Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-07-27

have got to such a pass that when we
| cry over our sins in church we wipe
| the tears away with q $3.50 pocket
handkerchief! 1 show you a domestic
tragedy in five acts:
Act the first-A home, plain and
beautiful. Enter newly married pair.
Enter contentment. Enter as much
happiness as ever gets in one home.
Act the second-Enter discomfort.
| Enter desire for larger expenditure.
Enter envy. Enter jealousy.
Act the third-Enter the queenly
dress-makers. Enter the French mil
liners. Enter all costly plate and all
great extravagances.
Act the fourth-Tiptop of society.
Princes and princesses of upper ten
dom floating in and out. Everything
on a large and magnificent scale. En-
ter contempt for other people.
Act the fifth and last Enter the as
signee. Enter the sheriff. Enter the
creditors. Enter humiliation. Enter
the wrath of God. Enter the contempt
of society. Enter ruin and death.
Now drop the curtain. The play is
ended and the lights are out.
I called it tragedy. That is a mis-
nomer. 1t is a farce.
Providing for Ones own.
know it cuts close. did not
know but some of you in high dudgeon
would get up and go out. You stand it
WE'LL Some of you make a great
swash in life, and after awhile you
will die, and ministers will be sent
for to come and stand by your coffin
and lie about your excellences. But
they will not come. If you send for
me, 1 will tell you what my text will
be: HE that provideth not for his
own, and especially for those of his
own household, is worse than an in
fidel." And yet we find Christian men,
men of large means, who sometimes
talk eloquently about the Christian
church, and about civilization, expend-
ing everything on themselves and
nothing on the cause of God and they
crack the back of their Palais Royal
glove in trying to hide the one cent
they put into the Lords treasury.
What an apportionment! Twenty thou
sand dollars for ourselves and one
cent for God. All, my friends, this ex-
travagance accounts for great deal OF
what the cause of God suffers.
And the desecration goes on, even to
the funeral day. You know very well
that there are men who die solvent,
but the expenses are so great before
they get underground they are insol-
vent. There are families that go into
penury in wicked response to the de-
mands of this day. They put in cas-
ket and tombstone that which they
ought to put in bread.
Gods Cause Impoverished.
And then look how the cause of God
is impoverished. Men give so much
sometimes for their indulgences they
have nothing for the cause of God and
religion. twenty-five million dollars
expended in this country year for
religious purposes, But what are the
twenty-five millions expended for re-
ligion compared with the hundred mil
lions expended on cigars and tobac-
CO and then two thousand millions of
dollars spent for rum? So a man who
had a fortune of $750.O00 or what
amounted to that, in London spent 1t
all in indulgences, chiefly in gluttonies,
and sent hither and yon for all the
delicacies and often had a meal that
would cost $100 or 5000 for himself.
Then he was reduced to a guinea, with
which he bought a rare bird, had 1t
cooked in best style. ate it. took two
hours for digestion, walked out on
Westminster bridge and jumped into
the Thames-on a large scale what
men are doing on a small scale.
Oh, my friends, let us take our stand
against the extravagances of society.
Do not pay for things that are frivo-
lous when you may lack the neces-
stiles. Do not put one months wages
or salary into trinket just one trink-
ct. Keep your credit good by seldom
asking for any. Pay, Do not starve
a whole year to afford one Be.shazzar'a
carnival Do not buy a coat of many
colors and then in six months be out
at the elbows. Flourish not, as some
people have known. who took apart
ments at a fashionable hotel, and had
elegant drawing rooms attached and
then vanished in the night. not even
leaving their compliments for the land
lord 1 tell you, my friends In the
day of Gods Judgment we will not
only have to give an account for the
way we made our money, but for the
way we spent it. We have got to leave
all the things that surround us now
Alas.n any of you in the dying hour
felt like the dying actress who asked
that the casket of jewels be brought to
her and then turned them over with
her pale hand and said. ALAS. that IL
have to leave you SO soon," Better
in that hour have one treasure of heav-
en- than the bridal trousseau of oil