The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-03
B1LEUU WLEAR79 PROMISES
Bright Bah breaches Gentle Sermon
Deeds ard thoughts That Recur Day of the Year

own, ana Bhey loved you so well they
wanted to have you always at least in A
picture. Death hasn't taken you away
from them, but the world has-the world
with It's selhshness and its greatness
owns you so entirely that you have for
gotten the mother who bore you in pain
and the father who loved her because she
was your mother more than he did.when
she was simply his wife. You were the
tie between two loving hearts. and what
have you shown as an evidence of vour
gratitude to them? Ny friend when that
page OF your life is read you will cover
your face with your hands to hide yeur
shame.
You think about murder. That. of
1t is part Of your mean, cynical belief 70
1t How many times have YOU hurt
1t! How many times have you struck an
inoffensiye animal? Haw many times
have you hurt with bitter words? And
what have you killed in yourself? Your
innocence, your hope and your faith. You
have murdered the best Of yourself. and
You stand a murderer as great in the
eyes OF God as that one who killed his
fellow man. He did it in the quick spasm
OF anger You have killed gradually and
slowly the good that was in you, and
you have buried what you killed so deep
that l wonder if even now, it can be re-
surrected. That seventh law. What n
bout the book you dropped from your
hands an hour ago? Would you like to
offer it to the pretty girl who made her
debut this afternoon? What about the
picture that you displayed to a group of
your fellows? What about the foul story
which caused the clubhouse to ring with
laughter as you told it? And then, what
about the women whose minds you have
stained? You pride yourself on never
| having led an innocent woman into COM
hitting absolute evil But you, and
men like you, make her.
STEP TO WICKEDNESS VERY
EASY.
You pay her the doubtful compliment
you murmur to her the jest that has a
double meaning, and you urge her to cul-
| tlvate an easy manner with men that
certainly makes the descent to the devil
very much quicker. How does that page
look? Take up another.
Are you innocent of stealing? Where is
the tithe you should have given to the
poor? How about the doubtful deal in the
stock market? What do you think you
would have been if your last investment
had failed and you had been discovered.
The polite world would have called you
an embezzler-the more crude people
would have said you were a thief, but
as the venture was a success and you did
not disturb the money that belonged to
others, you count yourself free from
blame.
Are you? In the great Judgment Book
intent and act are synonymous. You have
an idea that you leave gossiping to wo-
men; there is no feminine gossip who
can compare with a man like you. You
say things that a woman is afraid to
hint. or the young woman who is over
flowing with happiness, who cannot keep
her JOY to herself, and who believes that
all men are gentlemen like her husband
and her father, you speak with a shrug
that means much and a sneer that tells
all that is in your own wicked mind. You
are always
BEARING FALSE WITNESS A
GAINST GOOD WOMEN.
1t is part Of your mean, cynical belief
to deny purity to women. 1t is part Of
your dastardly unfaith to claim that no
man is decent. You are sure that every
kindness shown has a hidden motive.
Oh, how smeared this page is! Soiled
and smirched until beading it becomes
abOminable.
Indeed, / drop the book, I, who am
human, cannot try you any longer with
those stone tablets as the questioners,
But you wild be tried, and that book will
make or mar your future. But always
there is given to you a choice God is
more merciful than men. He gives you
fhie 70,
as in a looking-gIass, the story Of your
life unfold, and He says: Repent and do
better while there is yet time" What are
you going to do? Now the time has come
for you to decide. The new Book is white
and clean, and on it written "The Story
Of 1897"
A years record. What viii it be? You
are to write it, and it is in your power to
fill it with history of kindness done,
of mercies shown, Of good gifts given, of
an increasing faith, and of a sweet and
pure life. How can you long for anything
else? How can you, originally kind Of
heart and strong Of brain, be satisfied to
kill yourself for the benefit OF the brutal
world? For after all, even the world res
poets good man. 1t may be cynical; it
may be bitter; it may have very little
that man who keeps the Book Of his Life
a clear one, a clean one, and onefuIl Of
faith, hope and charity.
The New Year has come; greet you,
ray friend and nay neighbor wherever
You may be. / hope that this year will
bring to each one of us the greatest OF all
posssessiOns-a true knowledge of our
selves. Then we will be sure to make a
better Life Book. You will forgive me
for preaching to you, my friend; / cannot
help it. AS / turn the tiny calendar that
marked the last day of the year, it read:
Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, Meth
er have entered into the heart of man the
things which God hath prepared for
them that love Him." And it seemed that
/ must remind you, before the bells rang
in another year. and before the fresh
book was opened, Of the wisdom Of read
ing the book marked 1896" We have
done it together; we have clasped hands
and promised each 10 holm tho otbar and