Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-06-14

Hebrew who was captured by a band
OF rowing lshmaelites and brought into
this country and sold as a slave about
200 years ago. under one OF the shep-
herd kings called Aphobis. Then the
story goes that he interpreted some
crazy dream OF the king and was APP
pointed prime minister Then he sent
10 his OLD home I'm Canaan and brought
down all his brothers and their wives
and children. And their descendants
multiplied until they have become as
numerous as the Hebrews we have
with us today" What Did all those
Hebrews come from Joseph's family -
Yes. all. ALL" Then ! hear the Egyp-
tians mutter: Course hint Curse him
Curse him.! Then the Egyptians for
got all about the days of famine. They
forgot how Joseph had saved their an
ceStors from starvation. They only
remembered the fact that the multi
tudes of threatening slaves at their
feet were the descendants of this an
cient prime minister and his relations.
Alas, my friend. IS il not fact that
the evil we do will live longer In mems
minds than the good we do? And the
whole lifetime in good works, yet IL
we do one wrong that one wrong will
be chiseled by man in the solid rock of
memory, while the good we do will be
forgotten in n day.
The Evil Remembered.
Who was Solomon Spaulding?
"Spaulding, SpauldingT' you say.
WAS ii not Solomon Spaulding who
once lived in Pittsburg? Was he not
the man who in 1910 wrote a book to
prove that the North American Indians
were the descendants of the lost ten
tribes of Israel? And was 1t not this
book that Joseph Smith took and after
ward called the Book of Mormon
upon which he afterward founded the
Mormon church," Yes, Solomon Spaul-
ding was that man. Is that all you
know about him? Well, as far as
can make out. Solomon Spaulding lived
just such life as you and are try
ing to live. He was an honest man
He was good to his family. He tried
to be of help to mankind But in his
old age. to pass the tedious hours OF
invalidism, he wrote this book which
the charlatan, Joseph Smith. got hold
of. And today all the good that Solo
mon Spaulding ever did has been for
gotten. But the one mistake he made
will live through the centuries And
so, my friends, If you and 1 are liv-
ing simply for the fame which we
shall have among those who come aft
er us there are n thousand chances to
one that we then shall be best remem-
horn1 Inv no fCAo
rather than praised for the good we
have done. Joseph, the prime minis
ter who saved Egypt from starvation,
was forgotten, but Joseph the ances-
tor OF the Hebrew slaves was remem-
bered. And there arose up new
king over Egypt which knew not Jo-
seph."
But there was still another reason
why the Egyptians ceased to honor the
name of Joseph. As a dishonest peo-
pie ruled by dishonest officials, they
did not want to revere the memory OF
one whose public and private life was
pure and spotless and who, through a
long premiership, demanded that the
Egyptian people should be honest and
pure as he was honest and pure. Why.
you might rs well expect n band of
highwaymcn or pirates to elect Paul
or Jesus for their captain as TO expect
the dissolute, merciless Egyptians to
like a Joseph. What he stood for they
did not. What lie preached was against
every desire of their corrupt hearts.
Joseph Was Pure.
In the first place. Joseph was a pure
In. d
that marriage was more than n mere
name or II cloak behind which man
or n woman could hide n multitude Of
sins. He did not believe that as soon
as married men or married women be-
came tired OF their marital partners
they had right 10 turn their backs
upon each other as one might throw
away bouquet OF withered flowers in
order to seek some new wild flowers.
Neither did he believe in the pernicious.
immoral and damning doctrine that Il
young man, because he was n man.
had right 20 sow his wild oats wher-
ever he would before his marriage and
then on his wedding day swear fidelity
to pure girl and let the filthy buzzard
and the spotless dove set up housekeep-
Ing in the same nest. If you do not
believe that what say is true. read
the Bible account OF Joseph's life in
the house OF Potiphsr His master
trusted him. He gave into the young
Hebrews care all that he had. He
said to the young man: Joseph, there
Is my money. ms family and my honor.
Protect them. trust you" And rath-
er than betray that trust, Joseph, with
sealed lips. went to poverty and to
jail. Oh, We brazen iibertines OF high
! life; oh, We immoral and wanton de-
bauchees, legalizlng your crimes in a
divorce court, come today and sit at
the feet of this young man Of the east
and learn the lesson that in Joseph's
sight, as In Gods sight, the marriage
altar is the most sacred place in the
universe. next to the great white
throne.
But Joseph was more than morally
pure. He was financially clean as
Well. No taipted money stuck to the
palms OF his hands. There Is many a
man who is morally pure in his home
and good TO his family who Is a thief
ana robber and who will cheat every
one he can tsece in financial way.
Boss" Tweed. the biggest political
thief New York city ever produced.
was devoted family man. The great
est gambler and dive keeper of New
York. n man who made millions Of
dollars out OF his dens OF infamy and
who spent some years in the peniten-
tiary, loved his family with n nassion-