The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-04-11


vocation Of the young people Of the
Christian En,i"avorerS and EpwOrth
leagues and the brotherhood Of An
! drew and Phillip. . God, MAY | de
sire to associate with thy disciples
more than to go with any other class
! Of people on earth" You think this
/ is a strange prayer to make? l do not.
| When l make it. | know that one Of the
| S,reSt signs Of the true Christian life
is to he found in the desire Of a chris
| tan to be where other christians are.
Yet If ] mistake not, some of you new
or go to the midweek prayer meetings
or to Sunday schools or to our cottagc
prayer meetings. IOu look upon these
meetings as a bore. Il drudgery. tire
! some hour. wasted for duty's sake.
| When SOU 60 to these meetings you do
SO under protest.
Wrong Kind OF Lixes.
sYes,e you answer. 81 do look upon
these religious gatherings as a bore
But ! am not responsible for my likes
! and dislkes any more than am to be
blamed because my favorite color Is
blue. my favorite flower a carnation,
my favorite musician Beethoven, my
favorite novelist Thackeray, my favor
lite artist Rubens and my favorite poet
Longfelow or Tennyson. I like what
like and dislike what l dislike, and
cannot help II. Now. If dislike to as
sociate with the class Of people who
make up our distinctively religious
gatherings, such as are found In the
missionary society, am not to blame.
am no more to blame than I am be-
cause l dislike Goldfish or mackercl and
like apples and grape fruit"
All, yes, my brother. you arc to
blame You are individually RESPONSE
BILE for your likes and dislkes. If You
do not care to associate with Christian
people In Christian gatherings, then it
Is high time that you learned to enjoy
their society, and the quicker the bet
ter Because l do not love them now
that Is no excuse why I should not
learn to love these people. Surprising
l was dyspeptic, supposing l had fo.'
years been living on Holsters and veal
and ham and pork and cabbage and
highly seasoned salads and rich pas
tries, supposing OH account Of my dy:'-
pepsia | was sent to santar'lm,
what would be the first order Of my
physicians? put that man OF the
simplest Diet Because tell my
physician l do not like plain toast ami
milk and cold bread and S,o1, whole
some beefsteaks and potltoes woul
that make any difference? No. My
physician would reply: Then the soon-
err you lea:u to like them the better.
You have diseased appetite. You
must develop healthy appetite III
good, wholesome, simple foods!@
Surprising 90 70 great alusicaI
genius like Theodore Thomas, lately
translated to the harmonies of heaven
and say: MIR. Thomas, l want your
orchestra to play music that = can sing
for me 50 many of those musical rig
marbles which l cannot grasp" Mr.
Thomas would reply: Young man, II
you do not know what good music IS
then the sooner you learn it the better
You have diseased appetite for mu
sic l will develop for you healthier
musical appetite" Thus the great mis-
sion of Chicago's late musical genius
was not so much to render good mu
sic as to educate the taste of the PEG
pie up to the high musical standard
when they could appreciate and de
mand good music God bless the life:
work, we'll fulfilled, of Theodore. Thorn
as, who taught mankind how to appre
ciate good music! "
Now, my Christian friend, by thu
same law you may have disease
spiritual appetite for spiritual associa
ton. II you cannot find enjoyment ii
communion with Christian people, thcl
the sooner you learn how to enjoy thei
society the better. You are exactly il
the position Of the frivolous girl or TIN
dissipated boy growing up In & Chris
tan home. Such children are neve
happy unless they are off at some par
ty or visiting some neighbor or attend
ing some theater. But after awhile
they will find that the sweet, gentl'
fellowships Of Christian home offe
the best kind Of enjoyment. The quie
reading Of book by the glowing heartl
in the sitting room is one. The lovin;
caress Of mothers or wife's han'
is another. The playful prattle Of
little child, the quiet prayer, the swee
memories Of long years that are past
are others. The hopes Of the years t
come, being talked over, offer the high
est joys this side Of heaven. 0 man
do not think that associating with me-
of the world offers to you the acme 0
pleasure. If you cannot find any Ell
joyment in the fellowship Of Christia
people, then the sooner by the grace o
, God you kill your diseased spiritua
, appetite the better for your own CT
, joyment and the better for your life.
, Learned to Love Music.
; That you can govern your love fo
: the good and your dislike for the ba
: or the Indifferent was illustrated
, me by the experience Of lady men
Der of my church who is very fin
: musician Her brother was happ
, 90 lucky young man who seemed
| have no ear for good music. Ever
| o3y hall iiytrl,