Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-06-15

question. Is your HE DtIeulSllOh ~
others. or an enlightenment, blessing
or a curse, a balsam or NORWOOD!
Some of you, l know, are morning
stars, and you are making
THE DAWNING LIFE
of your children bright with gracious
influences. and you are beaming upon
all opening enterprises of philan-
thropic and Christian endeavor, and
YOU are heralds of that day of Gospel
lization which will yet flood all the
mountains and valleys of our sin-curs-
ed earth. Hail, morning star! Keep
on shining with encouragement and
Christian hope.
Some Of you are evening stars, and
YOU are cheering the last days OF old
people; and though cloud sometimes
comes over you through the querul-
business or unreasonableness of your
old father and mother, it is only for a
moment, and the star soon comes out
clear again and is ssen from all the
balconies of the neighborhood. The
old people will forgive your occasional
shortcomings, for they themselves sew
eral times lost patience when you were
young and slapped you when you did
not deserve it. Hail, evening star!
Hang on the darkening sky your dia-
mond cOronet.
But are any of you the star Worm
wood? Do you scold and growl from
the thrones paternal or maternal? Are
your children everlastingly pecked at?
Are you always crying Hush to the
merry voices and swift feet, and their
laughter, which occasionally trickles
through at wrong times, and is sup
pressed by them until they can
HOLD IT NO LONGER,
and all the barriers burst into unlim-
tied guffaw and cachinnation: as in
high weather the water has trickled
through a slight opening in the mill
dam. but afterwards makes wider and
wider breach until il carries all before
1t with irresistible freshet? Do not be
too much offended at the noise your
children now make. 1t will be still
enough when one of them is dead
Then you would give your right hand
TO hear one shout from thsir silent
voices, or one step from the.still foot
You will not any of you have to wait
very long before your house is stiller
than you want ii. Alas, that there are
so many homes not known to the So
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children, where children are put on
the limits, and whacked and cuffed and
ear-pulled. and senSelessiy called to
order. and answered sharp and sup
pressed, until ii is 4 wonder that under
such processes they do not all turn out
Modocs and Mana Sahibs!
What is your influence upon the
the town or city of your
residence? I will suppose that you are
a star or wit. What kind of rays do
YOU shoot forth? Do you use that
splendid faculty to irradiate the world
or 10 rankle it? l bless all
THE APOSTOLIC COLLEGE
of humoristS The man that makes me
laugh is my bensfactor. I do not thank
anybody TO make me cry? I can do
that without any assistance. We all
cry enough and have enough TO cry
about God bless all skillful punsters.
all reparteeists. all prOpounderS of in
geniOus conundrums, all those who
mirthfully surprise us with unusual
of words. Thomas Hood
and Charles Lamb and Sidney Smith
had a divine mission, and so have their
successors in these times. They stir
into the acid beverage of life the sac
charine. They make the cup of earth
ly existence, which is sometimes stale.
and bubble. They placate
animOsities. They foster longevity.
They slay follies ana absurdities which
all the sermons of all the pulpits can
not reach.
But what use are you making of Your
wit? Is it besmirched with profanity
and uncleannesS? Do YOU employ itin
amusement at physical defects for
which the victims are not responsible?
Are your powers of mimicry used to put
religion in contempt? Is it a bunch OF
nettlesome invective? Is it a bolt of
unjust Scorn? Is it fun at others mis-
fortune? Is it glee at their disappoint-
ment and defeat? Is it bitterness put
drop by drop into cup? Is it like the
squeezing of Artemisa Absinthiu into
a drought already distaStefully pun
gent? Then you are the star Worm
wood. Yours is the fun of a rattle
snake trying how we'll it can sting. 1t
is the fun of a hawk trying how quickly
it can strike out the eye of a dove.
But I will change this and suppose
YOU are
A STAR OF WORLDLY PROSPERITY
Then YOU have large opportunity. You
can encourage that artist by buying his
picture. You can improve the fields,
the stables. the highway, by introduc-
ing higher style of fowl, and horse, and
COW. and sheep. You can bless the
world with genealogical achievement in
the orchards. You can advance arbori-
culture and arres, this deathful icono-
clasm Of the American forests You
can put a piece OF sculpture into the
niche OF that public academy You
can endow a college. You can stocking
a thousand bare feet from the winter
frost. You can build a church. You
can put a missionary of Christ on that
foreign shore. You can help ransom
a world. A rich man with his heart
YOU tell me how much good
a James LenoX or a George Peabody or
a Peter CooCer or a William z. Dodge
did while living. or is doing now that
be is dead? There is not a city, town or
neighbOrhOOd that has not glorious
specimens Of consecrated wealth.
But suppose you grind the face OF the
poor. Suppose when a mans wages
are due you make him wait for them
because he cannot hep himself. Sup
pose that. because his family is sick
and he has had extra expenses. he
should politely ask you TO raise his
wages for this year, and you roughly