Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-08-08


absence as an assault on domestlclty. How
are the great enterprises of reform ana
art and literature and benehcence and
public veal to be carried on if every man
is to have his world bounded on one side
by his front doorstep and on the other
side by his back window, knowing moth
ing higher than his own attic or lower
than his own cellar? That wife who be-.
comes Jealous of her husbands attention
to art or literature or religion or charity
is breaking her own sceptre OF conJugal
power.
I know an instance where a wife thought
that her husband was giving too many
nights to Christian service, to charitable
service, 10 prayer meetings and to. 'el'
gious convocation. She Systematically de.
coyed him away until now he attends no
church, waits upon no charitable institu'
ton, and is on rapid way to destruction.
his morals gone, his money gone and, /
fear, his soul gone.
Let any Christian wife rejoice when her
husband consecrates evenings to the serv-
ice of humanity and of God or anything
elevating, but let no man sacrifice home
life to secret society life, as many do. l
can point out to you a great many names
OF men who are guilty of this sacrlcge
They are as genial as angels at the society
rooms and az ugly as sin at home. They
gre generous on all subjects OF WINE sup
pers, yachts and fine horses but they are
stingy about their wives dresses and the
chidren's shoes. That man has made that
which might be a healthful influence
usurper of his affections, and he has mar
RED it, and he is guilty of moral bigamy.
Under this process the wife, whatever her
features, becomes uninteresting and
homely. He becomes critical Of her, does
not like the dress. does not like the way
she arranges her hair, il amazed that he
ever, was so unromantic as to offer her
hand and heart.
There are secret societies where member
shin always involves domestic shipwreck,
Tell me that a man has joined a certain
kind and tell me nothing more about him
for ten years. and | will write his history
if he be still alive. The man is wine
mH tureiy old, his fortune gone and his
ha-ne a mere name in the directory.
Here are six secular nights in the week.
What shall / do with Them" says the
father and the husband. 81 will give four
Of these nights to the improvement and
entertainment Of my. family, either at
home or in good neighborhood. l will de:
vote one to charitable institutions I will
devote one to my lodge" | congratulate
you. Here is a man who says. "Out of the
six secular nights of the week ] will de-
vote five to lodges and clubs and associa-
lions and one to the home, which night I
will spend in scowling like a March sQuall,
L
spent the other FIVE" That mans obitu.
airy is written. Not one out of 10000 that
ever get so far on the wrong road ever
stops. Gradually his health will fail
through late hours, and through too much
stimulants he will be frstrate prey for
ervsipe'as and rheumatism Of the heart.
The doctor coming in will at a glance see
it is not only present disease he must
fight, but years of fast living. The Ger.
gyman for the sake of the feelings of the
family, on the funeral day will only talk
in religious. eeneralities. The men who
got his yacht in the eternal rapids will
not be at the obsequies They have press
flowers to the coffin, will send their wives
to utter words of sympathy, but they will
have engagements elsewhere. They never
come.
Bring me mqllet and chisel and ! will
cut that mans, epitaph. Blessed are
YOU say, that would not be appropriate"
Let. me die the death of the righteous,
and let nv last end be like his?" "No."
YOU say, that would not be appropriate"
Then give me the mallet and the chisel
end | will cut an honest epithph, "Here
lies the victim Of dissipating associa-
tions!"
Another test by which YOU can find
whether your secret society is right or
wrong is the effect it has on your secular
occupation. | can understand how through
such an institution a man can reach COM
mercia!l success. [ know some men have
formed their best business relations
through such channel. IF the secret So
cIety has advantaged you in an honorable
calling it is a good one But has your
credit failed? Are bargain makers now
more anxious how they trust vou with a
bale OF goods? Have the men whose
sency M 6sor$ @B Gey enttF h f2e SOCIETY,"
been going down since in commercial
standing? Then look out.
on and | every day know of CONNER
c,al establishments going to ruin through
I he social excuses of one OF two mem
hers, their, fortune beaten to death with
bail payers bat or cut amidships with the
front prov of the regatta or going down
under the swift hoofs of the fast horses
or drowned in the large rotations of cog
nae MOnongahela. The secret society was
the Loeb Earn. Their business was the
Vile de Havre. They struck, and the
\ lie &c Havre went underi
The third test by which you may know
is good or bad is this: What is its effect
on Your sense of moral and religious obi
Cation?, Now, if | should take the names
OF all the people III this audience and pat
them on roll. and then 1 should lay that
roll back of this organ, and a hundred
Years from now some one should take that
roll and call it from A to z, there would
not one of You answer 1 say that any So
clety that makes me forget that fact is a
bad society
Which would you rather have in your
hand when you come to dic-a pack of
cards or a Bible? Which would YOU
rather have pressed to your lins in the
losing momeent-the cup of Belshazzarean
wassail or the chalice of Christian COM
nunion? Whom would Won rather hava
For your palbearers-the elders Of a
lhrlstian church or the companions whose
conversation was full of slang and inuen-
10? Whom would you IA ther have for
pend. their evenings betting, gambling,
wearing; carousing and telling vile stories
r. your little child that bright girl whom
he Lord took? Oh, you would not have
been away SO much nights, would you, if
'ou had known she was going away so
oon! Dear me, your house has never
'een the same place since Your wife
las never frightened up; she has never
!ot oyer 1T; she never will get over it.
low long the evenings are with no one to |
1ut to bed and no one to whom to tell |
he. beautiful Bible stories! What pity |
t Is that you cannot spend more even |
ngs at home in trying to help her bear
;rlef IN the wine cup. You can never
Freak away from the little arms that |
lsed to be flung around your neck when
he used to say, Papa. do stay with me
o:-1n1lght-do, stay with me tonight" You |
will never be able to wipe away from |
our lips the dying kiss OF your little girl |
The fascination of a bad secret society is |
Q great that sometimes a man has turned |
lis back on his home when IS child was |
lying of scarlet fever. He went away. |
5etore he got back at midnight the eyes |
lad been closed, the undertaken had done |
lis work, and the wife, worn out with |
hree weeks watching. lay unconscious
n the next room. Then the returned |
ather comes up stairs, and he sees the |
.radle gone. and he says, what is the
natter" On the Judgment day he Will |
ind out what was the matter.
Oh, man astray, God help you. I an
yolng to make very stout rone. You
$40" mat sometimes ropemaker will |
q &c very small threads and wind them TO- |
: ther until after awhile they become a
5hlp cable And [ am going to take some
very small, delicate threads and wind |
hem together until they make a verv
stout rope. l will take all the memories