Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-12-20

ard. The bargain counter may have
lifted the intoxicating cup to his lips
You cannot buy something for less
than cost unless some one Is being
pushed to the financial wall The bar
gain counter always means pecuniary
loss somewhere, and the loser is driv-
en- by poverty and crime TO take the
cup Of despair and drink II to the bit
ter dregs.
Now, there are two great practical
applications of this subject. Never let
your children become the victims of
the bargain counters tyrannies. Ney-
er start your own loved ones forth into
the battle OF life unless they are men,
tally and physically trained to do one
thing well, SO that by their own skill
they are able to earn n decent living
The direct cause of the bargain coun-
ter is that this world Is flooded with
unskilled labor. Those unskilled Ia
borers are almost entirely at the mercy
of the INSCRIPTIONS, who say to the
poor needlewoman, make these shirts
at so much day or starve," and there
is no redress. The unskilled workmen
have to labor at starvation wages.
The goods mostly found upon the bar
gain counter are the products of such
labor. Never let your children grow
up to join the pathetic army of I'M
skilled laborerS. Make them learn to
do we'll some one thug by which they
can earn IN honest livelihood If there
should ever be necessity for It. AND
this warning applies just as much TO
what you shall do for your girls as for
your boys.
The Turn of Fortune.
"Oh," but you say, you do not know
who ] am. | am not pauper. / am
one of the leading business men in
this town. When I die | expect to
leave my children enough money to be
independent. Why, my wife would feel
disgraced II ] sent my daughters out
to work" Great mistake that, my
brother. The money you have saved
will never make your family independ-
ent of financial risks. The easiest
thing In the world TO scatter Is a for
tune when It is gathered by the hands
OF another man. And want to tell
you something else. The labor market
today is simply glutted with the un-
skilled labor of the men and women
who were ouce deniZenS Of wealthy
homes. Your daughter may know how
TO drum upon the piano from now I'M
I'll doomsday or paint upon some china
q few flowers which her teacher has
drawn for her, but such accomplish
ments in coming days Of financial
stress will not gain for her her daily
bread. No man. care not who he
may be, whether he lives in palace or
In hut, has done his full duty to his
children unless he gives his boys and
girls the best education I'm his power
and teaches them how to become skill
ed workmcn In some line so that they
can earn their daily bread. When !
have trained my children's brains and
hands 10 earn living, | have given
them the best boon on earth. next TO
introducing them TO my Saviour and
King
| would impress upon your minds
today the old gospel lesson that our
mission should be to help those who
are helpless aud to care for those who
are financially. morally and spiritually
uipped up In the battle OF life. In the
old Roman Coliseum, when q gladiator
was flung. the angry foe standing over
him had first TO look up 70 the vestal
virgins to find out whether he might
spare him or plunge into his heart the
fatal sword. IL the vestal virgins
wanted the PROSTATE fighter TO live,
they would point their thumbs to the
heavens; IL they wanted him to die,
they would point their thumbs down.
So today by the lessons Of the bargain
counter we hold the life and the death
OF multitudes as they did in the Ro-
man Coliseum. Shall we say Thumbs
up or Thumbs DOWN."
The Earl of Shaftesburys Career.
Did you ever hear how the Earl of
Shaftesbury was led to devote him
self to his great LIES work? No soon
er did he enter parliament as n young
man or twenty-five than he at once be-
gan TO look around to see whom he
could help. First he arose and adyo,
Gated laws for the alienation of the
sunerings OF the insane I'm the public
asylums. AS soon as the pitiful ex-
istence Of these poor unfortunates was
Dettered he wrote in his diary, "And
so by Gods blessing my first effort has
been made for the advancement OF hu-
man happiness" Next he advocated
laws to better the condition of the
poor paupers farmed out to work. as
some OF our states farm out their GRIM
inals TO work in the mines. Then he
extended helping hand to the poor
wi
ers were compelled to work for n liy-
Ing. Then this nobleman, noble not
only by blood, but by achievement.
started out TO help the seamstresses
or London and the bootblacks and at
last even the criminals themselves.
And when he died the Prince of Wales
rs we'll as the London poor We'd with
each other TO show honor when the
good Earl OF Shaftesbury's body was
laid away among the honored dead of
Westminster abbey. All these noble
received their first i'm
pulse when as boy he saw a friend
less pauper In cheap box being car
RED by five drunken men to the pot
ter's field. May these thoughts on the
bargain counter be TO US what that
plain wooden box was to the noble
earl. May we from this moment real
lie that there are countless multitudes
In want and in poverty May we 60
forth prayerfully, hopefully, trium-
to do the greatest good we can
10 the greatest number and to help all
suffering humanity In Christ's name as
lesus helped us. Then will the TRACE