Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-02-27

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wives are turning. the houses upside
down in their Scmannual attacks upon
/ the dust and the moths. II is the time
which we husbands dread but il is the
housekeeping time. which every pru-
dent wife declares is essential for the
physical health of her family. Ii is alb
solutcly necessary Ia keep physical dirt
ont of Il house. yet in spite of all pre-
cautions il will keep creeping in every
where Although the work men in the
1 Philadelphia mint IRE as careful as
they can be. the dirt and the fine parti-
cles of gold will Sift through the floor
/ cracks. So great are these siftings that
every year the floor is taken up and
the dirt is separated from the gold. and
! thOusa nds OF dollars worth of gold are
thus collected for the United States
treasury. In spite of all our precau
lions the minute innumcrablc stains of
sin will creep into the heart. There
fore each year il is very desirable to
obey the call 10 the I.cnten spring fast.
Once Il year is certainly not too often
to take u spiritual accounting and 10
conduct u serious self examination. The
call 10 u fast should reach the ear of
every Christian What does that mean?
Shall our wives and mothers and sis
ters 20 10 the grocer and the butcher
and the baker and say we do not
want any more meat or vegetables or
bread for the next forty days." Does
II mean that all the members of home
shall 20 without physical nutrition. as
Dir. Tanner tasted for forty days and
Leonard ThrcsS tasted for fifty days
end Rev. e II Dalrymplc tasted for
thirty nine days and Milton Rathburn
tasted for thirty sin days and Estella
+ kuenZc tasted foi forty one days?
Oh. no The habit of fasting. inspired
by boastful folly and the desire of see
| ing how long We can live without fast.
ing food. is Just as sinful rs the oppo-
| site extreme Of gluitunv. 10 see how
much one can eat without utterly de-
stroying the smooth workings of the d.
gesiive organs
Spiritual housekeeping does not
mean the complete abstinence from
physical food II does mean emphatic
ally the rccOnsccraiion aud the rededi-
cation of the domestic iircSide TO Jesus
| Christ through self abnesation IL
means that W" shall have prayers at
the cradle II means that we shall
have prayers in the bedroom and pray
ers III the parlor and prayers in the sit
ting room and prayers III the kitchen
and have the dinin: room spread with
a gospel banquet of the bread of life"
III next week YOU We're TO entertain the
king of England OF the emperor of Ger
| many. you would tuTns YOUR home up
side down 10 make il attractive for the
advent Of his majesty. Shall we not in
the same way, by spiritual houseclcan-
Ing. prepare for the entertainment OF
our Heavenly King by casting out OF
doors All sinful thoughts and desires
which find Judgment IN our hearts?
Preparations For Christ.
The Icntcn season in the home means
simply til" spiritual preparation for
Christ TO visit the home When Mar
tin Farquhar Tupper. the famous Eng
fish poet. came TO visit us in Brooklyn
We gave to him the very best room in
the house. We gathered together the
most famous literary men of the city
TO meet him. At that party Horace
Greeley came. and William cullen
Bryant came and read his "Thanatop-
sis" and George William Curtis came.
and think John q Whittier came /
well remember my mother giving to
me Tuppcr's popular book. ''Proverbial
Philosophy" and saving: Read that
hp. II.
FarIular Upper il before hc comes.
and then yon can honor him as he
should bc honorcd In like manner
the Lentcn season in the home is an
appropriate time for the spiritual prep
aratlOh for 'hriSi coming TO the
home. The CLIidro;. should be told all
about HIM ahd bc prepared TO welcome
the Saviour as II friend The cook and
the chant ermaid Should be told all
about him. so that they may know how
Christ loved Martha. the busy cook. as
we'll aS the gentle Mary WHO sat at his
feet. Home friends should be told all
about him. so that they also may come
in and honor the divine guest As we
in the Brooklyn home read and reread
the writings of the English poet in or.
der 10 know what his thoughts might
he. so 10 prepare for the advent of
Christ in tie home W. should read and
reread the words which he spoke unto
his disciples OF old We should prepare
tG greet CLr.s: .o' - stranger. hut
as long loved and anxiously awaited
friend
For Better church life.
| The Lent"n season is an annual plea
for the spiri,ua.izdiion II the church.
Ministers c: the different Protestant
churches are more al.i more getting
into tho custom. II going INTO u re.
treat at Ieast cEce Z. year. here by
fasting and prayer they may spiritual
IT. Prepare themselves Tor Ihe!c &C.
cles!asticai ninistvations. At :east
once year as Church members we
should go :nto spiritual retreat
In that retreat We should call upon
our Heavenly Father that the Holy
Spirit nay LESS ~ IN our relation
ship with our Iidweek prayer meet
inSs and Sunday schools ard Christian
/ En1na vnr 49,. 49,.