St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-06-17

/ making! Why sit<here when pleasure
4 may be had? Come away to the grow
with mel"
Lot sought to make excuse and avOi
going, for he knew the excuses Of tn
sports and revelry, and was loath t.
share in them. Although dweller il
Sodom, and willing partaker of tn
S luxury and ease and certain of it
pleasures, be it said for Lot that h
Q held himself apart from the crosse
r sins and frivolities of the Sodomites
Such wickedness was repulsive to hi
5 better nature, and his conscience wa
: troubled at times, but no word of con
demnation was spoken. He feared tt
l denounce the sins of the place. Bet
: ter be on good terms of friendship will
the people, he thought, shan gain theil
enmity by preaching.
But the more Lot demurred, tbs
more determined seemed his FRIEND
that he should go with him, and al
last Lot consented
Wild was the fun, long was the feast.
ing and deep was the drinking, and
l
uous, sensuous dancing, while the
coarse, profane testing of the young
men and their boisterous laughter filled
the air.
Lot, inflamed by the wins, and half
insensible to the revolving scene before
him, followed the movements Of the
dancers. Something familiar in the
@T 81 10 IL
caught his eye as she fitted past The
next instant she was lost to view in
the maze of the dance, but that glance
was enough. He had seen his daugh-
ter! He was sober in an instant, and
a revulsion of feeling overcame him.
In confusion and shame he withdrew,
1 unobserved by his friend and the rest
OF the gay company, and returned to
the city.
Who can know the troubled thoughts
that filled that fathers heart? Who
can understand the remorse he felt as
he began to realize that the wickedness
of Sodom was laying it's cursed hand
upon his home? Only those who have
seen their loved ones going headlong
into the pit of hell, and have realized
that they have opened the way CT
temptation to them. He had prided
himself on his own virtues, and he had
flattered himself tiat he could dwell
in Sodom and keep his family from it's
corrupting influences, but he was only
beginning to learn that day what fear,
full cost he was paying for it's feeting
riches, honor and power.
Adah, the daughter whom Lot had
seen in the giddy whirl of the sensuous
dance, did not return home that night,
and the next morning the household
was thrown into CONSERVATION, and
the servants dispatched in search OF
her.
| The older sister, the bride-to be, was
| impatient over the difficulty, and petu-
lantly exclaimed that she supposed it
would spoil the plans of the day. The
mother, who was thoroughly given up
to the gay life of the city, and who
had encouraged her daughter in her
reckless freedom, dismissed the whole
matter with careless shake of her
head, and the remark: ooh, she is all
right and will come home when she
gets ready" The younger girls, filed
with happy anticipations of the gay
festivities of the day, wondered how
she could stay away and miss such
rare good time. But Lot, with I'M
easy conscience and anxious forebod.
ings filling his heart, waited.
The pomp and ceremony are over,
the feasting ended, and the bridal pro-
cession is forming for the triumphal
return to the palace. The waiting
crowds in gay dress and gayer spirits |
shower flowers in the pathway of the |
bridal couple as they appear, and with
music and dancing and much merry
talking and laughter the procession |
moves forward
Lot and his wife watch the brilliant |
scene, and the mother, in the ecstasy |
Of her pride and joy, waves her good |
bys and exclaims to Lot:
This is proud day for us! How
glad we should be that we came to
Sodom!"
Scarcely had her words died away
when there appeared, coming down the
street past the gay procession, a silent
group bearing some heavy burden be-
tween them. Their mantels are thrown
over their heads, their garments are
rent and there is dust sprinkled upon
their heads, bearing silent witness that
they are bearers of the dead
Look exclaimed Lot, death ap-
pears amidst the gay scenes of life!
Who can it be-"
ooh, never mind! Why should VIZ
care?' petulantly replied Mrs. Lot in
an unsympathetic tone ut is shame
that they could not have taken some
other route and not have passed the
bridal procession"
The dead draws nearer. The still
form under the blanket is before the
door. Lot and his wife watch with
growing tenseness Curiosity gives
place to apprehension!
The silent bearers pause! They turn
in towards the house! They enter the
doors, through which but a few min
utes before the gay, brilliant company
had passed!
"Adah!" shrieked the mother, as she
threw herself by the side of the cold
stiff form. i
"Adah!" groaned the unhappy father, {
or it was She
The pleasures Of Sodom, her tri-
lmphs and glory, giving place to
leath. One daughter welded to tie
prince of SOdOm Yes hut ono dauph