Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-23
Wbat Time IS st?
q Sermon for the Jemisb letu Dear.

piece. The watch in your hand is only .
toy. How fortunate IL is that YOU do
not appreciate the sweet passage OF
years. Why should you be perpiexed at
the seriousness OF lifes purpose Live
your life Of delicious naivette. For you
il is early dawn. The birds and the
breeze are your buddies. The world is
just waking up to sweat and groan. Why
should that concern YOU now? The heat
of the battle is yet far OF, You have
your freshness and buoyaney and bound
ing animal spirits ard soulful condolences.
Retain them as long as you can: kuead
them into the marrow of your bones:
absorb them into the corpuscles OF your
blood. The day is not far or when this
storage battery will he called upon to 81
and energize YOU, Only too soon will
the bloom OF your cheeks fade. only too
soon will those eyes behold the evil ~
man, and the lips he curled In deceit.
Only too soon will YOU witness and PAR
ticipate In the struggle for bread Who
knows. perhaps. 10 you ii may he allotted
To soften the struggle. or YOU may he
only another mouth that phianinropic
man must later ON feed
There is no need TO be depressed. TIE
childhood of the world is its securest
set. II is the guarantee OF progress. the
pledge of its continuity. We take heart
this New Year, and thank God for these
thousands of boys and girls, with their
innocence. their whimpers and their
idukHleI. IHelT tbdAtilS anu ihNll
their intimacies and their ROBUSTNESS
Thank God. they cannot yet tell what
time ii is,
What time is it, Young man?
It's your high noon. Do you not reait2e
that YOU are in the zenith of your op-
portunities? You have twenty. thirty.
forty years marked on your soul. What
think You OF that watch in YOUR hand
oh. ] got il for a present. and APP
nreciate il only for the sentiment that
d. n IL convenient
thing 10 carry around, but II does annoy
me IL rebukes me when | am late. It's
hands oft point the finger OF scorn. HOW
like 1t i, too. am-so often run down
Youth has a tendency TO be carefree ana
timefree Often It mistakes its bursting
animalism for righteous individuality.
Men and women OF your age are doing
the worlds work. Now Is the time when
society calls you to Join the FORCES that
are making for clean citizenship ana
righteous manhood and womanhood. Now
is the time when, I'm addition TO your own
interests. YOU can look closely 10 inc
warmth and purity OF your fireside, TO the
training and healthy development of YOUR
children. But besides these. now is the
time to serve the cause OF your conf
munitv and OF your religion. You are
just now in the complete possession OF
Your powers, that means that you nave
intelligence, courage. enthusiasm. pa
triotism. hatred of corruption. and all
those high and helpful qualities which
your community and country need for
their honor. peace and progress spend
not the precious time lamenting the cor
ruptionS of industry and politics. There
Is a time to speak and time to be ST.
lent. Now is the time to act and be
useful.
Your religion has a claim on YOU No
man needs TO APOLOGIZE for his religion.
Youth misinterprets it's hatred of res rlc-
tons as an argument for irreligion. Youth
thinks that ii can safely get along with
out Its ministrations. often II AFFECTS n
dislike for religion as an evidence or IN
teilectual force ! often find that So
called liberals in religion are the most
dogmatic and Ill beral of all Religion
has an appeal to the intelligence and en-
thusiasm of all people. 1t today IS the
strongest ethit al prop of the structure or
society. Religions voice is the most elo-
quent and persistent for domestic purity.
for commercial integrity. for national
honor, for personal cleanliness. There
is no greater work that young man or
woman can throw his heart into than the
strengthening of the religious forces In
his community. 1t is then that lie Will
begin to appreciate what time really Is
and to what moral tasks IL ought to be
utilized. Youth must mean the consecra-
ton Of purpose and usefulness OF activ-
ity.
What time is it TO You. friends. whose
septuage marian eyes pore over the watch
YOU have fondled for decades?
IL is shutdown. Your watch has an in
terest because il contains a lock of hair.
picture dear TO you. But the register
ing of passing minutes. hours and DAYS
disturbs and depresses you. You would
rather turn the hands ba kward, or. at
least. slacken their forward and newt
able movements. How natural.
Sometimes old age ridicules youth ex-
aggerates its errors and failings. its ebul
lition of feeling and passion only too
frequently old age weeps over the folli,s
and sins of the present because il aure-
oles the good old days of the past with
an added beauty and bliss
Old age is entitled 10 he happy. But
happiness il homegrown and homemade. II
Is dsposi,:onal and temperamental. II NoI
can carry the buoyancN OF childhood Wit
Won il YOU can retain Your interest. Keen
and sane. in life about You. If Nou can
have implicit confidence in Noilr fellows
despite their occas ional slipping from
the tether: If YOU can eschew enNylng
the enthusiasm of youth or the wealth
of others. sou have the finest equipment
for a happy old age.
If. in addition. you can gain comfort
and strength from the ministra tons Of
religion. and can love God as your dear
est companion. il YOU can thank Him
for the splendid opportunities vouch-
sa fed you. through many decades. to con-
tribute your share TO the worlds work,
YOU are, then. buttressed on solid rock
and can look the coming year calmly in
the face
| welcome YOU all, Young and old. 10
the sacred monitions OF this day. Peace
be within your gates and prosperity with
lie