Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-03-22
pRESENT-DAY THOUGHTS.
BY G. GRosvENoR DAVE.

BY G. GROSvENoR DAVE.
In the case OF churches it has been
proved a thousand times over that a church
in debt is a church alive. The burden of
all unites the purpose of all, il not the
methods. The danger of all is the
strength of all through the effort to lift
the burden. The church under pressure
is usually the one that has the least time
for weakening discussions.
The public burning of a church mort
gage is therefore by no means a preGfI5e
of future prosperity, II may really bring
on he greater danger that comes when
workers lie down in Their tracks. and the
eye has time to wander from the old pur-
pose and grow critical regarding this one
idler, that one gossip, and the other
hypocrite. Thus with no debt at all-lazi-
ness, criticisms, jealousies, heartburnings,
soul wrongings, damage.
Yet on the other hand there are exeep-
tions; for in some cases the debt saddled
on a church by ambitious officials in a
wild religious competition to equal
surpass the editice, or the organ, or the
ritual of neighboring church, proves so
discouraging that the greater number of
the members give up in despair. Thus
with too heavy debt-indiffe ference, abb
sence of principle, presence of sheriff,
shameful comments by the worldly.
But one must not dwell too long upon
the details of the modern complicated
church that has grown up, or away, or
down (whichever word you choose to
use) from the simple doctrines of simple
teacher. merely want you to look at
the church as a picture of yourself-one
body, many members.
For a young man it is better to owe
thousand than to own it. a good, honest
debt imparts good, honest impulse; SO
that the desire for the qualification of the
stomach at the expense of the back, or
both at the expense OF your kindly cred
itor is subordinated to the one purpose
OF making full repayment and thus being
able to hold the head up in the free air
again. Easy come and careless spend do
not put the backbone OF good sense into
man, nor do they place him in sympa-
thetie touch with the great struggling
mass of burden bearers who constitute
such a large proportion of the world.
Yet at the same time it must be con-
ceded that heavy debt contracted by
young man through needless living, care
less thinking, foolish efforts has a large
element of encouragement in it and has
driven many man to the camp of the
tramp, where no debts are paid, no good
done and no service rendered to mankind
where, as with the ravens, food and free
air are all that are asked; here to-day,
away Tomorrow needless, careless, fool
ish, self gratifying as before.
Freedom from debt and encouragement
tions of life in the tropics and in the polar
regions The dweller in the hot, moist
regions OF the world worries little
about food, and even less about clothes.
Dame Nature, really unkind to him, drops
food into his open mouth, much as Mis-
tress Robin will be doing with her tledg-
lings in few weeks. Conditions around
him are too easy to bring him to the best
that is possible for human being. His
nav may indeed be distent with food,
and his body well nourished, but he is no
type OF man 10 pattern diteI. LESS loou
found by lying on the back, and great
deal more effort would be good for him,
and tend to make his feet move in march
ing time with the real workers of the
world.
On the other hand the paralyzing in
huences OF darkness and cold in the polar
regions are just as dangerous. Their
effort is all Notwithstanding death
rather than grandly living, no ambition
save to have big piece of blubber or, as
an occasional treat, bite from a tallow
candle no care for the great world, no
interest in its burdens, no appreciation of
other conditions of life, no care to know
more, no more to care for than a mere
existence.
1t is the temperate zone of moderate re-
sponsibility that is best for young man;
where nature is neither too kind nor too
harsh, but decidedly tickle and hard to
compass-where conditions are not all
against nor all for young man, but
where if he is for himself and for the