The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-03-30

lhere is not In the house Bible or
moral treatise, but only few scraps
of an old pictorial.
After awhile you are old enough to
get out of the cradle, and you are
struck across the head for naughtiness,
but never in any kindly manner repri-
manded. After awhile you are old
enough to go abroad, and you are sent
out with basket to steal. If you
come home without any spoil you are
whipped until the blood comes. At 10
years of age you go out to fight your
own battles in this world, which seems
to care no more for you than the dog
that has died of fit under the fence.
You are kicked and cuffed and butfeted.
Some day, rallying your courage. you
resent some wrong. A man says: who
are you? / know who you are. Your
father had free lodgings at Sing Sing.
Your mother, she was up for drunken
ness at the criminal court. Get out of
my way, you low-lived wretch! My
brother, suppose that had been the
history of your advent, and the his
tory of your earlier surroundings,
would you have been the Christian
man you are to-day, seated in this
Christian assembly? l tell you nay,
You would have oeen vagabond, an
outlaw, murderer on the the scaffold
atoning for your crime. All these con-
siderations ought to make us merciful
in our dealings with the wandering
and the lost.
Again, have to remark, that in our
estimation the misdoing of people who
have fallen from high responsibility
and usefulness we must take into con-
sideration the conjunction of circum-
stances. In nine cases out of ten a
man who goes astray does not intend
any positive wrong. He has trust
funds He risks part of these funds
in investment. He says: Now, if |
should lose that investment have OF
my own property five times as much,
and if this investment should go wrong
l could easily make it up; could five
times make it up" With that wrong
reasoning he goes on and makes the
investment, and it does not turn out
quite as well as he expected, and he
makes another investment, and strange
affairs get entangled, and all his other
resources fail, and his hands are tied
Now he wants to eXtricate himself
He goes little further on in the
wrong investment. He takes plunge
further ahead, for he wants to save his
home, he wants to save his member
ship in the church. He takes one more
plunge and all is lost.
Some morning at 10 o'clock the banl
door is not opened, and there is a care
on the door signed by an officer of the
bank, indicating there is trouble, ant
the name of the detaulter or the de
frauder heads the newspaper column
and hundreds of men say: Good fol
him." hundreds of other men say
"Tm glad he's found out at last" hun
: dreds of other men say: "Just as tolt
you;" hundreds of other men say: "Wt
couldn't possibly have been tempted tc
do that-no conjunction of circum
stances could ever have overthrow
me-" and there is superabundance o
indignation, but no pity. The heavens
full of lightning, but not one drop o.
dew. If God treated us as society
treats that man we would all hav'
been in hell long ago!
Wait for the alleviating circum
stances. Perhaps he may have beer
the dupe of Others Before you let al
the hounds out from their kennel t.
maui and tear that man, find out if h,
has not been brought up in a CONNER
cial establishment where there was
wrong system of ethics taught; find ou
whether that man has not an extrava
CANT wife who is not satisfied with hi
honest earnings, and in the temptation
to please her he has gone into that ruiz
into which enough men have fallen
and by the same temptation, to make
procession of many miles. Perhaps
some sudden sickness may have touched
his brain, and his Judgment may be un
balanced. He is wrong, he is awfully
wrong, and he must be condemned, bu
there may be mitigating circumstances
Perhaps under the same temptation
you might have fallen. The reason
some men do not steal $780, 900 is be
cause they do not get a chance! Hav'
righteous indignation you must abou
that mans conduct, but temper it will
mercy.
But, you say: II am sorry that tn,
innocent should suffer-" Yes, l an
too-sorry for the widows and orphans
who lost their all by that defalcation
ain sorry also for the business men
the honest business men, who hav,
had their affairs all crippled by thai
defalcation. am sorry for the vener
able bank president to whom the credit
of that bank was matter of pride. Yes
am sorry also for that man whC
brought all the distress; sorry that HI
sacrificed body, mind, soul, reputation
Heaven, and went into the blacknes.
of darkness forever.
You defantly say: II could not b.
tempted in that way" Perhaps yor
may be tested after awhile. God has
very good memory, and he sometime.
seems to say: This man feels Sc
strong in his innate power and good
ness he shall be tested; he is SO full
of bitter invective against that unfor
tunate it shall be shown now whether
he has the power to stand" Fifteer
years go by. The wheel of fortune
turns several times, and you are in g
crisis that you never could have antici
pated. Now, all the powers of darkness