The daily sentinel., 1904-09-24

creatue a Sunday christian is !?
What an austsre parsonage he is and
what wholesome trust YOU put in
him-as long as you see him. If you
don't happen to see him his stock depre-
ciates about thirty pe- cent on your
mental exchange. Not that he would
premeditatedly do you any wroLR, for
isn' t he one of the anointed. advance
agent of spiritual welfare and end
man in the gospel en- semble, and
therefore. like Caesars wife, "above
suspicion? 1t is all right. he is a
respected and honored citizen, he
stands approved by the community.
but just the same niney per cent of
the people who occasionally indulge
in the American prerogative of form
ulating an opinion on some subjects,
treat the balmy weather christian
with Difference, and do business with
him on strictly business basis during
the balance of the week. For there
is no telling jnst where the eccentri-
cities of the orthodox individual will
develop on the unholy days of the
week. and the wise man who has had
his fingers burned knoweth his bust
ness and takes time by the forelock.
There is good deal of consistency
about policy player. He picks his
gigs and waits for the drawing at the
appointed hour. He has firm belief
in the results of that hour. but he
doesn't worry much about the drawing
until the time comes
That is about the travelling category
of the balmy weather christian. He
trots in the same class. He PLAYS to
the galleries, but forgets that most of
his audience is in the same oneday
patronizing bunch with himself.
And he is likewise to be found out to
deacon's meeting one other night in
the week. when after a Cody and
praiseworthy discussion of how to get
the money to pay the pastors back
salary or to equip some missionary
for service among the heather abroad,
usually adjourns to the home of one
of the balmy weather brethren and
dabbles in whist for shaving mug.
or if they are known to be citizens
strong and rigid in the faith they drag
out the red and blue chips and enter
with zest aud earnestness in ths sancti-
monious pastime of taking a fifty dol
lar fall out of their good and holy
brother.
The balpy weather and one-day
pietist likewise has happy faculty
of passing Judgment on things of
moralizinR import, and the boldness
and the badness OF his heathen
acquaintance furnishes many a theme
for Sunday exhortation and narrow
bone fidelity to short-lived fanat-
icism. And early Monday morning he
is at work or doing business as con-
scientious backslider
There are great hordes of one day
in tke-week christians in this world
of commercialism. There are many
men and some women who are tenn.
porarily one thing and the balance of
the time another. Subterfuge is
daily in evidence and chicanery is a
long suit masquerading in the guise
of decency There are sometimes
more Jekyl and Hydes in the holy
circle than there are Peters and Pauls
1t is not a brain wracking PROPOSE
tion to ferret ont christian. for there
are christians and christians. 1t is
no trouble to discriminate between
the fictitious and the real Member
ship in an organization. or paying an
anuuityto support such an organization
no more exemplifiies the saint than
the outsider represents or typifies the
sinner. Either can develop total
abrogation of principle or purpose.
But it is the everyday, 1S-carat
christian that does the heart good
He may not be an esteemed brother or
loyal partisan of the good book
belong to any sect or boast of any re-