Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-01-28

"TarSlfaT' and FlOtow'S Martha" and
Mendclssohn's Elijah" or PAUL" if I
see standing in the corners of the H.
brary the plaster casts Of such pieces
of sculpture as that of Michael Ange-
los David" or Moses" I am COM
PEELED to believe that some pure. noble
spirit has been living in and dominat.
ing that home. SO. by the Language
Of action" when find man longing
to be in the house Of God on the Sab
bath day. when I see that man, week
after week, sitting in conspicuous
place Mt the inidwcck prayer meeting,
when l find him continually seeking
the great religious gatherings which
every little while take place In a large
city; when find him. daily and week.
~ and yearly, associating with men
and women noted for their Christian
integrity. l am compelled to believe
that that man wants to be good and to
live pure life. On the other hand,
when I see man conspicuous for his
absence from all good affiliations his
actions inform me as plainly as his
words could do that his character Is
just the opposite of what 1t ought to
be.
Character Judged by Associates.
The father of a great English preach
err taught this lesson to his son. Some
time after his son, then very young
man, was married his father visited
him. After lie had passed through and
py mi % IN
house he sad "My son, there is one
mistake about your home. see moth.
ing in the furniture, in pictures upon
the walls or books upon the table to
load me, II was stranger to this
home, TO judge whether you belonged
to God or to the devil. In every room
and upon every wall you should al
ways have something to prove to your
guests that you are child Of God. A
mans Christian life should be mani
tested in the furniture of his house as
we'll as by his outside surroundings.
What that Christian parent said in ref
erence to a mans domestic life Is es-
scntially true in reference to his out
side human Affiliations. A wicked
mans inner character can nearly. al
ways be judged by his conspicuous
avoidance of noble associates. BY your
intimate friends your Christian life Is
to be judged as well as by the words
that you speak.
But wicked mans actions have a
positive as we'll as a negative signif
canoe If by the absen r, from all good
associates mans character rests I'M
der a dark cloud. then by his bold and
reckless defiance of all the great moral
influences Of the day his wicked life is
to be Judged also. 1t is one net to sin
in secret and to be ashamed Of your
sins 1t is far more heinous act to
publicly parade your sins and come to
depraved condition. in which you do
not seem to care what people may say
in reference to your life or how by
your bold example they may he led
astray through your evil conduct.
Dcpravity Hidden.
This indictment against the actions
Of an evil mans life is the more posi-
tive because, even in the lowest forms
Of outward vice, by the "laneuage of
action" the wicked man nearly always
wants to appear little better than he
really Is Theodore Roosevelt. who has
been q student Of beasts and birds and
flowers, says that this chara cteristic 10
appear better than they are is not al
ways true Of all the inhabitants of the
natural world as it is of mon. Once,
when visiting Nashville, Tenn. he
heard a mocklng bird, whose rcputa-
ton for the most part rests purely
upon his ability for mimcry, fill a
whole night with sweetest music. Upon
the tree just outside his opened window
the president saw and heard him.
Sometimes wrote Mr.. Roosevelt, he
would perch motionless for many min
utes, his body quivcring and thrilling
with the outpour of music. Then he
would drop softly from twig to twiG
until the lowest limb was reached,
when he would rise fiuttcrnS and leap
ing throuc! the branches. his song
never ccasinG for an instant, until he
reached the summit Of the tree and
launched into the warm, scent laden
air, floating in spirals with outstrctched
wings. until. as if spent, he sank gently
back into tho tree and down through
the branches, while his song rose into
an ecstasy of ardor and passion" That
midnight song seems to have given the
president higher appreciation of the
powers OF the hooking bird The song.
ater, warbllng in the darkness and 81
lence OF the night. showed that IT had
more harmony and melody in its being
| than Its nearer had previously suppos
| I'd. But. unhappily. the converse Is
generally true Of human beings. 1t 1,
heir better nature that they show un
der observation. 1t is when they think
| that their friends do not see or hear
them that their worst characteristics
are displayed. Many man whose life
when under observation is irreproach
able shows. when the restraints Of pub
lie opinion are removed a capacity for
heinous and bestial sin.
The Wicked worse Thnn They Seem
AS n wicked person Ia nearly always
worse than he seems, put this blunt
question to you: "Oh. sinner, with fro
ward lips. how dare you desecratt
Gods holy Sabbath? How dare you
without blush upon your cheek, bt
Keen entering the saloon or be know
to pnss your evenings in disreputabl
haunt, where the name of Christ /
sneered at and rldiculedi How dar
you gleefully boast Of those sins abou
which dare not speak in public? d.