Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-01-03

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open door of your store. I find intelli-
gent and courteous clerks at the coun-
tiers. The store Is crowded with Gus
toners. But so perfect is the system
there Is no confusion anywhere. / en-
ter your glass office. You are an old
boy hood friend. l say: Hello, Joe!
Business Is booming. Your store Is
growing by leaps and bounds. Why,
man, you will be a millionaire within
a few years But, old fellow, what Is
the matter with you? You are sick.
Why, Joe, have you seen the doctor
latelyT YES" you answer. II have
seen the doctor He has prescribed
enough medicine for me to float a bat
tleship. But medicine does no good.
He says l cannot live in this climate.
I should go to Texas or Arizona or
| California. There I would be we'll
man. But how can I go? This awful
cough is draining my life away, but
cannot pull out and sacrifice my llfe's
work. I cannot sell the business for
what 1t Is worth. cannot sacrifice the
labor Of twenty years" Yes, you can,
Joe. You must sacrifice 1t now or give
it up altogether within a couple of
years. If you pull out now you can go
to warm climate and start anew and
have a long life with your family. II
you do not pull out now they will take
you south winter after next, when
your two lungs are nearly gone, and
then the sacrifice will be too late"
LET co. Is the command. Let CO."
No matter whether you have spent
three long months in digging the reser-
voirs on the drought accused Calfor
MIA mesa let go. AS a man whose life
is doomed read you not Gods hand
writing upon the wall as Belshazzar
read 1t in the Babylonish capital?
The Spiritual Application.
But we must not stop here. Our ser
mons theme has an application in a
spiritual way as we'll as in a financial
and a physical. And especially are it's
teachings pertinent to the spiritual
lives Of our children. Those broken
down fences and that wrecked home,
that hard baked clay Of the deserted
farm lands Of the California mesa. re-
semble the spiritual situation in some
Of your homes. You have formed hab-
its that you know are running you and
undermining your relation to God. Let
20. The struggle will be hard, but it
Is for your life. Let go. Some of you
have formed associations which are
poisoning your spiritual life. They are
becoming dear as right hand or a
right eye. Let go. What did Christ
say? Cut them off 1t is better to en-
ter into life manned than to keep them
and perish. AS you value your soul,
let go.
l enter your home, and what do I
find? A beautiful home. Yes, it is a
beautiful home. The lawns are we'll
kept. The walls are delicately tinted
and have upon them the copies Of some
of the best masters. The library shelves
are flied with rows upon rows of the
best books, both Of the past and Of the
present day The grand piano is in the
corner Of the parlor. You have q look
Of pride as we settle down to a chat
after the we'll cooked and we'll served
dinner. Then, in a sort of reminiscent
mood, you tell me the struggle of your
life. Yes" you say, II have had a
hard time Of It, All that l inherited
from my parents We're good physical
health and a big heritage Of prayers.
came to this city thirty years ago abso-
lutey alone and friendless. Now
have this home. My business is grow.
ing every day. My family will never
want, and l am living on Easy street."
Not All Well.
"Well. WELL" I say, sis that so? I
certainly congratulate you. I suppose
you are now very happy man. What
with Il home like this and your chill
dren growing up all right, you have not
much more FOR which to wish this side
of heaven" With that a shadow passes
over your face. Then you say: "Ah, I
wish that were true. But my children
, are not turning out as they ought. The
boys seem to have the wrong kind of
companions. The glrls-oh, they are
so different from that first sweetheart
Of mine, who was my mother and my
own sisters" Indeed, that Is strange!
Why, how could the boys form the
wrong kind Of companionships when
you are so much with them7 Then
the girls. OF course you have brought
them up with the same kind of reli-
gious teaching that made your mother
and your sisters the noble Christian
women they were?"
With that another shadow passes
over your face. You say: ITO tell the
| truth have had very little to do with
my children. My boys hardly know
me. For years my body, mind and soul
have been concentrated in the store.
J have not had any time to waste in
pleasures. At night bring home my
important papers and go to my library
Immediately after dinner. There
, sometimes work on until after mid
night. IL l did not do so, l would lose
, thousands upon thousands Of dollars
, each year" What! You cannot afford
to make your boys your companions
What. You cannot afford to give up G
; part of each day for the spiritual de
velopment Of your children? Is the
, dollar question so malforming your life
that for gold brick you are willing tC
,. let the spiritual lives Of your children
, absolutely become n deserted Califor
MIA mesa, filed with the serpents OF
temptation and the hideous poisonous
tarantulas Of SIM Let 60 that money