Evening journal., 1899-04-08
HAPPINESS AND sIEI.F-wORSHIP.

satisfaction. For, as previously stated,
what brings Joy to one may cause an
guish u another. There are, indeed.
people who build their happiness on
the foundations Of other peoples mis-
cry The representatives are eye
pleasing and heart-gladdening to the
beholder, unless he be envious or jeal-
cus, or he bribe the builder to SHOW
him the lower stories and corner
stones. We who traverse the bewilder-
ing main thoroughfares and side
streets of life, seeing here an UMPIRE
Itentious dwelling, there a palace, here
simple store, there a eky-seraping
edifree, here a modest little meeting
house there an imposing cathedral
piercing the air with it's spire as
though ambitious to touch the very
heavens with it's earthly pinnacle-twe
who do this seldom get beneath the
pavement. Once in awhile the sewers
are opened for some purpose or an
bther, and the inevitable stencil en-
sues, assalling our nostrils, tempting
us to curse God and die; or the front
drops from a building that looks Inn
perial and beautiful, when we discover
its rotten walls and foTbidding in
terror. Whited sepuichers are ex-
posed occasionally, and we gaze dis
gusted and dlsheartened at what we
thought were lovely and lovable monu-
ments Of human greatness. But, in
general, we go cur way, peaceabiy IL
possible; although life is full Of fric-
tion and annoyances, and we don't
stop to investigate the true inward
ness Of things we see en- passant. In
deed. there is not time FOR us to do so.
Hence, we take a superficial measure
ment of our fellow pedestrians as
also of their belongings. If they are
happy we do not ask them to invite
us down into their cellars, where they
keep their wines and skeletons, their
things of good cheer and bad, but we
peep into their hOmes-sometimess sur
repUltlously through the windows,
somdtimes by special invitation as
guests, whereupon we become pleased
or unp.eased, just according to our
mood; or as to whether it is the angel
of contentment or the devil cf dis
content that is tugging ait our soul
strings.
The world is full Of altars. Every
one is worshiping at a shrine cf some
kind and Offering incense and prayers
TO God Of his own invention. The
incentive is not invariably a profound
religious sentiment, or a religious SEN
timeht ait all Idolatry exists beneath
the humlblest roofs, behind the sim
pltst ceremlonials. People kneel dl,wn
to pray with the love Of self so in
tense in them that they jump from
prayer to idolatry so naturally they
.ld.n't knew it. The tag end Of the
average supplication to God is suffi-
lciert for everybody but the euppiicant
who monopolizes nearly the entire
l.ength Of his monody, stating his re-
lquirsments with a graphic variousnesf
lone finds in the want column OF a bis
Inewispaper This is an ido,atrous ap-
peal to the Almighty in behalf of self
We object TO being hungry; we are
Tired of wearing store teeth or falst
hair, or things that haven't a particle
Ito do with our salvation. We teas'
1.-The patience out of the recording ange
asking the lord to have mercy on us
and be sure that our hens continue tC
lay eggs, our pet rocstens to keep OF
Growing, our kline to have an mex
haustible milk sTppVy, and our larder'
hold cut tin the undertaken is called
upon to ascertain how much grOtmt
wiH be needed to hide our putrid re
mains forever. The a,tars are mostly
tangible lies, screens behind which
sands the devil. not God. If itwere no
so we would formulate different kinds
Of prayer Instead OF petitioning *
: much for ourselves we would be self
llOIkELAuls INAtAu MU4AA o1-iM Na tA'
folly CT asking for what we believ'
Iwill be given to us, anyhow. How
deMded we are! What travasty o
religion it is, to be sure, this poster
ing of the Lord to take special care o
us individually What burlesque o
, trust; what a grimace at hope; wha
p an incredulous smile at love- 1t is
pantomime, and we are all clowns ant
lhurlequine in the light Of heaven, af
lfording amusement to the hcets up II
the ce,estia, galleries. We imagin
z we are sincere. That is the fun in
! from the spectators standpoint. w
! are really oblivious to the mirth W.
, are creating by our mummerics. Wh,
E don't we stand up like men and wo
men, face our destiny, live UP to ou
standards of nobi,!ty--for there is
noB.eness in every soul-do our bes
a in whatever we undertake, and. If w
e must play, make sure that behind tn