Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-07-15

welfare OF his brother man. he can fna
no happiness on earth at all.
l can lima CINE n scene I'm Your life
which brought its emptiness vividly
before you. Such scenes. varying In
their details. come TO many n man, bid
ding him pause an1 consider what IS
the true purpose of life. Let me see!
Where did tnIs scene happen? In Chi
cage. You are wealthy merchant.
You have come out on a visit. to Los
Angeles. 1t was in Chicago. as near
as can make out. on n Saturday night.
the second week of January. The fire
was burning brightly on your office
hearth. The table by your side was
filled with papers. The employees.
working ten hours day, sometimes
think the employer entering ais Office
very easy time. But long after the
busy beehive OF the modern dry goods
emporium has stopped it's hum, and
the tired little cash girls have crowded
the streets. laughing, shouting. perhaps
| smiling at the passersby, in juvenile
delight at being set free from toll. and
the bookkeepers have balanced the ac-
counts. and the iron shutters have been
pulled down. and the clerks have clos
ed their counters, and the cashiers have
locked their safes. and the delivery
wagons have ceased their rumbling.
and the worDout horses have been fed
and blanketcd I'm their stalls, and the
street lamps have become as multitude
nous as the visible stars of the heavens,
the tired merchant works on. The
wood in the fire place cracked and
laughed. The flames ieaped higher and
higher and sputtered more loudly as
the reports OF the different departments
recorded the business triumph OF
whole year. Stock had been taken, for
the holiday goods were all sold. Every
promissory note had been met. There
was plenty of money in the bank to
clear away the remaining debit sides OF
the ledger.
What Shall IL Preat q Mani
WAS not that the history, o rich Chi
cago merchant, OF the first results OF
your mathematical calculations on the
Saturday night OF the second week in
last january But what about the Sec
ond calculation you made that impor-
tant night? As you sat there in your
easy armchair you began TO dream
about the past. You began to wonder
IL all this endless struggle for world
iy success really paid. AS you dreamed
you thought Of the many nights when.
unable to sleep, you had tossed about
your hot pillow and thought how the
business world was trying TO drive you
to the financial wall. even as some man
! with the death marks upon his cheek In
his old age may be feeced OF his all.
You thought how your very best mo-
tives had always been impugned. And
then, strange TO say, instead of gloating
over your past financial success as the
fire flic6ered lower and lower an I'M
seen power made you write upon q
broad sheet Of white paper this prob
lem. "What shall II profit a man IL he
shalt gain the whole world and lose his
own souIT' And as you studied that
problem you were compelled TO write
after IL "a word OF seven letters. You
wrote that one word iR letters OF fire.
Nothing" Nothing" "NothiRR," An
l wrong. o financial magnats, IN stat
ing today ''thou art not far from the
Kingdom or GOd!
My hearers may think / have over.
drawn the picture in asserting that
worldly success from mere selfish
standpoint never pays, ana that only
the Christ life is the happy life. Well,
then, 10 illustrate whether mere earth
ly success is satisfying success or
the reverse let me read TO you a
eulogy delivered lately in reference TO
that Warwick OF American statesman
ship. that president maker, Marcus A
Hanna. In the memorial meeting held
in the senate chamber short time ago
Senator Scott. Senator Hanna's init
mate friend, arose and spoke these
words: "Mr. President. I shall never
forget ono early morning when Sena tor
Hanna handed me New York paper
containing a cartoon OF himself, pictured
as huge monster. clad In suit Gov
cred over with dollar marks. smoking
an immense cigar and trampling under
foot women and children with their
eyes protruding from their sockets and
their skeleton forms writing in agony.
After looked at ii n moment he said to
me: Scott, that hurts. / have tried all
my life 10 put myself in the other Eel
lows place. ! have tried to help those
In need and tighten the burdens OF
those less fortunate than myself. Yet
l am here held UP TO the gaze OF the
world as murderer OF women and
children. I tell you, 1t hurts And.
Mr.. President. looking up into that
manly face I saw the tears coursing
down his cheeks as he turned and ST.
lently walked away"
You think worldly success can bring
true happiness? II IL could, why did
1t not bring happiness TO James G..
Blaine. the Henry Clay" of the latter
part OF the past century? Murat Hal
stead relates how he went TO see Mr.
Blaine In the Fifth Avenue hotel, New
York. The death pallor was on his
cheek. In few weeks his broken
heart was TO cease 10 beat Mr. Blaine
sat looking into the blazing fire. Afuyat
Halstead could not say a word. His
heart was too full. After the two
friends sat thus for a short time. Mr..
Blaine heaved deep sigh as he said.
"Oh, Halstead, I could have stood II
all If had not lost my two boys" He
was finding then. as Hanna found, and
as host OF famous men have found.
that happiness and true satisfaction
cannot be obtained from the world.
The world misrepresents them, rldicules
them and decries them. and. whether It
gives them its prizes or not. it wounds
and tortures them.
Happiness Is Not Ina Wealth.
Oh, rich man! / appeal TO your ex-
perience. Have you not realized that
happiness is not In wealth? Have
there not come times I'm your life when
you have felt That money and honor
and power alike fail to give you salts
faction? You are disappointed with
your life. Turn to Christ, who says to
such as yOu, HE that dr1nketh OF the
water that shall give him shall never
thirst again" Come TO him. Thou
art not far from the kingdom OF God.
Almost saved! Yes. know 1t. why?