Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-09

iauity-reoreation in which we may on.
gage for the strengthening of the body, for
the clearing of the intellect, for theillumi-
nation Of tho soul
There Is still another form of recreation
which l commend to you, and that Is the
pleasure of doing good. l have seen young
men, weak and cross and sour and repol-
ling in their disposition, who. by ono hcav-
emily touch, have wakenod up and become
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 today, IL
should like that recreation above all others,
but l have not tho MEANS My dear
brother, let us take an account of stock
You have large estate, If you only real
ize 1t. Two hands, two feot. You will
have, perhaps, during the ncxt year at
least $40 for charitable contribution. You
will have 2, 500 cheerful looks, II you want
to employ them. You will bnvo 5000
pleasant words, If you want to speak
them. Now, what an amount that is to
start with
You 90 out tomorrow morning, and you
see a case OF real restitution by tho way
side. You give him . cents. Tho blind
man hears tho pennies rattle in his hat,
and he says: THANK you, sir! God bless
you'll" You pass down the street, trying
to look Indifferent but you feel from tho
worry depth Of your soul a profound salts
faction that you made that man happy.
You 90 on still farther and find n poor boy
with whcclbarrow, trying to get it up on
tho curbstonc. He fails in the attempt.
You say: "Stand back, my lad. Let me
try" You push it up on the curbstono 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
u great Joy to your own soul. You will
not get over it all tho week.
On tho street tomorrow morning you
will sec sick ulan passing along. "Ah, 4"
you say, what can do to make this man
happy? Ho certainly does not want money;
he is not poor, but he is sick" Give him
ono of those 1900 cheerful looks that you
have garnered up for the whole year.
Look joy and hopefulncss into his soul. 1t
will thrill him through, and there will be
reaction upon your own soul. Going u
little farther ~, you will como to tho store
of n friend who is embarrassed in business
matters. You will go in and say: "What
u hno store you have 1 think business
will brighten up, and you will have moro
custom after awhile. l think there Is
coming great prosperity to all tho coun-
try. Good morning" You pass out
You have helped that young man, and you
have helped yourself.
The Greatest Joy.
Colonel Gardiner, who sat with his ell
bow on n table spread with all cxtrava-
CANT viands, looking off at dog on tho
rug, saying, How l would like to change
places with him, l DO tho dog and he DO
Colonel Gardiner" or those two Moravian
missionaries who wanted to go into the
lazarctto for the sake of attending tho sick
and they werc told: "If you go in there
you will never come out. We never allow
any ono to como out, for he would bring
tho contagion." Then they made their
wills and went in, first to help the sick
and then to die. Which was the happier
Colonel Gardiner or the Moravian mis-
sionaries dying for othersp Was It all sac
rifce whom the missionaries wanted to
bring the gospel to tho ncG1ocs at tho Bar
bados and, being donied tho privilege,
sold themselves into slavery, standing side
by sido and lying side by side down in
tho very ditch of suffering, in order that
they might bring those men up to lifo and
God and heaven? oh, there is q thrill in
the joy Of doing good 1t Is the most
magnificent recreation to which u man ever
put his hand, or his head, or his heart.
But before closing l want TO impress
| upon you that mere secular entertain
monts are not n fit foundation for your
soul to build on. l was. reading of u
woman who had gone all tho rounds OF
sinful amusement, and she came to die.
She said, II will die tonight at o'clock. "
"Oh," they said, Il guess not You don't
seem to be sick. ~ ~ shall die at 6 o'clock,
and my soul will DO lost. l know it will
be lost. l have sinncd away my day of
grace" Tho noon came. They desired
her to seek religious counsel. "Oh," sho
said, lit Is of no use! My day is gone. l
have been all tho rounds of worldly pleas
uro, and 1t is too late l shall die tonight
at q o'clock" Tho day wore away and 1t
came to o'clock and to b o'clock, and
she cried out at 5 o'clock: Destroying
spirits, you shall not have me yeti 1t Is
not Git is not Gu The moments went
by, and the shadows began to gather, and
tho clock struck 6, and while 1t was strik-
ing her soul went. What hour God will
call for us l do not know-whether q
O'Clock tonight or o'clock this afternoon,
or ut | o'clock, or at this momont. Sit
tlnB where you are, lulilng FORWARD, or
dropping down, whore will you so to2
The last hour of our life will soon DO
here, and from that hour we will review
this days proceedings. 1t will be sol
elan hour. If from our death pillow we
have to look back and see q lifo spent in
sinful amusement there will be dart
that will strike through our soul sharper
than the dagger with which Virginius slow
his child. Tho memory Of the past will
make us quake like Macbeth. The in
Equities and rioting through which W,
have passed will come upon us, weird and
skeleton rs Meg Mcrrilics. Death, the
old Shylock, will demand and take the
remaining pound Of flesh and tho remain
ing drop of blood, and upon our last OPP
portunity for repentance and our last
chance for heaven tho curtain will forever
drop.
Did You Eve
Try Elcctric Rittera nS n ren,a1,. 10, ,,o,,