The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-01-09

OF spirit that we are going 10 show up as
frauds here tonight is the kind that used
10 make US pull the bedclothes tip over
our heads of winter nights when we were
boys and sent up into the garret to go TO
bed I'm the dark without any light. so
that we wouldn't see any OF the hobgob-
lins that our hmaginations had pictured
were the inhabitants Of about every
place I'm the world where boys didn't al
ways mind their parents and the school
marin.
II want to tell you right here before
you begin your arguments that it's my
belief there's been more little lives
dwarfed by telling them that old thread
bare story about the bear that would
come out OF the woods and eat up the
boy that didn't mind his mother or
some ghost story that pointed TO him as
the subject to be punished because OF
some little childish willfulness, than ever
came from all the birch foggfngs that
were ever administered. don't believe
in either one. but you've got to thrash
your boy or your little girl, you'd better
switch their little tender limbs than to
nip off all OF the buds that were destined
10 blossom and give forth a fragrance
that only such little God-given plants
can give. by telling them stories OF
ghost and hobgobins that at once popu-
late their little brains with demons that
require years TO destroy or course
you didn't know that you was making
he'll on earth for your child TO live In
but you did
So YOU sec II isn't always necessary for
the devil to do everything that's evil, al
though it's very convenient to Law the
blame all 10 him. Some folks never really
get over these kind ofimpressions OF child
hood. for we have examples all about us
here In Canterbury among the fathers
and mothers who seem to believe that
they can talk with the departed spirits.
and who pretend 10 know pretty much all
about heaven and what Is going on there.
Notwithstanding the Almighty Father has
told us that no man knoweth anything
about IL this side Of the dividing line
well, OF course. such talk is nothing
but the expression OF deluded mind,
and It's therefore all summed I'D in one
word 'humbug." All a sham; ard that's
why we're here tonight TO try and help
some poor soul who has wasted a good
part OF his life hunting for water in a
desert, 10 turn around and see that there
are whole continents of refreshing nour-
ishment 10 both body and soul. ~ he'll
only quit the hot sands of Sahara. which
generally cost him about a dollar week
TO stay In for some trance medium 10
tell him the secret OF ne which Won
PROBABLY possess In a much greater de-
gree than the old sauceress who paws
the air for ideas. and who deals I'm in
carnations so that she can tell you whore
that missing shovel is which cost sixty
cents when ~ was new.
Better buy n new shovel. and then be-
gin 60 use the brains that the Creator
gave You for n purpose; for n purpose
remember, And do you suppose that
God Almighty would make n joke Of
your existence enough 10 give you brain
with reasoning powers simply for the
purpose OF having you turn your affairs
over 60 some other human being who
claims TO possess occult powers which
are God-given. tider tho name OF an
astrologer. necromancer. clairvoyant, or
fortune-teller7
"The Father OF the Universe could
never do ~such n thing He never would
belittle the subject OF his hsndlwork IN
any such way. and YOU know Il But.
nevertheless, there are thousands OF peo-
pie who turn TO those modern witches
with the belief that they can help them
IN their worldly affairs. and are wiling
10 pay them mcst any price that they
arc pleased 10 name. 7 tell you every
time think OF n. II makes me hot Rut
there's this about Il. n you are the per-
son who practices that sort OF thing you
are the man or woman who has buried