The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-06-27

that most men, as soon as they get
great power become overbearing. The
more power men have the better. II
their power be used for good. The less
power men have the better, II they use
II for evil.
Birds circle round and round and
before they swoop upon that which
they are aiming for. And II my dis
course so far has been swinging
round and round, this moment II
drops straight on your heart and asks
the question? Is your life benedic-
| ton to others or an embitterment, a
blessing or curse. balsam of worm
wood?
Some Of you, know, are morning
stars. and you are making the dawn
gracious influences, and you are beam
ing upon all the opening enterprises
Of philanthropic and Christian en-
deavor, and you are heralds of that
day of gospelization which will yet
flood all the mountains and valleys Of
our sin-cursed earth. Hail, morning
star! Keep on shining with cncour-
agement 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 querulous-
ness or unreasonableross of your old
father and mother, it is only for q
moment, and the star soon comes out
clear again and is seen from all the
balconies of the neighborhood. The
old people will forgive your occasional
shortcomings, for they themselves
several times lost their patience when
you were young, and slapped you
when you did not deserve it. Hail,
evening star! Hang on the darkening
sky your diamond coronet.
pBut are any of you the star of
Wor mwood? Do you scold and growl
from the thrones paternal or mater
nal? Are your children everlastingly
pecked at? Are you always crying
''Hush!" to the merry voices and swift
feet, and their laughter, which occa-
sionally trickles through at wrong
times, and is suppressed by them until
they can hold it no longer, and all the
barriers burst into unlimited guffaw
and exclamation, as in high weather
the water has triclsled through a
slight opening in the mill-dam, but af-
terward makes wider and wider breach
until it carries all before it with ire
sistible 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
their 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 it.
Alas, that there are so many homes
not known to the Society for the Pre-
vention to Cruelty to Children, where
children are put on the limits and
whacked and cuffed and earpulled,
and senselessly called to order, and
sharp and suppressed, until
it is wonder that under such pro-
cesses they do not all turn out Modocs
and Mana Sahibs!
But what use are you making of
your wit? Is it besmirched with pro-
family and uncleanliness? Do you en-
ploy IL in amusement at physical de-
fects for which the victims are not re-
sponsible? Are your powers of MIN
icry used to put religion in contempt?
Is it bunch of nettlesome invective?
Is it a bolt of unjust scorn? Is it fun
at another's misfortune? Is it glee at
their disappointment and defeat? Is
1t bitterness put drop by drop into a
cup? Is it like the squeezing of Ar
temisia Absinthium into draft al
ready distastefully pungent? Then
you are the star Norwood Yours is |
the fun of the rattlesnake trying how
well it can sing. 1t is the fun of
hawk trying how quickly it can strike
out the eye of dove.
Dear Lord, send us all out on that
mission. All around us embttered
by persecution. en-
Filtered by hypercriticism, embittered
by poverty, embittered by injustice,
by sin. Why not go forth
and seweeten them by smile, by inspir-
ing words, by benefactions, by hearty
counsel, by prayer, by Gospelized be-
havior! Let us remember that if we
are NORWOOD to others we are worm
WOOu 10 OuTSelVeS, ana our lie Will be
bitter and our eternity bitterer. The
Gospel of Jesus Christ Is the only
power that is suffi-
cient 1t sweetens the disposition. 1t
sweetens the manners. It sweetens
life. 1t sweetens mysterious Provi-
dences. 1t sweetens Affections It
sweetens death. 1t sweetens every
thing. have heard people ask in So
cial company: "If you could have
three wishes gratified, what would
your three wishes be?" If could have
three wishes met this morning 1 tell
you what they would be. First, more
of the grace of God; second, more of
the grace of God; third, more of the
grace of God. In the dooryard of |
my brother John, missionary in Annoy,
China, there was tree called the en-
peror tree, the two characteristics
OF which are that it always grows
higher than its surroundings. and it's
leaves take the form of crown. II
this emperor tree be planted by rose
bush IL grows a little hiUher than tho