The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-28

trying to work in the store by day and to dance almost every night until 1 or 2 O clock in the morning, Young man, you had better stop and consider to what pur- pose you are devoting the best energies of your life" It warns the social devotee of the spiritual danger of his course, as noted New York capitalist warned him of the financial danger. when some time ago he said "The young men who will not succeed in business are those who night after night may be found in the bathrooms and the dance halls and at the city cubhouses drinking little playing cards little and eating expensive din- ners. They are sometimes called the drones of society. This is a misnomer Like some small insects that sport for a day in the summer sunshine, they are minute destructives. Their lives in the economy of social life make one the pet ty agencies of degeneration.
 Was not the capitalist right? Are not the ballroom and the dance hall and the clubhouse a continual menace to success in business?. Can a young man go to a progressive euchre party and play cards until il O clock and sit down to a midnight banquet and then be in the right physical and mental trim to sell goods in the store the next morning? Is not the social shrine also very poor foundation upon which to build the altar of Jesus Christ? IS not most or US lIilueHce SplI1ludllN ue- pletlng? Some time ago I read a wonder full book entitled ''The Call of the Wild" The central figure of that story was a magnificent dog, cross between a St. Bernard and a Great Dane. He was stolen from his California home and sent far north into the l<londike regions where he was compelled to drag the miners sleds over the Alaskan snows. Jack London. the writer, with a master hand traces him from great, big. loving house dog down and down until he is a dog thief among dog thieves. He traces his degeneracy down and down until at last the bayings of the wolves call him into the darkness of the northern forests, and "call of the wild" Is answered by ''the response of the wiid'
 Obey the Divine Command. Is not society's call too often the call of the wild?" In the social world when you give a banquet do you not for the most part ask only those in your own social set? Do you obey the divine com mand. When thou makest dinner or supper call not thy friends nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbors lest they also bid thee again and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest feast call the poor. the maimed. the lame, the blind, and thou shall be blessed, for, they cannot reoompense thee but thou shalt be recom- nensed at the resurrection of the just" Is not soeiety's call often "the call of the wild' because 1t is a call to selfishness. inc call of only doing good to them who do you good? Is 1t not often the call merely of wealth to associate with wealth and social caste with social caste? Oh we worshipers at the social shrines bet ter heed today the Lenten call! Better snuff out the many lights of the bathrooms and the banquet halls. Know ye not that during the spring fast the lowly Nazarene is knocking at the door of your hearts trying to get in?
 Iris true that we cannot reach Christ's
 fortieth day,
 Yet to part of that religious way
 Is better than no deed.
 Neither ought other mems abuse of Lent Spoil the good use. lest by that argument
 We forfeit all our creed.
 The Lenten Call.
 The Episcopalian Lent, in the next nlace. is protest against business ab- sorption. It says to the merchant the manufacturer and the professional man: You have right to work. Indeed, you must work and work hard if you are to support your family and met the financial necessities which are yours. But. O man. you have no right to make the acquisi- ton of mo ney the object of your life any more than you have right to live to eat .Rv the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread But that sweat should not make the indifferent to God or to the higher purposes of life for which thou vert ere ateo."
 But the great danger of money making