Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-11-03

Oh could not In Il minute Or two
the wheels had sunk third Of the
way To the hubs The horse could not
pull the load II was no time for ar.
gument We leaped out Of the wagon
and plunged into the water. clothes
and all Then every hand took hold
u 4 wheel and began 60 Mt and push,
and we Just saved the wagon aud the
horse All" said 20 myself as {
came dripping Out Of the water how
like the deceptive influence Of the
Ivicksands are evil habits When wo
arst drive up To them they ook so
harmless and innocent, but no sooner
DO we allow these evil habits 70 grasp
Us than. like the dangerous Iuick SAM.
they will creep up to the ankle. then
TO the knee. then TO the hip and then
10 the heart Then the more we strug
gle the deeper we will sink and the
more helpless we will become"
My friend. what right have you to
say that the evil habit which IS work.
ing such dangerous havoc In your life
now will be more easy TO eradicate to.
morrow II IL Is difficult 10 chain a
little cub as he snnrls IN your hand
and bites and scratches and tears your
bleeding flesh To get away, will II be
easier to tame and cage the Bengal
tiger after he has gained his strength
and his claws have grown as sharp as
raplers and his jaws have the vigor Of
steel trap? II the Alpine climber Is
80 benumbed by the cold that his eyes
become heavy with sleep. will that
cold cease 10 continue its deadly work
when he Hes down to slumber and the
whlstling winds cover his shlvering
flesh with a soft quilt of snow? see
now three travellers lost upon the
western prairie. A biting blizzard Is
cutting through their clothing like
knife. one Of these travellers. phys
ically weaker than his companions be-
comes exhausted. Drowsily he falls TO
the ground and goes To sleep. His two
friends jerk him up and begin to
pound him and 10 rub the cold snow
upon the frozen flesh. oh he says.
let me sleep. Let me sleep just a lit
tie while. and then will go with you"
NO" they say; you must not sleep.
II you do il will Ice the sleep Of death.
Every minute this cold Will benumb
you more and more You must walk.
You must throw OFF this lcthargy or
you will die" Thus these two friends
drag him round and round nil night
until morning breaks and safety is
T.,
evil habits affect US. We say: TO
morrow we will change. Now. just one
more glass. one more cnrousal.' But
each intoxicating cup. each debauch,
each yielding TO sin. renders US more
and more helpless to fight sin. My
brother. II you do not conquer your
evil habits today you will not conquer
them tomorrow. If you cannot put QUE
q spark today you cannot quench the
great confiagration. II you do not step
on the smoldering fuse YOU cannot
snuff out a gunpowder magazine after
the explosive has reached II. Now 10
the time for you to get your emancipa-
ton from that destroying. debasing,
evil hnbit-now. now. now Oh, the
Importance of that infinite word now.
But this gospel motto gives scath-
ing rebuke to the visionary seeker after
happiness as well as 10 those who
drowsily mutter 10 their sins and evil
habits. "Oh, let me rest upon my bed
Of sin u little while longer, and then
shall bestir myself and do what ought
10 do" 1t bitterly denounces those
fault finders who always repine At the
present and have their eyes focused
upon the dubious blessings Of the fu-
ture. Yet some people never see
beautiful sailboat unless II Is shining
on the edge OF distant horizon, nor
happy home unless II belongs TO
neIghbor, nor smell sweet perfume I'M
less II is waited to them from the
visionary gardens which shall bloom
five or ten years hence.
The journey Of life might be compar-
ed TO summer camping trip. There
Is an old provcrb which says, You
never know people Alright unless you
eat with them at the morning break
fast table" But | tell you that the
breakfast table may prove deceptive In
reference To your acqualntance's true
characteristics, but camping trip
never. There the true nature OF man
or woman can be read by all as an
open book. Now, on an average camp
ing trip some people are like bees
they can find honey wherever they
may H.. They are Ike song birds
they can sing. no matter where you
place them They are like sunbeams-
they will sparkle and dance, no mat
ter whether they are up In the noun
tains or down In the valleys. Every
thing they eat is the most appetizing
OF all foods. Every person they meet
Is Il kind person. No travellers pass
them upon the road but they stop to
chat and Joke with them. Their beds
OF pine needles are the softest. The
water that leaps out OF the brooks Is
the purest. The sunsets and the sun
rises nre the most glorious. They laugh
and play and make merry every day OF
their lives. And during all OF their
next winters work they never tire OF
telling the pleasant incidents OF the
mast sun,mar'a trim