The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-06-18

doors and display the crime, and throw
open all its hospitals and display the
disease, and throw open all the insane
asylums and show the wretchedness,
and open all the sepulchers and show
the dead, and open all the doors of the
lost world and show the damned. That
one Edenic transgression stretched
chords of misery across the heart of the
world and struck them with dolorous
wailing. and it has seated the plaques
upon the air and the shipwreoks upon
the tempest and fastened, like leech.
famine to the heart of the sick and dy-
ing nations. Beautiful at the start, hor-
rible at the last. Oh, how many have
experienced it'll
Are there here those who are votaries
Of pleasure? Let me warn you, my
brother. Your pleasure boat is far from
shore, and your summer day is ending
roughly, for the winds and the waves
are loud voiced, and the overcoming
clouds are all awrithe and agleam with
terror. You are past the Narrows and
almost outside the Hook, and if the At
lantic take thee, frail mortal, thou shalt
never get to shore again. Put back; row
swiftly swifter, swifter! Jesus from
the shore casteth rope. Clasp it quick
ly, now or never. Oh, are there not
some of you who are freighting all your
loves and joys and hopes upon a vessel
which shall never reach the port of
heaven? Thou nearest the breakers,
one heave upon the rocks. Oh, what an
awful crash was that! Another lunge
may crush thee beneath the spars or
grind thy bones to powder amid the
torn timbers. Overheard for your life,
overheard! Trust not that loose plank
nor attempt the wave, but quickly clasp
the feet of Jesus walking on the watery
pavement, shouting until he hear thee,
Lord, save me or l perishl'' Sin beau
tltul at the start-oh, how sad, how
dlstressful, at the last! The ground over
which it leads you is hollow The fruit
1t offers to your taste is poison. The
promise it makes to you is lie. Over
that ungodly banquet the keen sword of
Gods Judgment hangs, and there arg
ominous handwritings on the walls.
Observe also in this subject how re-
polling sin is when appended to great
attractiveness. Since Ewes death there
has been no such perfection of woman
hood. You could not suggest an attract
lveness to the body or suggest any re-
tinement to the manner. You could add
no gracefulness to the gait, no luster to
the eye, no sweetness to the voice. A
perfect God made her perfect woman,
to be the companion of a perfect man
in perfect home, and her entire ma
ture vlbrated in accord with the beauty
and song of paradise. But she rebelled
against Gods government, and with the
same hand with which she plucked the
fruit she launched upon the world the
crimes, the wars, the tumults that have
set the universe awaiting.
Fatal Attractions.
A terrible offset to all her attractive
ness. We are not surprised when we
find men and women naturally vulgar
going into transgression. We expect
that people who live in the ditch shall
have the manners of the ditch, but Ansv
shocking when we find sin appended
to superior education and to the refine
ments of social life. The accomplish
ments of Mary, queen of Scots, make |
her patronage of Darnley, the profigate,
the more appalling. The genius of Cath
crime ii Of Russia only sets forth in |
more powerful contrast her unappeasa-
BILE ambition. The translations from
the Greek and the Latin by Elizabeth,
and her wonderful qualifications for a
queen, make the more disgusting her
capriciousness of affection and her hot
ness OF temper. The greatness of By
rOn's mind makes the more alarming
Byron's sensuality.
Let no one think that refinement of
manner or exquisiteness of taste or SUI
periority of education can in any wise
apologize for i'll temper, for an oppres-
sive spirit, for unkindness, for any kind
of sin. Disobedience Godward and trans
gression manward can give no excuse.
Accomplishment heaven high is no apol-
ogy for vice hell deep.
My subject also impresses me with
the regal influence of woman. When
see Eve with this powerful influence
over Adam and over the generations
that have followed, it suggests to me
the great power all women have for
good or for evil. l have no sympathy,
nor have you, with the hollow batteries
showered upon woman from the plat.
form and the stage. They mean moth
ing; they are accepted as nothing.
Woman's nobility consists in the exer-
Use of Christian influence, and when I
see this powerful influence of Eve up
IN her husband and upon the whole hu- {
nan race | make up my mind that the {
rail arm of woman can strike a blow i
which will resound through all eternity !
Town among the dungeons or up among |
he thrones. i
Sweet Home.
Of course l am not speaking of rep '
esentative women-of Eve, who ruined a
he race by one fruit picking; of Jael, t
Who drove spike through the head of
'isera, the warrior; of Esther, who G
royalty; of Abigail, who stop e
ed host by her own beautiful Prov t
SIS; of Mary, who nursed the worlds b
saviour; of Grandmother Lois, immor- 0
allied in her grandson Timothy; of y
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