The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-09-13


The bear baitings Of the pit may the Lord
God annihilate the Infamous and accursed
horse racing OF England and America!
Another temptation lowering around the
watering place Is the formation Of hasty
and lifelong alliances. The watering
places are responsible for more OF the
domestic infelicties OF this country than
nearly all other things combined. Society
Is 80 artificial there that no sure judgment
OF character can be formed. They who
form companonships amid such circum.
stances 20 into lottery where there are
twenty blanks to one prize. In the severe
tug OF life you want more than glitter and
splash. Lite Is not ballroom, where the
music decides the step and bow and prance
and graceful swing OF long train can make
up for strong common sense. You might as
we'll go among the gayly painted yachts OF
a summer regatta to find war vessels as
to 20 among the light spray Of the summer
watering place to fud character that
can stnnd the test OF the grent strug-
gle OF human life. In the battle OF lie
you want stronger weapon than lace
fan or a croquet nallet. Tue load OF life
Is so heavy that In order to draw 1t you
want team stronger than that made up
Of q masculine grasshopper and feminine
butterfly. II there Is any man In the com
muuity who exctes my contempt and who
ought to excite the contempt OF every man
anil woman 1t Is the soft handed, soft
headed dude, who, perfumed until the air
is actually sick, spends his summer in
striking killing attitudes and waving senti-
mental adieux and talking inanitestmal
no:hlngs and finding his heaven In the set
OF lavender kid glove. Boots as tight as
an inquisition. Two hours OF consummate
skill exhibited in the tie OF flashing era.
vat. His conversation made up OF "Ahs!"
and "Ohs!" and HE hes!''
There Is only one counterpart to such a
man as that, and that Is the frotby young
woman at the watering place; her conver-
sation made up OF French moonshine; what
she has in her head only equaled by what
she had on her back; useless ever since she
was horn and to be useless until she Is dead
unless she becomes an Intelligent Chrls-
tian. We may admire music and fair faces
and graceful step, but amid the heart!e.s-
ness and the imitation and the fantastic
influences OF our modern watering places
beware how you make lifelong covenants.
Another temptation that hovors over tho
watering place is that OF bapeful litera-
ture. Almost every one starting OF for
the summer takes some reading matter.
There Is more pestlferous trash real among
the intelligent classes in July and August
than in all the other ren months OF the
year. Men aud women who at home would
not be satisfied with book that was not
really sensible find sitting on hotel piazza
or under the trees reading books the index
OF which would make them blush IL they
knew that you knew what the book was.
"Oh," they say, "you must have intel.
lectual recreationl" Yes. There is no need
that you take along to watering place
"Hamiton's Metaphysics" orsome ponder
Gus discourse on the eternal DEGREES or
"Furaday's Philosophy" There are many
easy books that are good. You might as
we'll say, II propose now to give q lit
tie rest to my digestive organs, and in
stead Of eating heavy meat and vegetables
will for u little while take lighter food.
little strychniIe and few grains OF rats
bane." Literary poison iu August ts as
bad as literary. poison in December. Mark
that. Do not let the frogs Of corrupt
printing press jump into your Saratoga
trunk or White Mountain valise. Aretbere
not good books that ure easy to read
books of entertaining travel, books Of con-
genial history, books Of pure fun, books OF
poetry, ringing with merry canto: books OF
fine engravings, books that will rest the
mind us well rs purify the heart and ele-
vate the whole life? There will not be an
hour between this and your death when
you can afford to read book lacking In
moral principle.
Another temptation lowering all around
our wa. .erlng places is Intoxicating bever-
ages. I am told that 1t Is becoming more
and more fashionable for women to drink.
I care not how we'll woman may dress, II
she has taken enough OF the wine to flush
her cheek and put q glassiness on her eye
she Is drunk. She may be handed into
$500 carriage and have diamonds enough
to astound the Tiffanys'-she Is drunk.
She may be Q graduate Of the best young
ladies' seminary and the daughter OF some
man In danger OF being nominated for the
presidency-she Is drunk. You may have
q larger vocabulary than have, and you
may say in regard to her that she is "con-
tive" or she Is "eXhilarated," but you
cannot with all your garlands OF rerbIage
cover up the plain fact that 1t Is I'm old
fashioned case nj drunk.
Whether you tarry at home-whlch will
be quite US safe and perhaps quite ns COM
fortuble-or 70 into the country, arm your
self against temptation. The grace OF God
is the only safe shelter. wheth. T in town
or country. There are watering places
accessible to NIL OF US. You cannot open
book OF the Bible without finding out
some such watering place. Fountains
open for sin and uncleanness. Wells Of
sal, alton. Streams from Lebanon. A
food struck out OF the rock by Moses.
Fountains in the wilderness discovered
by Hasar. Water to drink and water
to bathe in. The river OF God,
which is full OF water. Water Of
which II man drink he shall never thirst.
Wells CT water in the valley OF Baca. Llv-
ing fountains OF water. A pure river OF
water as clear as crystal from under the
throne OF God. These are watering places
l,, III 80 Va Il Nf huv n
laborlous packing up before We start-only
No expensive hotel bills to pay. 1t Is
"wlthout money and without price" No
long and dusty travel before We get there.
It is only one step away.
In California In five minutes I walked
around and saw ten fountains al! bubbllng
up, and they we're all different, and in five
minutes Gun go through this Bible par
terre and find you nifty bright, sparkling
fountains bubbliug up into eternal life
healing and therapeutic. A chemist will so
to one OF these summer watering places
and take the water, and nnalyze t,und tell
you it contains so much Of iron, and so much
OF soda, and so much OF lime, and so much
OF magnesia. I come to this gospel we'll,
this living fountain and anaiyze the water,
and find that its ingredients are peace, par
don forgiveness, hope, co on Sort, life, heaven.
.'Ho, every one that thirstetb, come ye''
to this Watering place! Crowd around
this Bethesda. Oh. you sick, you lame,
you troubled, you dying, crowd around
this Bethesda! Step in it, oh, step in 1t!
The angel OF the covenant to-day stirs the
water. Why do you not step in it? Scne
OF you are too weak to take a step in that
direction. Then We take you up In the
arms of PRAYER and plunge you clear under
The wave, hoping that tue cure may he rs
sudden and rs radical us with Captain
Naaman, who, blotched and carbuncled,
stepped into the Jordan, and after the sew
enth dive came up, his skin rjseate com
plexioned as tue flesh OF O little child.
No inylNc an oc HAMS