San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-11-14

ern world who like their brethren of
old make clean only the outside of the
platter.
There are others again who are as fas-
tidious as Queen Nab in all that con-
Germs what comes next their person,
but are careless TO a degree as to their
outer appearance. Look at their in
ner garments and they are immacu-
late, not spot on them. Their bodies
are washed continually in pure water
and cleanliness of person is carried to
an extreme. Look at their outer gar
ments. Their clothes hang loosely,
their shoes are untidy, their hair wind
blown, there may be spots on their
coats and pants, their gowns and
cloaks, there are wrinkles in them
sure, but these seem to mind 1T not.
This indicates a character that is care
less of observers, independent of world
criticism. But 1t also marks the man
and the woman of inner cleanliness, to
whom inner defilement is most obnox-
ious.
If character is thus stamped on
clothes, and is readily discerned in
their manifestation, much more is it
seen in their condition as to real clean
illness, or the reverse. Soiled skirts
and dirty cuffs and collars are as I'M
slightly as they are detestable, but
while they are no less so when cover
ed up than when in evidence, it is a
semi-virtue to keep them out of sight.
Here is where the Light pulpit differs
from, its brethren of the orthodox fold.
1t says there is no virtue in dirty I'M
derwear, but if you have such about
you, keep it covered out of sight. The
Light preacher emphasizes this fact.
There is such a tendency in this age of
the world to air the dirty linen closet,
publish its foulness and then proceed
to wash 1t in the eyes and face of the
world, that it is high time a preach
er of cleanliness arose to rebuke the
custom.
Go where you will, enter what soci-
ETY. you may, pick up any newspaper
you like, it is all one. The washing of
dirty underwear is all the go. The
secret things of the person, of the fam
lily, of the brothel, of the gambling
dens, of all sinks of iniquity are
brought to light and displayed on the
clothes line of the paragraphist, or pa
raded in the society columns" or re-
hashed in the sewing society. 1t is
useless to lay the sin at the doors of
the press. The press is only the ca
terer to the public taste. If one does
not cater to its love of filth he is not in
it, and the other fellow who under
stands the public taste gets there.
There are newspapers circulating by
the hundred thousands every month
that are fed and matured and grow
fat on airing dirty linen.
The evil originates in the false valu-
alton that attaches to openness, can
dor, frankness. This idea that there
is virtue in confession is all wrong.
The Light is not entering the domain
of spiritual or churchly life. These
statements are all outside Of that.
The confession is not a public pillory.
1t is the very reverse of that. 1t is
the confession, the actual boasting of
that which is confessed, too often, that
is here rebuked. To acknowledge a
wrong done to another with regret
and a desire to right 1t is one thing, to
air your inner dirtiness is another
thing. To hunger and thirst after the
secret things of other people, that We
may possess them, even to steal them,
is not so detestable as to hunger for
their secret lives, and haste to reveal
them.
There is no more growing or crying
abuse in this whole country, than this
disposition to wash dirty undergar-
ments in public. 1t is a sin Of the
church, and it is noted in all the &C.
clesiastic gatherings of the old and the
new world. The tendency is to bring
the dirt to the light and rake it over
in the eyes and nOstrils of the world.
1t is the same in the courts. Trials
of criminals charged with indecencies
are fiocked to as the people flock to
circus. The more filthy the details,
the more eager the crowds, the more
space in the reports, the more eager
the reading Of the dirtiness that is
thus revealed. This dirt suggests
dirtiness elsewhere, and thus the evil
grows by what it feeds upon. 1t is
time that the disgusting practice was
preached down and out.
Members of the Light congregation
Suffer the words of eXhortation. Ac-
cept the admonition. Teach your
households better things. Stop your
children on the threshold of their at
tempts to retail the dirtiness that they
hear around them. Do not let the
little unpleasantnesses or disagree
ments of home be publicly commented
upon. Keep them out of the home con-
yersations. Hush them up. Keep
the dirty undergarments in the soiled
| clothes closet and only take them to
the wash house when they are to be
cleansed. 1t is not necessary to let
the steam of the laundry come into the
dining room, or the library, or the par
lor. Teach your children that there
is no virtue in filthiness and that
where there is any uncleanliness that
it is a virtue to keep it out of sight.
TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY
Take Laxative Bromo Quinine Tablets
All druggists refund the money If II
fails to cure. 25c. 11-10-5m