Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-15
A WORLDWIDE EVIL.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE CONDEMNS RESI-
oENcE IN HOTELS.
Contrasts 1t With the Wholesome In
huences That Surround Life In n
Private Home - Children Get Into
Bad Company.
Copyright. Louis KiOpsch, 1891

WASHlNGION, July .. - hOlue nlt
versus hotel life is the theme of DIR.
Talmage's sermon for today, the dis
advantages of a life spent at more or
less temporary stopping places being
sharply contrasted with the blessings
that are found in the real home, how
ever humble. The text is Luke K, "a,
80: "And brought him to an inn and
took care of him. And on the morrow
when he departed, he took out two
pence and gave them to the host and
said unto him, Take care of him; and
whatsoever thou spendest more, when
/ come again will repay thee"
This is the good Samaritan paying
the hotel bill of a man who had been
robbed and almost killed by bandits.
The good Samaritan had found the un-
fortunate on a lonely, rocky road,
where to this very day depredations
are sometimes committed upon travel
ers, and had put the injured man into
the saddle. while this merciful and
well to do man had walked till they
got to the hotel, and the wounded man
was put to bed and cared for. 1t must
have been a very superior hotel in its
accommodations, for, though in the
country, the landlord was paid at the
rate of what in our country would be
81 or So a day, penny being then a
days wages and the 2 pennies paid
in this case about two days wages.
Moreover, it was one of those kind
hearted landlords who are wrapped up
in the happiness of their guests, be-
cause the good Samaritan leaves the
poor, wounded fellow to his entire care,
promising that when he came that way
again he would pay all the bills until
the invalid got well.
Hotels and boarding houses are ne
cessities. In very ancient times they
were unknown, because the world had
comparatively few inhabitants, and
those were not much given to travel,
and private hospitality met all the
wants of sojourners, as when Abra-
ham rushed out al Mamre to invite
the three men to sit down to a dinner
of veal, as when the people were posi-
lively commanded to be given to hos
pitality, as in many places in the east
these ancient customs are practiced to-
day. But we have now hotels presided
over by good landlords and boarding
houses presided over by excellent host
or hostess in all neighborhoods, vii
lagos and cities and it is our congratu
lation that those of our land surpasS
all other lands. They rightly become
the permanent residences of many peO-
pie such as those who are without
families, such as those whose business
keeps them migratory, such as those
who ought not. for various reasons of
health or popularity of circumstances,
to take upon themselves the cares of
housekeeping.
A Present Evil.
Many a man falling sick in one of
these boarding houses or hotels has
been kindly watched and nursed, and
by the memory of her own sufferings
and losses the lady at the head of such
a house has done all that a mother
could do for a sick child, and the slum-
berless eye of God sees and appreciates
her sacrifices in behalf of the stranger.
Among the most marvellous cases of
patience and Christian fidelity are
many of those who keep boarding
houses, enduring without resentment
the unreasonable demands of their
guests for expensive food and atten-
tions for which they are not willing to
pay an eQuivalent-a lot of cranky
men and women who are not worthy
to tie the shoe of their queenly cater
er. The outrageous way in which
boarders sometimes act to their land
lords and landladies shows that these
critical guests had bad early rearing
and that in the making up of their ma
lures all that constitutes the gentle
man and lady was left out. Some of
the most princely men and some of the
most elegant women that / know of to-
day keep hotels and boarding houses.
But one of the great evils of this day
is found in the fact that large popu-
lation of our towns and cities are CIV
ing up and have given up their homes
and taken apartments, that they may
have more freedom from domestic du-
ties and more time for social life and
because they like the whirl of publicity
better than the quiet and privacy of a
residence they can call their own. The
lawful use of these hotels and board
ing houses is for most people while
they are in transitu; but as a terminus
they are in many cases decentralization,
utter and complete. That is the point
at which families innumerable have
begun to disintegrate. There never has
been a time when so many families,
healthy and abundantly able to sup
port and direct homes of their own,
have struck tent and taken permanent
abode in these public establishments.
1t is an evil wide as Christendom, and
by voice and through the newspaper
press utter warning and burning pro-
test and ask Almighty God to bless the
word. whether in the hearing or read
ing.
PausIemOnium of Gossip.
In these public caravansaries. the
demon of gossip is apt TO get full sway.
All the boarders run daily the gantlet
of general inspection-how they look
when they come down in the morning
and when they get in at night, and
what they do for a living, and who
they receive as guests in their rooms,
and what they wear, and what they
do not wear, and how they eat, and
what they eat, and how much they eat.
and how little they eat. If a man pro-
poses in such place to be isolated
and reticent and alone they will hepin