Milford chronicle., 1905-04-14

U Goa, make me again love cnufc
services and the prayer meetings an
the missionary gatherings and the con
vocation Of the young people Of th
Christian Endeavorers and EpwOrt
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 clas
Of people on earthl" You think thii
is a strange prayer to make? do not
When make it, l know that one Of th'
surest signs of the true Christian life
Is to be found in the desire of a Chris
tian to be where other Christians are
Yet, il l 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 a bore. a 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 a bore.
But 1 am not responsible for my likes
and dislikes any more than am to be
blamed because my favorlte color is
blue, my favorite flower a carnatlon,
my favOrite musician Beethoven, my
favorite novelist Thackeray, my favor
ite artist Rubens and my favOrlte poet
Longfellow or Tennyson. like what
l like and dislike what / dislike. and l
cannot help it. Now, II dislike to as
sociate with the class Of people who
make up our distinctiYely religious
gatherings, such as are found in the
missionary society, am not to blame.
am no more TO blame than 1 am be-
cause I dislike Goldfish or mackerel and
like apples and grape fruit"
All, yes, my brother, you are to
blame. You are individually RESPONSE
bic 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 do not love them now
that is no excuse why l should not
learn to love these people. Supposing
l was dyspeptic, supposing 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-
pepsla l was sent to a sanitarium,
what would be the first order of my
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 a diseased appetite. You
must develop a healthy appetite for
good, wholesome, simple foods"
Supposing I go to a great musical
genius like Theodore Thomas, lately
to the harmOnies of heaven,
and say: 'Alr. Thomas, I want your
orchestra to play music that l can sing
and understand. Please do not play
FOR me so many of those musical rig
naroles which l cannot grasp" Mr..
Thomas would reply: Young man. if
TOu do not know what good music is,
hen the sooner you learn it the better.
Tou have a diseased appetite for mu-
tic. l will develop for you a healthier
musical appetite" Thus the great mis-
ion Of ChicagO's late musical genius
vas not so much to render good mu-
lie as to educate the taste of the peo-
lie up to the high musical standards
When they could appreciate and de-
nand good music. God bless the life's
york, well fulfilled, of Theodore Thorn
S, who taught mankind how to appre-
late good music!
Now, my Christian friend, by the
anne law you may have a diseased
piritual appetite for spiritual associa-
ion. If you cannot find enjoyment in
ommunion with Christian people, then
be sooner you learn how to enjoy their
Ociety the better. You are exactly in
be position Of the frivolous girl or the
issipated boy growing up in a Chris
ian home. Such children are never
appy unless they are Off at some par
= or visiting some neighbor or attend
lg some theater But after awhile
hey will find that the sweet, gentle
Of a Christian home offer
ne best kind Of enjoyment The quiet
eading of book by the glowing hearth
! the sitting room is one. The loving
lress of a mothers or a wife's hand
another. The playful prattle Of
tile child, the quiet prayer, the sweet
lemories of long years that are past,
re others. The hopes of the years to
Dme, being talked over, offer the high
st joys this side of heaven. o man,
o net think that associating with men
TIE world offers to you the acme Of
leasUre. If you cannot find any en-
'ynent in the fellowship of Christian
cope then the sooner by the grace Of
cd you kill your diseased spiritual
ppetite the better for your OWE en-
,yment and the better for your life.
Learned to Love Music.
That yOu can govern your love for