Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-08-26


day excursions Elders and deacons
and ministers Of religion who are en-
tirely consistent at home. sometimes
when the Sabbath dawns on them at
Niagara falls or the White mountains
take Aay 20 themselves. IL they 20
20 the church. IL Is apt TO be a sacred
parade. and the discourse. instead of be-
ing a plain Talk about the soul. Is apt TO
be what Ia called n crack sermon-that
is. some discourse picked out OF the ef-
fusions OF the year as the one most
adaped 20 excite admiration. and in
those cAT-ches. from the way the ladies
hold their fans, you know that they are
rot 80 much imprcs csscd with the heat as
with the picturesqucrcss OF half dis
closed features. Four puny souls stand
In the organ loft and squall tune that
nobody knows, and worshipers, with
$4,000 worth Of diamonds OF the right
hand. drop "A cent into the poor box. and
then the benedictiOn is pronounced.
and the farce L. ended The toughest
thing ever tried to do was TO be good
at watering place. The air Is be-
witched with the world. the flesh and
the devil" There are Christians who,
In three or four weeks IN such place.
have had such terrible rents made ~
their Christian robe that they had TO
keep darning 1t until Christmas 70 get
IL mcnded.
The health OF great many people
makes an annual visit 20 some mineral
spring an absolute necessity. but take
your Bible along with YOU aud take an
hour for secret prayer every day.
though YOU bc surrounded by gufaw
and saturnalia Nep holy the Sab
bath. though they leridc YOU as big
otcd Puritan. Stand Oft from gambling
hells and those other institutions which
propose 20 initiate on this side the wa
ter the iniquities OF Baden-Baden. Let
your moral and your immoral health
keep pace with your ply recupera-
tion. and remember that all the sui
phur and chalybeate springs cannot do
YOU 30 much good as the healing.
perennial food that breaks forth from
the Rock Of Ages" This may be your
last summer. VI so. make IL ft vesti-
bule OF Heaven.
Another temptation hovesing around
nearly all our watering places Is the
horse racing business. We all admire
the horse. but we do not think that it's
beauty or speed ought 10 be cultured AT
the expense OF human degradation. The
horse race is not Of such importance a.
the human race. The Bible intimates
that a man Il better than sheep. and
suppose he is better than horse.
though. like Jobs stallion. his neck
4
ia olden times were under the ban of
Christian people. and in our day the
same institution has come up under fc-
( titious names. And il is called "a sum
mer meeting" almost suggestive OF
/ positive religious exercises. And IL Is
called an agricultural fair" suggest
i've OF everything that IS improving in
the art of farming. but under these de-
ceptive titles are the same cheating
and the same betting. and the same
drunkenness. and the same vagabond-
age. and the same abominAtion that
were 20 be found under the old horse
racing system.
never knew a man vet Who could
=, give himself 10 the pleasures OF the turf
for a long reach of time and not be bat
tered in morals. They hook up their
spanking team and pu> on their sport
ing cap and light their cigar and tak'
the reins and dash down on the roat
10 perditiOn! The great day at Sara
toga and Brighton Beach and Cape May
and nearly all the other watering place,
is the day OF the races. The hotels az,
thronged. every kind of equipage il
taken up at an almost fabulous price
and there are many respectable peopl,
mingling with jockeys and gambler
and hbertines and foul-mouthed me1
and haShy women. The bartender stir
up the brandy smash. The bets run
high. The greenhorns. supposing a.
is fair. put in their money soon enough
10 lose IL. Three weeks before tn,
race takes place the struggle IS decided
and the men in the secret know ol
which steed TO bet their money. Tn
men on the horses riding around lonj
ago arranged who shall win. Leanin,
from the stand or from the carriage
are men and women so absorbed liz tn
struggle Of bone and muscle and metti
that they make a grand harvest for tn
nickpockets, who carry OF the pocket
books and the portemonnaies. Me-
looking on see only string of horse
with their riders flying around tn
ring. But there is many a man on tina
stand whose honor and domestic hap
] piness and fortune--white name, whit
foot. white fanfare in the ring
racing with inebriety and with frau'