Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-10-07

ing When their neighbors went tbev
wept. When their neighbors were
lowered into their open graves. they
themselves held the ropes that gently
let down the collins. Was not their
way better than our way? We live
ana breathe only for self. Was not
the Christian helping hand our fore
fathers extended 10 the troubled ones
I'm their midst better than the lev
stare with which we regard our neigh.
borsg We grumble i'm a street car he
cause we have to wait for two min
uies while funeral procession. wend-
ing its way TO the cemetery, Is holding
US at crossing. The Golden Rule
which ous forefathers practiced should
never be allowed to slip out of our
lives. The sick man who lives next
door to us should be just as carefully
cared for ana nurSed by us as IL he
was our own son.
Clubhouse Versus Home.
deplore also the iconoclasm which
Is robbing this country OF the sanctity
OF home life. The iconoclast's profane
hands are ruthlcssiy laid upon our an
cestors sabbath observance and our
forefathers' doctrine Of DO to others
as you would have them do unto Won :,
They 20 further than this, Those same
protane hands arc also snatchsng AWAY
our ancestral home enjoyments as well.
1ney arc saying to modern man: MAN.
do not be an old fashioned granny. DO
not think because your grandfathers
round most OF their enjoyment i'm the
society of your granJmothers and Your
uncles and aunts that you have TO find
most OF your enjoyment In the society
or your wives and children. DO not
forever he a stay at home Come. Iet
us build for you clubhouses. where Won
can find nightly fellowship with strong
ana brilliant men. Come out of that
little hencoop of yours II you want
10 give a reception to your friends. do
not give 1t In your home. 1t is too
small. Hire big hall in the center of
the town, where you can receive in bet.
ter style There. instead of having n
few cakes baked 10y your own hands
una some ice cream which you made in
your own freezers, you can have a fine
caterer furnish an elaborate supper; in
stead OF having your own daughter
sing n simple song or your little boy
recite piece you can have the finest
OF orchestras furnish the music. II
you want speaking. you can hire a pro.
fesSional elocutionist to recite. This
Is an age OF progress. The clubhouse
me public reception balls, the large din.
ners given I'm large downtown restau-
rants. just as certainly mark the evo-
luton OF the human race In pleasure rs
, a locomotive train is an Improvement
, over the old prairie schooner or the tel.
: egrap0 communication by electric wire
! is an improvement over the COWBOYS
! express that forty years ago used TO
carry ne mail from New York to San
FRANCISCO before the great Union Pa
cihc raiIrOad was built
, Do you.my brother. think for one in
slant that the advent of the modern
clubhouse and public reception hall
and Delmonco banquets is n moral i'm
, provement tNr modern men over the
old fashionedQuilting parties and mer-
| rymaking frolcs which once made the
rafters OF the old farmhouse crenl,
like the beams of ship at sea AMI
bend almost like William Tells how ,
Do you think thh? do not. 1 believe
! that any enjoyment which n man IS
compelled Systematically to find off
side OF the society OF his wife ana
chliuren and home is n depicting. en-
ervating and ultimately degrading en-
, Joyment. 1 believe that any endowment
which Systematically makes n mother
/ relegate the care of her children 10
nursegirls and to hired hands is an
enjoyment which is poisoned tbropgb
and through by evil infiUsrr,s which
will ultimately bring rth\halvcstincs
not Tor God, but for SATAN I believe
TINS tendency OF the human race. this
evil poison almost everywhere pr,yn.
lent, to find enjoyment anywhere. ev.
erywhere except by your own firesite
; VIII ultimately result in n seconl
Z downfall OF man as dramatic and oyeA
wheiming and complete as when AdarA
ana Eve ate OF the fruit OF the for.
? Didden tree unless man himself. Inv
the grace OF God, halts and learns
again to find his chief pleasures I'm the
associations OF his wife and children
within the four walls OF his own home
/ once heard father say to my mother
nope after we are dead that our
chiiuren VIII believe we have loved
, them and have wanted to be wifi
them more than with any one else on
earth" They lived for us. Yes. our
parents lived for us. May we he like
the old folks. May we find our chief
enjoyment not only in living FOR our
cnioren' out also In the companion
snip or our children, no matter how
oio or how young they may be. Nav
modern society not be iuvoluted into
the pleasures OF n clubhouse or n pub.
nc reception hall. but be evolutcd into
the sanctifed enjoyments of q Chris
tian home.
worldly Success Versus Christfanftx
But, lastly, l would state that the
iconoclasts OF this day are trying 10
sidetrack the chief purpose for which
our forefathers and foremothers lived
Ia reference 10 their children. Instead
or leading parent to the altar of
Jesus ana saying, 'Oh, fathers and
mothers. the chief desire OF your lives
should he to consecrate your children
at these affairs and have them make q
pubic profession of Christ here" they
would break these affairs. They would
say: here is the statue of wisdom
lDedicate your children here. Send 'vour
boys to college and give them an in
teiiectual education" Here Is the
statue OF Midas. Sacrifice here. that
you may leave them money" Here
is the statue of fame Make out OF
your children great orators or painters
or musicians or authors" Thus we
see scores and hundreds OF parents
working by day and night to give their
children-what? To give them to God
and the higher life, as their parents
tried to do! No. To give them to n
worldly success, which those parents in
their hearts know may only lead their
children to moral ruin and perhaps
to eternal death.
q man, l ask of you one question.
1t Is blunt question. VIII you an
swer me? What would you sooner
have had your father to be-a
great speaker, great financier, n