The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-12-31
APPEAL TO YOUNG MEN.
rev. Dr.. Talmage Gives Voice to a
ResOunding Call.
4 Challenge to the Youth Of the Country
to Cultivate Nobility OF Thought
and Purpose and to Let Their
Aims be High.


srvered by Rev. I. Dewitt Talinage
sefore his Washington congregation,
|sng based on the text:
s. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young
@ztan.-U. Kings W., H.
81 One morning, in Dothan a young
astrological student was scared by
4snding himself and Elisha the prophet,
upon whom he matted, surrounded by
7swhole army of enemies. But vener
Neable Elisha vas not scared at all,
#because he saw the mountains full of
Ndefense for him, in chariots made of
fire, drawn by horses of tire-a super
spatural appearance that could not be
81 seen with the natural eye. SO the old
minister prayed that the young minis
ter might see them also, and the
prayer was answered, and the Lord
#Opened the eyes of the young man,
Msnd he also saw the fiery procession,
booking somewhat, l suppose, like the
@Adirondack or the Alleg hanies in au-
M.umnal resplendence.
On Many young men, standing among
the most tremendous realities, have
their eyes half shut or entirely closed.
open wide your eyes to your safety,
3your opportunity, and your destiny!
i A mighty defense for young man
lis good home. Some of my hearers
look back with tender satisfaction to
their early home. 1t may have been
rude and rustic, hidden among the
hills, and architect or upholsterer
never planned or adorned it. But all
the fresco on princely walls never
looked so enticing to you as those
rough-he rafters. You can
think of no park or an
Dor of trees planted on fashion
able country seat so attrctive as the
plain brook that ran in front of the
old farm house and sang under the
weeping willows No barred gate
way, adorned with statue of bronze,
and swung open by obsequious porter
/ In full dress, has half the glory of the
old swing gate. Many of you have a
second dwelling place, your adopted
/ home, that also is sacred forever.
| There your built the first family altar
1 There your children were born. All
those trees you planted. That room is
solemn, because once in it, over the
hot pillow, tapped the wing of death.
Under that roof you expect, when
your work is done, to lie down and
,iie. You try with many words to tell
the excellency of the place, but you
fal. There is only one word in the
language that can describe your mean
ing. 1t is home.
Now, declare it, that young man is
comparatively safe who goes out into
the world with charm like this upor
him. The memory of parental sollcl
tude, watching, planning and praying
will be to him shield and shelter
never knew man faithful both t.
/ his early and adopted home. who a
! the same time was given over to an,
! gross form of dissipation or wicked
] ness. He who seeks his enjoymen
! chiefly from outside association
rather than from the more quie
and unpresuming pleasures of whicl
| have spoken, may be suspected t.
4 be on the broad road to ruin. Absa
I lom despised his fathers house, an
] you know his history of sin and hi
1 death of shame. If you seem unneces
sarily isolated from your kindred an
former associates, is there not som
] room that you can call your own? In
] to it gather books and pictures. Hav
portrait over the mantel. Make ur
podly mirth stand back from tn
threshold. Consecrate some spot wit
The knee of prayer. By the memor
q of other days, fathers counsel, and
81 l., nd SiS tldpncf
8 call it home.
IN Another defense for young man
CD Industrious habits. Many young mel
@ in starting upon life in this age, e.
IS peet to make their way through tn
81 world by the use of their wits rathe
u than the toll of their hands. A be
8 now goes to the city and fails twlt
3 before he is as old as his father W.
when he first saw the spires OF tf
great town. Sitting in some othc
rented at 81 ,OCO year, he is waitin
Tor the bank to declare it's dividen
or goes into the market expectlr
q before night to be made rich by II
rushing up of the stocks. But luz
seemed so dull he resolved {
some other tack. Perhaps he DO
q rowed from his employers mon'
1 drawer, and forgot to put 1t back, G
IS for merely the purpose OF improviI
u his penmanship, makes copy plate
8 merchants signature. Never min
81 all is right in trade. In some da
night there may come in his dreams
vision of the penitentiary; but it So
,l vanishes. In short time he Will
ready to retire from the busy worl
and amid his flocks and herds cul
vete the domestic virtues. Then tho
young men who were his schoolmat'
and knew no better than to engage
honest work, will come with their
teams to draw him logs, and WI
their hard hands to help heave up
castle. This is no fancy picture IL
everyday life. l should not wone
if there were some rotten beams
that beautiful palace. l should
wonder if dire sickness sheulc SIN
through the young man. or II =
should pour into bis cup ot III