St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-04-22


health meets wan sickness. Honesty
confronts fraud. Every class of people
meets every other class Impudence
and modesty. pride and humility. puri-
ty and beastliness, franknees and
hypocrisy. meeting on the same block,
in the same street. in the same city.
oh. that is what Solomon meant when
he said: "The rich and the poor meet
together. The Lord is the Maker of
them ALL"
like this democratic principle of the
gospel of Jesus Christ which recog-
nizes the fact that we stand before God
on one and the same platform. Do not
take On any airs, whatever position you
have gained in society: you are moth
ing but man, born of the same parent.
regenerated by the same Spirit.
cleansed in the same blood. to lie down
in the same dust, to get up in the same
resurrection. 1t is high time that we
all acknowledge not only the Father
hood of God, but the brotherhood of
man.
Again, the street impresses me with
the fact that it is a very hard thing for
a man. to keep his heart right and to
get to Heaven. Infinite temptations
spring upon US from these places of
public concourse. Amid such aftiu-
ence. how much temptation to covet-
business and 10 be discontented with
our humble lot! Amid so many oppor-
tunities for overreaching. what temp
tation to extortion! Amid so much
display. what temptation to vanity!
Amid so many saloons of strong drink.
what allurement to dissipation! In the
maelstroms and hell gates of the street.
how many make quick and eternal
shipwreck! II a man-of-war comes
back from a battle and is towed into
the navy yard, we go down to look at
the splintered spars and count the bull
let holes and look with patriotic ad-
mirafion on the flag that foated in vic
tory from the masthead. But that man
is more of curiosity who has gone
through so years of the sharpshooting
Of business life and yet sails on, victor
over the temptations of the street.
Oh. how many have gone down under
the pressure. leaving not so much as
the patch Of canvas to tell where they
perished. They never had any peace.
Their dishonesfies kept tolling in their
ears. If I had an AK and could split
open the beams of that fine house. per-
hapas4 would find in the very heart of
it skeleton. In his very best wine
there is smack of poor mans sweat.
Oh. is it strange that when man has
devoured widows houses he is dis
turbed with indigestion? All the forces
of nature are against him. The floods
are ready to drown him and the earth
quake to swallow him and the fires 10
consume him and the lightnings to
smite him. But the children of God
are on every street. and in the day
when the crowns Of Heaven are distrib-
uted some of the brightest of them Will
be given 10 those men who were faith
full to God and faithful to the souls of
others amid the marts of business.
proving themselves the heroes of the
street Mighty were their temptations.
mighty was their deliverance, and
mighty shall be their triumph.
Again, the street impresses me with
the fac; that life is full of pretension
and sham. What subterfuge. what
double dealing. what two-facedness.
Do all people who wish you good MORN
ing really hope for you happy day?
Do all people who shake hands love
each other? Are all those anxious
about your health who inquire con-
cerning it? Do all want to see you who
ak you to call? Does all the world
know half as much as it pretends to
know? Is there not many a wretched
stock of goods with brilliant show
window? Passing up and down the
streets to your business and your
work. are you not impressed with the
fact that society is hollow and that
there are subterfuges and pretensions:.
Oh. how many the8e are who swagger
ard strut and how few people who are
natural and walk! While fops simper
and fools chuckle and simpletons gig
gle. how few people are natural aud
laugh. The courtesan and the liber-
tine go down the street in beautiful!
apparel. while within the heart there
are volcanoes of passion consuming
their life away. I say these things not
to create in you incredulity or misan-
thropy. nor do forget there are thou
sands of people a great deal better than
they seem. but do not think any man
is prepared for the conflict of this life
until he knows this particular peril.
Ehud comes pretending to pay his tax
TO King Eglon. and while he stands in
front Of the king stabs him through
with dagger until the haft went in
after the blade. Judas Iscariot kissed
Christ.
Again. the street impresses me with
the fact that il is great field for
Christian charity. There are hunger
and suffering and want and wretche6-
ness in the country. but these evils
chiefly congregate in our great cities.
On. every street crime rrowls and
drunkenness staggers and shame
winks and pauperism thrusts cut its
hand asking for aims. Here want is
most squalid and hunger is most lean.
4 Christian man going along a street
in New York saw poor lad. ard he
stopped and said: MY boy, 60 you
know how to read and write?" The
boy made no answer. The man asked
the question twice and thrice: Can
you read and writer and then the boy
with tear FLASHING on the
hack Of his hand. He said, in def
ance: NO. sir: can't read nor write
neither. God. sir. don't want me TO
read and write. Didn't He take away
father so long ago never remember to
have seen him, and haven't had to GO
along the streets to get something to
fetch home 10 cat for the folks, and
didn't l. as soon as l could carry a
basket. have to go out and pick up cin-
ders and never have no schooling. sir?
God don't want me TO read, sir. Ican't
read nor write neither" Oh, these
poor wanderers. They have no chance.
Born in degradation. as they get up
from their hands and knees TO walk,