smile and feel nerfectly GER
lain that you can live up to it. In an
bid book find some little suggestions
kabout
= THE COMMANDMENTS THAT MAY HELP
YOU.
1t is a queer little old book, with its
cover worn, with its fly leaves written
upon, though the ink is pale, and with
bit of blue ribbon, lock of blonde
hair, and one or two religious pictures
for book marks. 1t says you may sin
against this first commandment by
giving your fret waking thought to
anybody but the good God who created
you, and giving your last thoughts to
anybody but Him, and forgetting to
confess your sins 10 Him and to give
thanks 10 Him because He has cared
for you all the long day through. The
quaint Old saint who wrote the book
says that You break the first command
ment when you are impatient of what
humbles you; when YOU allow your
mind to dwell on your troubles rather
than on our blessings, and when you
depend on your own cleverness or your
own ability for success instead of real
izing that it is as nothing unless the
great Father of all guides you. When
you went to church last Sunday you
committed, according to my saint,
many sins. Sins against the second
epted in the flowers, in the preacher, in
the congregation, than in paying earn
est and devout attention to saying your
prayers. You were devoting more of
your time to some human being, and
thinking Of the love and goodness In
that person than Of the great Ono from
whom it all came. And you broke the
Becond commandment. 4 am afraid
you have broken tho third ono very
bften. You never refrain from Jest
because it ism quito refined; you never
dropped a, book because the ideas of
the author We're not quite respectful to
God, and to save yourself little
trouble, you did not make it point to
you do simply that it might be praised
by men?
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
And about the next. Did you observe
That day as festival, as a day when
you gave Joy at least to one soul? Or
did you behave as if that first day OF
tho week were like all tho others, and
peeded no special attention paid TO It'll
And having one great talent. did you
wrap it up and put it out OF sightf
And then, my saint is very particular
about this, did you show not only honor
Ind respect, but love- to those who are
bound to you by 4ies of blood, or who
pre- IN authority over you? Don't you
think il we looked for the best, even
among the politicians, We might find
something to respect? Though the
saint doesn't mention the politician.
As to tho sixth commandment. He is
very positive that you have committed
sin if you do not give the love you
should to your husband, brothers ol
yisters. IL You do not bear with theil
lauts, and make allowances for them,
while you yourself must not be sullen,
nor malicious, nor inpatient, nor ieal-
pus, nor mean enough to encourage
personal dislike. And, by-the-by, ht
considers it particular sin for you moi
20 take good care of your health. This
jaint is a sensible one. or the seventh
commandment, he says beware o
sreediness, extravaganza in dress, o
wicked books, wicked talk, and o.
nring altogether too much for the lux
,ries oF this world, and not enough fol