The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-09-02
The Cut Glass
Punch Bowl.
A Lay Sermon,
by Kate Alma Orgain.

And the Lord said unto Cain: Where
is thy brother Abel2' And Cain answered:
4 know not. Am my brothers. keeper
The endeavor to throw of responsibility
was not accepted by the Lord, and the
punishment melted out to Cain sent him
fugitive and vagabond upon the earth'
Women have always been amongst God's
Instruments in moulding character IN
watching from the tower. with keen sensi-
bilities for danger, for the sword hanging
over the people. In all great crises women
do not shrink from duty, and are Pc
culiarly vigilant, yet in weak, piping
times OF peace" and in the rush ana
swing Of social life, they often rest easy
and do not spy out the dangers OF society
tribes, when, like the microbes OF dis
ease, are often the little beginnings OF
sorrow and disaster.
They ignore most often in the
whirl and gaiety and the customs 1t in
PRODUCES those wondrous gifts Of God, in
diyidual independence ana personal lniiu-
ence, and with closed eye drift with tho
tide.
Mothers tell their boys not to gamble,
not to drink. Dame Fashion says "euchre
and punch this winter, my dear ana
they bow an unresisting slave 10 her de-
cree. Their BOYS learn to play cards In
the parlor and to tipple at the punch bow
After while some boy tears the mothers
heart by some flagrnt act against so
briefly and manhood and she walls and
means why, on. why" forgetful that she
let down the first rail Of the fence. We
talk temperance and right, hut fashion
Is higher law than the Bible and our
actions speak louder than our words.
''Tremble, ye careless women, in Israel
Men are not bad all at once. 1t is the
little foxes that destroy the vine. TAKE
heed" says the Bible lest in any way
you become u stumbling block to them
that are weak"
Your boy is strong, cards and punch
don't hurt him. oh, yes. my sister, but
your neighbours boy may be weak
| That's nothing to you?
Are you your neighbours keeper?
A fair woman lived in a beautiful home.
| God had placed in sat home a gallant
| boy. He was well born, mentally and
physically. No vile heredity had poisoned
| his veins with achoholic microbes, n
prenatal tendencies veered him toward
unrighteous deed or life. My boy is
strong" the beautiful mother contented-
| ly said, and she accustomed him 10 cards
and punch and fashionable temptations
The neighbours boy next door, the friend
gaiety at the pleasant home, shared with
him the light champagne, the Roman
punch, and the fascination OF whist ami
euchre. Years passed--the boys were just
entering manhood One night the wild
agonized cry of the beautiful mother, the
mother at lease in Israel" rang out on
the midnight air, when her boy her
strong boy her we'll born, well raised boy
was brought home shot through the heart
by the weak boy OF the nelghbor the boy
who had learned his first lesson in liquor
and cards In her beautiful house.
Am | my brothers keeper? Again the
punishment Of God came and we hear the
echo Of Saint Paul saying: at Is neither
good to eat flesh. nor to drink wine. no.
anything whereby thy brother stumhleth
or is offended or is made weak" We Give
the hoy punch from the fair hand Of our
sweetest girls, he trains the capacity for
cards at his mothers table, and the Bible
says put not temptation In the way OF I
weak man" Destroy not him for whom
Christ died" It Is no safe precedent for
US to be led by the Oft referred to fac
that our grandfathere In the good 0ld
DAYS, which in our hearts we none Of us
really want 10 bring back always had tho
decanter and glass unon the sldeboard
The habit OF our grandfathers' toddies
sent into existence a race stamped with
that most hopeless Of all heredltes-an
appetite for stlmulants
But, says our fair dame 81, isn't real
punch you know We don't put spirits ia
our punch
You may not. dear sister but many DO
II You leave out the pint of champagne.