Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-16
.ty Fair" EeoI. 1:12-1s; 2: iii.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

loosely to designate any scene of
fashion and worldly display. Some
what of Bunyan's sinister meaning
has departed from the term. His Pill
grim saw a Vanity Fair which was
ruled entirely by the evil one, and en-
bodied ''the world, the flesh and the
devil" 1t was at utter enmity with
the two travellers, Christian and
Faithful, and the latter it put to death
for his testimony after both had been
imprisoned and sorely abused.
4 i
Nowadays the church has moved
into Vanity Fair, or else Vanity Fair
has joined the church. The line that
divides the two Is sometimes hard
to distinguish
Wise old John Bunyan! He was a
true philosopher His language and
even his theology may be archaic, but
his knowledAe Of human nature is for
ever true. He preached no unreal, i'm
practicable gospel; his characters,
with their descriptive names, seem
more truly flesh and blood than most
that are not meant merely to point
moral This tinker of Bedford under
route to heaven is by way of the
earth. The way to the Celestial City
lies through Vanity Fair. There is no
escaping human life. The Christian is
obliged to live with people, all sorts
of people. He must develop his char
acter, not in dollhouse of monasti-
cism. but in the atmosphere of every
day, where contending winds blow,
and bitter frosts follow scorching sun
shine. All the variety Of tastes and in
fluences that go to make up this com
pick world are brought to bear upon
him. He must keep his goodness, if at
all, in spite of constant allurement to
evil. Happy is he if the din and clamor
and the glitter aid lights of Vanity
Fair do not distract him from the
steadfast pursuit of heavenly inner
itance hereafter, and a heavenly life
now.
Vanity Fair is the world of seem
so; it's motto is MAN looketh on the
outward appearance"
A sensible test for pleasures Is
this: Are they as pleasant in retro
spect as they were in prospect? In
other words, have they satisfied?
| Does familiarity with them not cause
them to pail upon the taste? Spiritual
| joys will stand this test. The delights
of the mind, the sweet experiences of
the heart. grow greater with contin-
ued use. The Christian whose spiritual
| life is a vital reality enjoys his relig-
ion increasingly as the years pass.
But as every one who has dwelt in
Vanity Fair knows, the pleasures of
sin are only ''for season."
Even in Vanity Fair, the gospel may
be commended by holy life that is
| humble. Shamefully abused as they
were, Christian and Faithful yet con-
| Quoted themselves in such manner
! II at citizens of the place were won to
their way.
extravaganza and gayety, Vanity Fair
harbors more unhappiness than any
other spot on earth.
On many of the great thoroughfares
of Vanity Fair-the broadwalk of At
lantic City, Broadway at midnight,
| Picadilly at theatre closing time-I
have noticed that one may see more
rouge than spiritual peace; more
faces made smooth by massage and
cosmetics than are made sweet by the
outward shining of an inner light.
To each young person life is a new
world. Everybody must be his own Co
lumbus. The temptations of Vanity
| Fair are as fresh as though they had
not led myriads astray. Bunyan
quantity remarks, "The fair therefore
lis an ancient thing of long standing
and very great Fair The stated
Wise Man could cry, "There is moth.
| ing new under the SUM-" but to youth
everything is new. The lure of the
world is as powerful for him as it was
for the first young man to face toward
/ q city. Everybody must fight his own
1 way through the experiences of life
Fond parents often try to shield their
children from the dangers of the
world. All in vain. Whoever would live
a real life in real world must maks
the grand experiment for himself
To some persons the glitter of the
lie OF pleasure Is supremacy SeQuc
tive. They esteem the highways d
/ Vanity Fair the most desirable places
on earth. To ''see life" and to be seer
amid life. to have and to excel, to ex
! cite emulation and envy to be "some
body is the genuine and no
uncommon conception of happiness
entertained by many persons. Will
maturer wisdom, the pre-eminen
value of things spiritual is perceived
The love of true hearts, quietness
peace with God, and the simpler joys
are realized as of first Importance
Concerning the pride of life. and thu
desire of the eyes, ripe wisdom says
VANITY of vanities."
On the way to Vanity Fair the Phi
grim met Talkative, character still
not uncommon. whose religion foun,
vent only at his lips. He was a goo
, talker, but poor doer; he could gilt
~ conform to the prevailing speech Q
the occasion, but he could not stick t
. the Dilp'rim WaV to the City Celestial