Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-11-09

knock you down." ST do not like
YOU" says the snowflake to the snow
bird. "Why don't you like me?" said
the snowbird. "Oh,' said the snow
fake, "you are going up and I am
coming down." Young merchants,
young lawyers, young doctors. young
mechanics, young artists, young farm
ers, at certain times there are those
to sympathize with you, but now that
you are becoming a master of your
particular occupation or profession,
how is it now, young lawyers, young
doctors, young artists, young farm
ers-how is it now? The greatest
crime that you can commit is the
crime of success.
Again, my subject impresses me
with the value of decision of char
acter~ in any department. Daniel
knew that if he continued his adher-
ence to the religion of the Lord he
would be hurled to the lions; but,
having set his compass we'll, he sailed
right on. For the lack of that ele-
ment of decision of character so emil
nent in Daniel many men are ruined
for this world and ruined for the
world to come. A great many at 40
years of age are not settled in any
respect, because they have not been
able to make up their minds. Per-
haps they will go west; perhaps they
will go east; perhaps they will not;
perhaps they will so north; perhaps
they may go south; perhaps they will
10 haf in
vestment in real estate or in rail-
roads; perhaps they will not. They
are like a steamer that should go
out of New York harbor, starting for
Glasgow, and the next day should
change for Havre de Grace, and the
next for Charleston, and the next for
Boston, and the next for Liverpool.
These men on the sea of life ever
lastingly lacking ship and making no
Roadway! Or they are like a man
who starts to build house in the
Corinthian style and changes it to
Doric and then completes it in the
Ionic, the curse of all styles of archi-
| lecture. Young man, start right and
| keep on. Have decision of character.
Character is like the goldfinch of Ton
| quin. It is magnificent while stand
ing firm, but loses all its beauty in
| flight. How much decision of char
acter in order that these young men
may be Christians! Their old asso-
ciates make sarcastic filings at them
They go on excursions, and they dc
not invite them. They prophesy that
he will give out. They wonder if he
is not getting wings. AS he passes
they grimace and wink and chuck1e
and say: 'There goes a saint" G
young man, have decision of charac
ter! You can afford in this matter
of religion to be laughed at. What dc
you care for the SCOTS of these men
who are affronted because you will
not go to ruin with them? When the
grave cracks open under their feet
and grim messengers push them int
it, and eternity comes down hare
upon their spirit, and conscienc,
stings, and hopeless ruin lifts then
up to hurl them down, will they
laugh then?
I learn also from my sabject tina
men may take religion into their world
ly business. This is most appropriate
thought at this season of the year
when so many men are starting out il
new enterprises. Daniel had enough
work to do to occupy six men. All tn
affairs of state were in his hands; ques
tions of finance, questions of war, o
peace; all international questions wer.
for his settlement or adjustment. H
must have had a correspondence vas
beyond all computation. There wa
not a man in all the earth who ha,
more to do than Daniel, the secretar.
of state, and yet we find him tire
times a day bowling before God il
prayer. There are men in our day VIII
have not hundredth part of Daniel
engagements who say they are to-
busy to be religious. They have al
idea somehow that religion will spoi
their worldly occupation, that it viii
trip the accountants pen or dull tn
carpenters saw or confuse the lawyer
brief or disarrange the merchant
store shelf. They think religion is i'm
pertinent. They would like to have i
very well seated beside them in churcl
. on the Sabbath, to find the place in tn
psalmbook or to nudge them awak
when they get sleepy under the didac
!; tic discourse, or they would like t.
. leave it in the pew on Sabbath evenin,
!; as they go out, closing the door. say
ing: Good night, religion; I'll be bacl
next Sunday" But to have religion
| go right along by them all through life
| to have religion looking over thei
!; shoulder when they are making bar
gain, to have religion take up ba
, of dishonest gold and shake it and say
where did you get that?" They thin
| that is an impertinent religion. The
would like to have a religion to he'll
them when they are sick, and whe
the shadow of death comes over Their
they would like to have religion as