Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-04-15

services ana the prayer meetings ana
the missionary gatherings and the con-
vocation of the young people of the
Christian Endenvorers and Epworth
leagues and the Brotherhood of An
drew and Philip! o God, may l de-
sire to associate with thy disciples
more than TO go with any other class
Of people on earth" You think this
Is strange prayer to make? do not
When l make IL, / know that one of the
surest signs Of the true Christian life
Is to he found In the desire Of a Chris
tian to he where other Christians are.
Yet, If | mistake not. some of you new
er go TO the midweek prayer meetings
or TO Sunday schools or to our cottage
prayer meetings. You look upon these
meetings as bore. drudgery. a tire
some hour. wasted for duty's sake.
When you go to these meetings you do
so under protest.
Wrong Kind of Likes.
"Yes," you answer. Il do look upon
these religious gatherings as bore.
But am not responsible for my likes
and dislikes any more than l am to be
blamed because my favorite color Ia
blue. my favorite flower q carnation,
my favorite musician Beethoven, my
favorite novelist Thackeray, my favor
lite artist Rubens and my favorite poet
Longfellow or Tennyson. l like what
l like and dislike what dislike, and
cannot help 1t. Now. II l dislike to as
sociate with the class Of people who
make up our distinctively religious
gatherings. such as are found in the
/ am no more to blame than l am be-
cause dislike Goldfish or mackerel and
like apples and grape fruit"
All. yes. my brother. you are to
blame. You are individually response
BILE for your likes and dislikes. 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 should not
learn to love these people. Surprising
/ was dyspeptic. supposing l had for
years been living on Holsters and veal
and ham and pork and cabbage and
highly seasoned salads and rich pas
tries. supposing ON account Of my dys-
pepsia was sent to sanitarium.
what would be the first order of my
physicians? Put that man on the
simplest diet" Because tell my
physician do not like plain toast and
milk and cold bread and good. whole
some beefsteaks and potatoes would
that make any difference? No. My
physician would reply: "Then the SOON
er you learn to like them the better.
You have diseased appetite. You
must develop a healthy appetite for
good. wholesome, simple foods"
Surprising l go to great musical
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
and understand. Please do not play
for me SO many of those musical rig
marbles which l cannot grasp" Mr..
Thomas would reply: Young man. IL
you do not know what good music is,
then the sooner you learn it the better.
You have diseased appetite for mu-
sic. 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 peo-
pie up to the high musical standards
when they could appreciate and de-
mand good music. God bless the life's
work. well fulfilled. of Theodore Thorn
as, who taught mankind how to appre-
ciate good music.
Now, my Christian friend. by the
same law you may have diseased
spiritual appetite for spiritual associa-
ton. Ii you cannot find enjoyment in
communion with Christian people, then
the sooner you learn how to enjoy their
society the better. You are exactly in
the position of the frivolous girl or the
dissipated boy growing up In Chris
tan home. Such children are never
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. gentle
fellOwships of n Christian home offer
the best kind of enjoyment. The quiet
reading Of book by the glowing hearth
in the sitting room is one. The loving
caress of mothers or a wife's hand
is another. The playful prattle Of a
little child. the quiet prayer. the sweet
memories of long years that are past.
are others. The hopes of the years to
come. being talked over. offer the high.
est joys this side of heaven. o man,
do not think that associating with men
of the world offers to you the acme of
pleasure. If you cannot find any en-
joyment In the fellowship OF Christian
people. then the sooner by the grace of
God you kill your diseased spiritual
appetite the better for your own en-
joyment and the better for your life
Learned to Love Music.
That you can govern your love for
the good and your dislike for the bad
or the Indifferent was illustrated to
me by the experience Of a lady men,
her of nv church who IL n very fine