The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-04-05

ture. l used to believe in those things,
but I've got over it," Yes, he has got
over it, and you will get over it if you
stay in his companionship much longer.
For awhile he may not bring one argu-
ment against our holy Christianity.
He will by SCOTS and jeers and carica-
lures destroy your faith in that reli.
gion which was the comfort of your
father in his declining years and the
! pillow on which your old mother lay
a-dying.
That brilliant young skeptic will aft
| er awhile have to die, and his diamond
will fash no splendor into the eye OF
death. His hair will lie uncombed on
the pillow. Death will come up, and
this skeptic will say to him: 81 can
not die. Icannot die" Death will say:
/ ''You must die. You have but ten Sec
onds more to- live. Your soul-give it
to me right away. Your soul" "Oh.
no! says the skeptic. "Do not
breathe that cold air into my face.
You crowd me too hard. It is getting
dark in the room. Here-take my
rings and take all the pictures in the
room, but let me off," "No." says
Death. "Your soul! Your SOUL" Then
the dying skeptic begins to say, 80
God!" Death says: "You declared
there was no God Then the dying
skeptic says: "Pray for me.' and
Death says: at is too late to pray:
you have only three seconds more to
live, and l will count them off-one,
two. three. Comet" Where? Where?
Carry him out and lay him down beside
his old father and mother. who died
under the dclusions of the Christian
religion singing the songs of victory.
Again. avoid the idlers-that is, those
people who gather around the store or
the shop or the factory and try to Sc
duce you away from your regular call
ing and in your business hours try to
seduce you away. There is nothing
that would please them so well as to
have you give up your employment and
consort with them.
Idleness is the next door to villainy.
When the police go to find criminals,
where do they go to find them? They
find them among the idle-those who
have nothing to do, or, having some
thing to do, refuse to engage in their
daily work. Some one came to good
old Ashbel Green and asked him why
he worked at 80 years Of age when it
was time for him to rest. 'sOh," he
replied, 81 work to keep out of mis-
chief" And no man can afford to be
idle. care not how strong his moral
character, he cannot afford to be idle.
AgainI counsel you, avoid the pleas
ure seeker. the man whose entire
business it is to seek for recreation
and amusement. I believe in the
amusements of the world so far as
they are innocent. I could not live
without them. Any man of sanguine
temperament must have recreation or
die. And yet the amusements and re-
creations of life must administer to
hard work. They are only prepara-
tive for the occupation to which God
has called us.
God would not have given us the ca
pacity to laugh if he did not some
times intend us to indulge it. God hath
hung in sky and set in wave and print.
ed on grass many a roundelay. But all
the music and the brightness of the
natural world were merely intended
to fit us for the earnest work of life
The thundercloud has edges exquisite
ly purpled, but it jars the mountain as
it says: II come down to water the
fields" The flowers standing under
the fence look gay and beautiful, but
they say: 1--WE stand here to refresh
the husbandmen at the nooning." The
brook frolics and sparkles and foams
but it says: II go to baptize the moss;
l go to slake the thirst of the bird;
!, turn the wheel of the mill; in my crys
, tai cradle / rock muckshaw and water
lily; play. but work"
Look out for the man who plays ant
never works. Lock out for that mar
whose entire business is to play ball o.
sail yacht OF engage in any kind O
merriment. These things are all beau
tiful and grand in their places, bu
! when they become the chief work O.
. life they become mans destruction
George Brummel was admired of al
, England. He danced with peeresse!
! and went a round of mirth and folly
luntif after awhile, exhausted of purse
ruined of reputation, blasted of soul
he begged crust from grocer, declar
/, ing as his deliberate opinion that h
thought dcs's life was better than I
, mans.
These mere pleasurists will com
, around you while you are engaged j,
r your work, and they will try to TAX
: you away. They have lost their places
| Why not you lose your place? Thel
;. you will be one of them. Oh. my friends
n before you go with these pleasure seek
! |ers. these men whose entire life is ful
' and amusement and recreation. remem
7 Iber while after man has lived a life O
4 Integrity and Christian conservation
S kind to the poor and eleyating to tn
S worlds condition, when he comes t.
], Idle, he has glorious "reminiscences ly
/ ing on his death pillow, the mere pleas