Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-10-19
AN EMILE FROM HOME
PERiLS THAT sEssT THE YOUNG MAN
SEEKING FORTUNE.

Hirn--AGvantaGcs OF EARLY Chris
tian Training.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 14.-Dr. Talmage
staid In London to occupy the famous
Wesley pulpit i'm 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
be has sent this week describes the be-
haviOr OF a young man away from
home and suggests practical lessons
for people Of every age and class. The
text is Daniel |, >, "And the king ap-
pointed them n 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 college in
Babylon and introduces you to a young
student Il years of age. Daniel by
name. BE not surprised if ia the col
lege you find many hilaritics. Put a
hundred young men together. and they
are sure TO have good time. There is
no harm in that. God does not write
out the trees. and the grass. and the
blossoms, in dull prose. The old robin
does not sit mopiug i'm the nest because
of the chirpingS and the lively adven-
lures of the fedgelings that have lust
begun to fly. Do not come into an or
chard looking for winter apples on q
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 n captive I'm Il strange
landi The music that came into his
study window was not the song of Ii
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 lux
ury tasteless because they did not
know but Daniel might be lacking
bread.
When you and were i'm 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 APP
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
thers. 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 he prodigy i'm personal
appearance. and so he ordered meat
and wine sent from his own table to
Daniel, but Daniel refuses all this and
puts himself upon the humblest diet.
the poorest OF all herbs. called pulse.
ana plain water His attendants cry
out against this and tell him he will
perish under such n diet "No." he
says; you try us for ten days. and il
ut the end Of that time we are not full
checked and robust as any il will be
surprising" Ten days pass along. and
the students come up for examination.
N'.'N llIl uOllc IIc SO fllUuV
and robust rs Daniel and his fellow
captives. The days OF industrious pu-
phage 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: I'm 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 I'm all his realm" And so Daniel
took the first honor, and here the story
ends, for Daniel. the student hereafter
VIII 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 n 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 10 lind themselves away down
IN Babylon. Cyrus afterward consent
ed that some OF his captiyes should re.
turn, and 10000 of them accepted the
opportunity. But tell me what evil
habit ever consented to let a 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 its
victims go. Men talk of evil habits as
though they were light and trivial, but
they are scorpion whips that tear the
flesh. fhnV "A Snil-a,
the path OF Brahman: they make the
poisonous robe OF Nessus; they are the
Sepulchers In which millions are burn
ed alive. The young are In more peril
because they are unsuspecting The
lions are asleep I'm their soul. and their
power is not suspected. The time when
ships company makes mutiny is
when the wGfchman is of his guard.
When Il spider meets fly, IL does not
say. Go down with me to the place
where | murder insects" No; il saws.
Come and take bright morning walk
with me on this suspension bridge of
Siittering gossamer" Oh. there is a
difference between the sparkle of n SER
penis eye and the crush of its sIimy
folds. There Is difference between
the cracking of the bones in the terri
Die hug. Pixies peak looks beautiful In
The distance. but ask the starved tray
~lers by the roadside what they think
or Fixes peak. Are there those around
whom suspicious companions are gath
ering! Do their jests and their enter
tainments make the hours go blithely
by when you are with them? Have
you taken sip from their cup of sin
or gone with them in one path of I'M
righteousness? Turn back. From Bah
ylon they came, and to Babylon they
would carry you. If so many plague
stricken men would like to enter your
companionship before any one is al
lowed to pass into the intimacy of your
heart put on them seyerest quarantine |
IneffaceabIe Impressions.