Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-10-15
AN EXILE FROM HOME
PERILS THAT sESET THE YOUNG MAN
SEEKING FORTUNE.

md Temptations That Surround
Him-Advnntnges of Early Chris
tian Training.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.-Dr. Talmage
staid in London to occupy the famous
Wesley pulpit in the City Road chapel,
where he preached several times be-
fore, always receiving hearty welcome.
Thence he went to Ireland. preaching
in Belfast and Dublin. The discourse
he has sent this week describes the be-
hayior of a young man away from
home and suggests practical lessons
for people Of every age and class. The
text is Daniel i, 5, "And the king ap-
pointed them daily provision of the
kings meat and of the wine which he
drank, so nourishing them three years,
that at the end thereof they might
stand before the king"
MY text opens the door of a college in
Babylon and introduces you to young
student II years of age, Daniel by
name Be not surprised if in the col
lege you find many hilarities. Put a
hundred young men together. and they
are sure to have good time. There Is
out the trees, and the grass. and the
blossoms. in dull prose. The old robin
does not sit moping in the nest because
of the chirpings and the lively adven-
lures of the fledgelings that have just
begun to fly. Do not come into an or
chard looking for winter apples on a
May morning.
But Daniel of our text is far from be-
ing gay. What oppressive thoughts
must have come over him as he remem-
bered that he was q captive in strange
1andi The music that came into his
study window was not the song of Iii
on, but the sound of flute, sackbut and
dulcimer in the worship of the heather
god. Moreover, he had no hope of ever
getting back home again and meeting
those who had missed him long and
missed him bitterly, wondering if he
were still alive and finding many a lux
ury tasteless because they did not
know but Daniel might be lacking
bread.
When you and / were in school or
college and the vacation approached,
we were full of bright anticipation,
and we could not study the last day,
and we could not study the last night.
The lexicon and the philosophical ap-
paratus were transparent, so we could
see right through them into the mead
Ows and the orchards. Not so with
poor Daniel. He did not know that he
should ever escape from captivity, or,
escaping. he did not know but when he
got home the loved ones would be dead
and he would go, wandering and weep
ing. among the sepulchers of his ia
Tiers. Besides that, the king tried to
make him forget his home and forget
his country and for that purpose ac-
tually changed his name. The king
wanted him to be prodigy in personal
appearance. and so he ordered meat
and wine sent from his own table to
Daniel, but Daniel refuses ali this and
puts himself upon the humblest diet,
the poorest of all herbs, called pulse,
and plain water His attendants cry
out against this and tell him he Will
perish under such diet. No" he
says; YOU try US for ten days. and if
at the end OF that time we are not full
checked and robust as any it will be
surprising" Ten days pass along, and
the students come up for examination,
and al declare that none are so ruddy
and robust as Daniel and his fellow
captives. The days of industrious pu-
pilage and the years pass by. and the
day Of graduation has come. and Dan
lei gets his diploma, signed by the
king and reading as follows: In all
matters of wisdom and understanding
that the king inquired of them he
found them ten times better than all
the magicians and astrologers that
were in all his realm" And SO Daniel
took the first honor. and here the story
ends. for Daniel, the student, hereafter
will be Daniel. the prime minister.
Dangers of Evil Habits.
The next thought suggested to me by
this subject is that young men may be
carried into captivity by their enemies
There is captivity more CALLING than
the one in which Daniel was trans
ported. 1t is the captivity of evil hab-
it. Men do not go into that Willingly.
Slyly and imperceptibly are the chains
forged upon them. and one day they
wake up to find themselves nway down
In Babylon. Cyrus afterward consent
ed that some of his eaptiveS should re-
turn, and 50.CC0 of them accepted the
opportunity. Eut tell me what evil
habit ever consented TO let man go.
Ten plaques made Pharaoh consent to
the departure of Gods people. but tell
me what Pharaoh of evil habit ever
cheerfully consented to let any of it's
victims go. Men talk of evil habits as
though they were light and trivial. but
they are scorpion whips that tear the
flesh; they are spikes more bloody than
the path of a Brahman; they make the
poisonous robe of Nessus: they are the
Sepulchers in which millions are burn
cd alive The yOunp are in more, paril