The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-06-22

HucHJ ny tHC SVlupdHlOHSHlp III WHICH L
they put you. If you belong to an or
ganization where you have to associate
with the Incorporate, with the un-
clean, with the abandoned, however
well they may be dressed, in the name |
of God quit it. They will despoil your
nature. They will undermine your
moral character. They will drop you
when you are destroyed. They will
not give one cent to support your
children when you are dead. They
will weep not one tear at your burial
They will chuckle over your damna-
ton. But the day comes when the
men who have exerted evil influence
upon their fellows will be brought to
judgment. Scene: the last day.
Stage: the rocking earth. Enter
dukes, lords, kings, beggars, clowns.
No sword. No tinsel, No crown. For
foot-lights the kindling flames of
world. For orchestra, the trumpets
that wake the dead. For gallery, the
clouds filled with angel spectators. For
applause, the clapping floods of the
together as scroll. For tragedy, the
doom of the destroyed. For farce, the
effort to serve the world and God at
the same time. For the last scene Of
the fifth act, the tramp of nations
across the stage-some to the right,
others to the left.
Again, any amusement that gives
you a distaste for domestic life is bad.
How many bright domestic circles
have been broken up by sinful amuse-
ments? The father went off, the
mother went off, the child went off.
There are all around us fragments of
blasted households. Oh! if you have
wandered. away, would like to charm
you back by the sound of that one
word, Home" Do you not know that
you have but little more time to give
to domestic welfare? Do you not see,
father, that your children are soon to
go out into the world, and all the in
f1uence for good you are to have over
them you must have now? Death will
break in on your conjugal relations,
and, alas! if you have to stand over the
grave of one who perished from your
neglect.
Let me say to all young men, your
style of amusement will decide your
eternal destiny. One night saw
young man at street corner evidently
doubling as to which direction he had
better take. He had his hat lifted high
enough so you could see he had an in
telligent forehead. He had a stout
chest; he had a robust development.
Splendid young man. Cultured young
man. Honored young man. Why did
he stop there while so many were 60
ing up and down? The fact is that
every man has good angel and bad
angel contending for the mastery of
his spirit. And there was good angel
and bad angel struggling with that
young mans soul at the corner of the
street. Come with me-" said the good
angel, 81 will take you home. 1 will
spread my wing over your pathway.
| will lovingly escort you all through
life. l will bless every cup you drink
out of, every couch you rest on, every
doorway you enter. / will consecrate
your tears when you weep, your sweat
when you toll, and at the last 1 will
hand over your grave into the hand OF
the brightest angel of Christian res
direction.
SIN answer to your fathers petition
and your mothers prayer L have been
your guardian spirit. Come with me!'
said the good spirit angel in voice OF
unearthly sympathy. 1t was music like
that which drops from lutte of Heaven
when a seraph breathes on it, mo
no." said the bad angel, come with
, me; l have something better to offer;
the wines | pour are from chalices OF
bewitching carousal; the dance l lead
is over the floor tessellated with un
! restrained indulgences; there is nc
God to frown on the temples of sin
where worship. The skies are Italian
, The paths / tread are through mea
dows daisied and primrosed; come
with me. The Young man hesitatec
at time when hesitation was
, ruin, and the bad angel smote the gooC
angel until it departed, spreading
wing through the starlight upward
: and away, until door flashed open II
the sky and forever the wings van
ished. That was the turning point il
that young mans history; for, the
: good angel flown, he hesitated NJ
longer, but started on pathwa.
! which is beautiful at the opening, bu
blasted at the last. The bad ange
: leading the way opened gate aftel
gate, and at each gate the road became
: rougher and the sky more lurid, and
a what was peculiar, as the gate slammed
shut it came to with jar that indi
Gated that it would never open.
y On the left side of the road ther,
! was lion, and the man asked the bat
\ angel, What is that lon?" and th
s answer was, "That is the lion of all
h devouring despair.0 A vulture flew
+ through the sky, and the man aske'
$ the bad angel, What is that vulture?
and the answer was, "That is the vul
), ture waiting for the carcases of th
- slain" And then the man began t.
! try to pull off of him the folds o
=, something that had wound him roun
9 and round, and he said to the ba,
- angel, what is it that twists me il
y this awful convolution" and the an
:. swer was, "Ihat is the worm tina
! never dies!" and then the man said t
s the bad angel, What does all thi
e mean? trusted in what you said a
- the corner of the street that night;
- trusted it all, and why have you thu
" deceived me?" Then the last decep
= ton fell off the charmer, and it said
!. 81 was sent forth from the pit to de
:. stroy your soul; l watched my chanc
= for many a long year; when you hes
% % tated that night on the street game
q my triumph; now you are here, Ha
:. ha! You are here. Come, now, let u
- fill these two chalices of fire and drin