The Delta independent., 1901-05-24

for life Of romance and thrilling ad-
venture. love that takes poison and
shoots itself, moonlight adventures and
hair-breadth escapes. you may depend
upon It that you are In the sacrificed
victim Of unsanctified pleasure. Our
recreations are intended to build US up
and II they pull US down as to our
moral as well as to our physical
strength you may come to the conclu-
sion that they are obnoxious.
Live Within Your Means.
Still further. those amusements are
wrong which lead you into expenditure
beyond your means. Money spent in
recreation is not thrown away. 1t is all
folly for us to come from a place OF
amusement feeling that we have vast
ed our money and time. You may by
1t have made an Investment worth
more than the transaction that yield
ed you hundreds Of thousands of dol
lars. But how many properties have
been riddled by costly amusements.
The first time / ever saw the city
It was the city of Philadelphia was
a mere lad. l stopped at hotel. and
remember in the eventide one of
these men piled me with his Internal
art He saw was green. He wanted
to show me the sights Of the town. He
painted the path OF sin until 1t looked
like emerald, but was afraid of HIM.
showed back from the basilisk-I
made up my mind he was a basilisk.
! remember how he wheeled his chair
round In front Of me and, with a con-
centered and diabolical effort at
tempted to destroy my soul. but there
were good angels in the air that night.
1t was no good resolution on my part.
but II was the all encompassing grace
OF a good God that delivered me. Be-
ware. beware, o young man! There
Is a way that seemeth right unto
man. but the end thereof is death.
The table has been robbed to pay
the club. The champagne has cheated
the children's wardrobe. The carous-
ing party hasburned up the boys prim-
er. The tablecloth of the corner sa-
loon is in debt to the wife's faded
dress. Excursions that in day make
q tour around a whole months wages
ladies whose lifetime business it 10
to go shopping" large bets on horses.
have their counterparts in uneducated
children. bankruptcies that shock the
money market and appall the church
and that send drunkenness staggering
acrosss the richly figured carpet Of the
mansion and dashing into the mirror
and drowning cut the carol Of music
with the whooping OF bloated sons
come home to break their old mothers
heart.
Look Oct fss the L~akage.
Merchant. is there a disarrangement
In your accounts? Is there leakage In
your money drawer? Did the cash ac-
count come out right last night! 1
will tell you. There is q young man
In your store wandering on into bad
amusements. The salary you give him
may meet lawful expenditures. but not
the sinful indulgences in which he has
entered. and he takes by theft that
which you do not give him in lawful
salary.
strained amusement opens! The young
man says: Now l am on for a good
time. Never mind economy. I'll get
money somehow. What a fne road!
What beautiful day for ride. Crack
the whip. and over the turnpike! Come,
boys. nil high your glasses Drink!
Long life. health. plenty Of rides Just
like thisr' Hardworking men hear the
clatter OF the hoofs and look up and
say: Why. l wonder where those fell
lows get their money from. We have
to toll and drudge. They do nothing"
To these gay men life Is a thrill and
excitement. They stare at other peo-
pie and in turn are stared at. The
watch chain jingles. The cup foams.
The cheeks flush. The eyes Hash.
The midnight hears their gufYaw They
swagger. They jostle decent men on
the sidewalk. They take the name OF
God in vain. They parody the hymn
they learned at their mothers knee.
and to all pictures of coming disaster
they cry out. who cares," and to the
counsel of some Christian friend,
Who are your
Passing along the street some night
you hear shiek in grogshop. the
rattle OF the watchman's club. the rush
OF the police. What is the matter nowY
oh. this reckless young man has been
killed in grogshop nght. Carry him
home to his fathers house. Parents
will come down and wash his wounds
and close his eyes in death. They for
give him. all he ever did, although he
cannot in his silence ask II. The prod
igal has got home at last. Mother will
60 to her little garden and get the
sweetest flowers and twist them into
chaplet for the silent heart OF the
wayward boy and push back from tho
bloated brow the long locks that were
once her pride. And the air will be
rent with the agony. 1ne great dram
atist says. How sharper than ser
pent's tooth It IL to have a thankless
child"