Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-09-01


ought to make your last will and tesla
ment in reference to your temporal af-
fairs because your death is inevitable.
"Set thine house in order"
a Question Answered.
"But, Mr.. Talmage," says some 9th
er, what is the good of making last
will and testament? l have nothing to
leave except the few clothes in my
wardrobe, and there are not many of
them. / am a clerk on comparative
ly small salary. l live up to the last
cent of my income and l cannot af-
ford to insure my life for the benefit
Of my children
My brother, that is a very brave and
frank statement to make. You say it
is useless for you to make a last will
and testament because you have moth
ing to leave and you cannot afford to
even get your life insured. If you, a
great, big. etrong man, are having
such q hard time to make living,
what will your physically weak wife
do with big brood of little ones strap
ped upon her back when you are dead?
If it is so hard for you to swim in the
current of life and keep your head
above the waters, how will she, poor
widow, be ahe to do it when your
strong arm is gone? Will the world be
kinder to her than it is to you? Has
the cruel world ever been any gentler
or extended a more helpful hand to a
wife and mother who is left a poverty
stricken widow than it has for you?
| Mark you, for what most men fool
ishly squander every year, for the
money they spend for cigars and lux
uries, for theater tickets, fishing eX-
| cursions and baseball games, clubs
and parties, they could get their lives
insured for enough, and more than
enough, to support and educate their
children long after they are dead. Fur
thermore, my brother. if you are not
willing to economize in your selfish in
dulgences for the physical maintenance
and mental development of your chill
dren by insuring your life, then your
professed love for your wife and chill
dren is a mere insincere profession of
the lips and not of the heart. "Set
thine house in order"
But" | hear some one saying, 1.-The
temporal aspects of this text do not
affect me at all. l do not have to get
my life insured. l am not poor. l am
one of the wealthiest merchants of this
city. l am building up fortune,
which is growing larger every day. If
my wife or children wish to buy any
oil hat ho va fn do ic To 90
down to the city stores and charge the
same to me. l pay for all their lux
uries without a murmur. Besides that
have made'a last will and testament
and left them everything"
Yes; your statement may be all true.
But, my successful merchant friend,
have you literally set your temporal
house in order? Have you taken your
wife into your business confidence so
that she knows your plans and ideas
Have you ever made her your business
confidant so that she would be able to
take care of the money and the bust
ness after you are dead? Have you
taught her the difference between the
stability of a government bond and a
Wall street speculation in stocks
Have you ever taught her the neceS-
sity of taking receipt? Why, the wife
and the mother of your children may
be as helpless as little child in refer.
ence to business matters after you are
dead. She might be so helpless that
the executors could swindle her out OF
her money as easily as you could cheat
in business a five-year-old lad. Leave
your wife sense as well as cents; leave
her brains as well as bonds. "Set
thine house in order"
Make Wise Provisions.
One of the dearest friends of oul
family some years ago was left 6
widow with 100000. Her executor
persuaded her to invest the same il
railroad stocks so that she might have
a million dollars. She went into Wal
street and speculated. Today she is
absolutely penniless. Make no sucl
mistake in reference to your wife a!
that husband made in reference to hi
wife, who was our family friend. Th'
old proverb trenchantly teaches tina
'any fool can make money, but it takes
q very wise man to keep it." Whel
you set your temporal house in order
see that your loved ones will be abb
to care for the money which you vii
bequeath them. See that the none.
which you will leave will not be abb
to slip through their fingers as waite
can run through a sieve.
But my text has a wider scope thai
the mere fixing up of the Temporal
house. In anticipating his earthly dc
mise q common sense man should Sc
his spiritual as well as his tempora
. house in order. He should prepare fo
his own eternal journey over the rive
of death, besides looking after the ten
poral interests of the members of til
J household he is going to leave behind
Unless a man has taken long journe
away from home, a journey whic
= runs up into the months and perhar
} into thp wears he can have no cOnceJ