The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-17

man nature do not, however, apply 1t | in the sense that you and I should go | into the city slums and lift up the social outcasts, although their rescue should and must be done by the proper Chris tian workers. But I do apply 1t in tho meaning that we should reach out a helping hand and keer men and women and young boys and girls from slipping over tine precipices Of moral ruin. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred this can be done if we only place around the young folks the right kind of Christian associations.
 Lesson of Heredlty.
 There are many influences which de- velop the moral life besides environment. l believe absolutely and emrhatically In heredity. The reason the domestic dog circles around two or three times before he lies down to sleep at the kitchen stove l is because his wild ancestor in the cas- tern woods or on western prairie clrcled | around in the same way to track down the leaves or the grasses before he lay down tC sleep beneath the campflres of the gilt tering stars. The reasons ths Jew is the shrewdest and most successful buyer and money lender of the world is because for centuries he was downtrodden by the gen tiles. He could hold no rcll property. If | 1 fiscated at the whifs of his neighbors. The only means of livelihood opend to Shylock was that of trader and money lender. The reason the American Indian Is what he is today is because the wild. romantic life depicted in Fenimore Cooper's Misunderstanding Tales is still in his blood, and the redskin seems to be unable to anchor his existence to farm and change his wigwam to a stone fireside. But, though believe much in parental influences, l also believe much in environment. If you and place the right kind of associates about our young folks we can inevitably save them for God if we will
 How powerfully this truth came to me few weeks ago Our last national hol- iday of Fourth of July was a very busy one for me. I was working hard in my l study, in order to hasten my departure 1 for the country, when a dear friends of mine called and, against my protesting | voice, carried me off on automobile | ride. For miles and miles we left Los l Angeles behind until we came to one of the great reform schools of our state. The l steady throb of the engine was stopped, | and we entered the buildings situated in one of the most romantic places 1 ever | saw for state reform school. The flow l CTS were there; the green hills were there; the harvest fields and the orchards were l all there, but as I went through that in- | l to myself. Mature in all her beauty Is here, but child life in all it's sinfulness is 1 here also" Then I said again: "Suppos- l ing one of my daughters should be taken out of her Christian home and in the most critical time of life be compelled to 1 associate with these wayward girls, how l would she turn out. what chance for l good would she have? An, little, very, | very little chance!' And so, my friends. l if by the help of the Holy Spirit you l and I are going to save the young people we must throw about them the right kind of Christian companionship. We must woo l them to the church fellowship. We must make our young peoples meetings so att l tractive that the saloon and the billiard parlor and the dance hall and the low 1 theatres cannot successfully beckon them for six nights of the week and we preach l to them only on Sunday. We should cling | to the young folks of our cities. We should go after them and hold to them all the time. The Sunday school teacher | who never finds an evening to visit her pupils during the week will never have pupils who will have time to sit at her feet on Sundays. The young people of your church who never invite the strang- CTS to their houses or visit them in their rooms or arrange semisocial gatherings for them in the church will never have the newcomers crowding their services.
 Kindness to the Weak.
 But, lastly, I remark, we must try to | liberate helpless men during their time of 1 physical infirmities as well as during their time of physical strength and good health Of all times during which we can most appeal to helpless man the best is when he is lying upon an invalids bed or In times of agonizing sickness. Some
 times strong man or woman Is not easily susceptible to kindness. But once | let the strength leave the arm, once let the brow become hot and feverish, once l let the stomach refuse to retain it's nour- ishment and then the slightest kindness, as a rule, will bring tears of gratitude I to the eye and words of thanlfulness to the trembling lip. But though the sick bed is the greatest and best of all pull pits over which to preach, how few of us ever embrace the opportunity to minister there In Gods name as we should! Indeed. | as horses will nearly always shy and run away from a sick horse which is lying upon the ground, so l think well people. as a rule shun and fear sick people.
 Why do you not spend your summers in Asheville or the Adirondac cks or In Colorado or In Redlands of Southern Cali
 fornia? Are they not beautiful places?'
 I ask you. "Yes." you answer but can not stand the sick people. Wherever you go in these place you find them I've. weak and pale Coughing, coughing, coughing, appalling coughing, Is continu- ally heard on all sides Why. I dislike to look even at the windows of hospital. As for going through a hospital I would l no more do 1t than I would enter the operating room and see surgeon cut orr | mans leg" But my friend. did you ever stop to think that as other are sick so some day you may be? Then will you not need comfort? Week In and week out some of these invaids have to lie in bed 1 with no callers No one coEes to bring them flower or utters word of prayer l or speaks to them even one word about l Christ. yet by their very sufferings these sick people are In just right mood 10 reach up and take Christ hy the hand, If you | will only show them how.
 But before close I bethink mysef or one fact. Perhaps you are not vet fitted l to go forth on these errands of gospel mercy. Why? Perhans you are today l hearing Gods voice which spoke at the
 Noted Men Among Suicides.
 From Leslies Weekly.
 A writer in a London periodical has re- | oently compiled list of the men of noble