Milford chronicle., 1904-08-19

T. little in debt. One night while seein
u some of his companions gambling b
h says to himself, why cannot l max
y little money that way?" He is a co
{ lector for the store. He plays an
loses. He plays again and. loses. FL
I reels again for money in his pocket
Now his checks pale and his hand
tremble, for his fingers have touche,
the envelope which belongs to his EN-
> ployer. He says to himself: i mus
win. l will borrow So ana pay it bach
very soon" He plays again and loses
, again, and loses. What is the resulti
The next day he dare not confess So
he doctors his accounts. He keeps
on using other peoples money until at
last one night in order to conceal his
past sins he forges. Then all the in
fernal regions clap their hands for joy.
At last they have new victim. The
law places its heavy hand upon that
young mans shoulder. A striped SUIT
and penitentiary cell and a broken
/ hearted mother are the results of the
sinner trying to conceal his sin behind
/ a bulwark OF many sins.
But why invent a parable to illus
trate my thought? We can. if we
would, find a conspicuous Illustration
in, the history of our own country by
following the downward path of one
whose name might have been among
the most honored in American history.
All intelligent men, women and chill
dren in this audience have spoken the
name Of Benedict Arnold with execra-
tion and contempt Living or dead. I
the sentence which this imbittered ex. /
lie spoke to the fugitive Charles Maui |
rice Talleyrand, who was asking him
for letters of introduction to friends in
America, is true: Il am the only man
born in America, who fought in the
American war for liberty, who has not
a friend in all America. l am Bene-
dict Arnold. the traitor"
But today / do not see alone Arnold
the traitor. l do not see merely the
Detrayer of West Point. l see. first
Benedict Arnold the hero Of Ticonder-
,ga. l see Benedict Arnold the hero
md commander of the wonderful ex-
'edition against Quebec. which in 1T75 ]
n midwinter marched through the .
iaine woods l see Benedict Arnold /
Wounded before the walls where Wolfe {
ell and where MOntcalm breathed his I
asst l see Benedict Arnold of Lake e
hanplain and the conqueror at Ridge a
eld, Conn. | see Benedict Arnold c
'ho fought in the first battle of Sara n
lga and Benedict Arnold. the Phil C
heridan Of the second battle of Sara .
'ga, who turned the ebbing tides # $,
afeat into the flood tides of a victory Il
lat submerged Burgoyne and his Q
oops even as Pharaoh and his hess d.
ere drowned in the Red sea. Then 1 W
e this wounded hero. Benedict Ar So
I'd, wounded the second time ut Sgri- b,
IA, being appointed to the command II
the city Of Philadelphia. To resi- there cl
It'll his wounds healed Then l see m
e aristocracy of the American capital al
lking pet, social lion. of this hero hi
heroes. Then l see Benedict Arnold 70
inning into debt to pay the expenses yo
his social triumphs and not knowing we
W 10 extriCate himself. Then l zee
N led on by sin to conceal sin until
last he had to do something to save ga
nself from financial as well as social On
grace. Then | see him, as a last re- ste
t to conceal sin, trying to barter an
ay the citadel of American indie an
ldence. West Point. An, my friends, an
en- Benedict Arnold started on his no
path of extravaganza be the
'er intended to be traitor. His the
ampt to betray West Point was ers
rely the elimination OF long series thr
attempts to conceal sin. Beware Of by
first glass the first lie, the first eve
-e Of the fruit Of the forbidden der
:. oh. yes. But, more than that fitt
rare of the Internal folly Of trying hig
'Onceal sin with sin. con
ut as we push our way through the but
-er gardens and the hedges of par altl
'e and see our guilty ancestors to
lding before God l feel that they MAJ
not willing to leave their hiding into
es Of sin even after the embowered plul
s and the curtains of leaves have tear
l torn aside, and the guilty pair are sire
pelled 10 confess that the fruit of ana
forbidden tree has been placed eacf
nst their lips Even now they are tren
trying to conceal sin within sin. atfeC
It is the man trying to do? Why, ness
; trying 10 throw all the blame of the
sin upon his wife. What is the limb
IAN trying to do? She is no bet aime
They are both tarred with the fores
, black pitch of meanness. Why. ing
is trying to throw the blame of fall.
sin upoh the serpent. The man dowi
The woman whom thou gavest the S
e, she gave me Of the tree. and | gy I
at" The woman said. The SER by "
beguiled me, and l did eat" The ell al
g Adam of the present day says. foe.
lieye all my evil desires We're in But
ed from my ancestors, and they inspi
o blame, and not myself" The will
2 Eve of modern times, lifting the 'shal
of wine to her lips just before Of co
oom. says: Il am not to blame Of tn
people drink. Every one OF my the di
Is drink: therefore they set me the d