The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-08-02
to GOOD ci.iren.hip and the bible 7 have

. ant OF their passwords. and | must Judge
entirely from the outside. But Christ has
given US a rule by which we may Judge
not only all individuals, but all societies
secret and open. by their fruits We shall
know them" Rad societies make bad
men, Good societies make good men. A
bad man will not stay IN good society
Then try al secret societies by two or
three rules.
Let any Christian wife rejoice when her
husband conseerates 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.
can point out 10 You great many names
OF men who are guilty of this sacrilege
They are as genial as angels at the society
rooms and as ugly "a sin at home. They
are generous on all subjects of wine sup
pers. yachts and fine horses. but they are
stingy about their wives dresses and the
children's shoes. That man has made that
which might be a healthful influence a
usurper OF his affections. and he has mar
RED il. and he is guilty OF moral bigamy.
Under this process the wife, whatever her
features, becomes uninterestins and
homelv. He becomes critical of her, does
not like the dress. does not like the way
she arranges her hair. is amazed that he
ever was 50 unromantic as To offer her
hand and heart.
There are secret societies where member
ship ALWAYS involves domestic shipwreck.
Tell me that man has joined a certain
kind and tell me nothing more about him
for ten years, and l will write his history
ii he be still alive. The man is a wine
guzzler, his wife broken hearted or pre-.
maturely old. his fortune gone and his
home a mere name in the directory.
Here are six secular nights in the week
What shall l do with themy" says the
father and the husband. II will give four.
a l.. \
entertainment of my family. either at
home OF in good neighborhood. | will de.
vote one 10 charitable institutions. | will
devote one To my lodge" I 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 aud associa.
tions and one to the home, which night
will spend in scowling like March sauall,
wishing l was out spendlng IL as | have
spent the other fve." That mans obitu-
airy is written. Not one out of 10 600 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 first.rate prey for
erysipelas and rheumatism Of the heart
The doctor coming in will at a glance see
II is not only present disease he must
fight. but years of fast living The cler-
eyman for the sake of the feelings of the
family on the funeral day will only talk
in religious generalities. The men who
got his yacht in the eternal rapids will
not be at the obsequies They have press.
ing engagements that dav. They will send
flowers TO the coffin. will send their wives
70 utter words OF sympathy. but they will
have engagements elsewhere. They never
come.
Bring me mallet and chisel and I will
cut that mans epitaph. Blessed are
the dead who die in the Lord" No,
YOU say, that would not be appropriate"
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and let my last end be like hisY" NO"
YOU say. that would not be appropriate"
Then give me the mallet and the chisel
and i will cut an honest epitaph, 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 IL has on your secular
occupation. / can understand how through
such An institution n man can reach com
nercal success. j know some men have
formed their best business relations
through such channel. II the secret So
cietv has advantaged YOU in an honorable
calling 1t is a good one But has your
credit failed? Are bargain makers now
more anxious how they trust YOU with
bale of goods? Have the men whose
names were down in the commercial
agency Al before they entered the society
been going down since in commercial
standingg Then look out.
You and ! every day know Of CONNER
clal establishments going 10 ruin through
the social eNcesses OF one or two mem
bers, their fortune beaten 10 death with
ball players 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 potatons Of cog
nae Monongahela. The secret society was
the Loeb Earn. Their business was the
Vile de Havre. They struck and the
Vile de Havre went under
The third test by which YOU NAV know
whether the society to which YOU belong
is good or bad is this: What is it's effect
on your sense OF moral and religious obi.
gationy Now, If / should take the names
OF all the people in this audience and put
them on roll. and then ! should lay that
roll back of this organ, and hundred
roll and call II from A to u, there would
not one of you answer. ] say that any So
ciety that makes me forget that fact il
bad society.
Which would you rather have in your
hand when you come To die-a pack Of
cards or Bible? Which would YOU
rather have pressed 90 your lps in the
closing moment-the cup Of Belshazzarean
wassail or the chalice Of Christian com.
for your pallbearers-the elders Of a
Christian church or the companions whose
conversation was full of slang and inuen.
dog Whom would YOU rather have for
your eternal .companions-those men who
spend their evenings betting, gambling
swearing. carousing and telling vile stories
or your little child that bright oirl whom
the Lord took? Oh, YOU would not have
been away so much nights, would you. il
YOU had known she was going away 20
soonE Dear me, your house has never
been the same place since. Your wife
has never frightened up; she has never
got over n: she never will get over IL
How long the evenings are with no one 10
put 10 bed ard no one 20 whom 20 tell
the beautiful Bible stories! What a pity
u - that you cannot spend more even
lngs at hoTc j. trying 20 helD her bear
that sorrow! You can never drown that
Iriei IN the VINE cup. You can never
break away from the little arms that
used 70 be flung around your neck when
she used 10 say. Papa do stav with me
to-night-do stay with ne tonight You
will never be able 30 wipe away from
yeur lips the dying kiss oi your little girl
The fascination OF \ bad secret society ia
30 great that sometimes n man has turned
his back O1 his home when his child was
dying OF scarlet fever. He went away.
Before he got back at midnight the eyes
rad been closed, the undertaken had done
his work. and the wife, worn out with
three weeks watching. lay unconscious
IN the next room. Then the returned
father comes up stairs, and be sees the
cradle gone. and he SAYS What IL the
matter" On the judgment day he will
Ind out what was the matter
Oh, man astrsy, God help you, 7 am
going To make a very stout rope You
know that sometimes ropernaker will
take very small threads and wind them To-
gether until after awhile they become a
ship cable. And ] am going 10 take some