Arizona republican., 1911-09-18

finger, and as harmless as an angle worm? l even heard a woman give an unearthly yell the other night at the sight of a cats tail, which she mistook for a serpent, as it pro truded from beneath the house.
 How much safer We would be if sin would frighten us. But it's long long suit is its subtlety. It creeps. It crawls. It inserts its poison and leaves its sting to remind of its presence after it is too late. It leaps upon us like serpent from a tree. It coils about us until it crushes and destroys. Fear sin in all it's forms-thought, deed, word. influence-as you do a serpent; shun sin in it's every phase as you do a reptile wherever you meet him and you will be as free from the detec- reptiles venom.
 ,. Sin is an unfailing detective be- cause it accOmplishes it's end by building upon yesterdays victories. What data have l to begin with? is the question that every detective has to ask. In the Times case it was known that the paper had antagon- iZed the Labor Unions. Thus suspic- ion would very naturally be rested there. It was also known that it was a time explosion. That being true, it was well understood that those who placed the explosive might have taken an early train out of Los Angeles and have been well on their way toward san Francisco by the time the shock came It was also known that high explosives had been purchased from a coast town in the north and shipped by boat south ward
 Now all these facts anG others were before the detective and by proceeding upon the basis of the known, he might hope to find the unknown. And. if Burns has sue ceeded, it is only because he has made good use of the meager facts at his command
 Sin works in the same way. It starts with little and on that little il keeps on building. little by little, until at last its poor victim awakens to the fact that he is caught.
 To get d start is d difficult thing. The first indulgence in tobacco. the first disloyalty to conscience. the first visit to the saloon. the first trick of dishonesty in business. the first deed of desecration in sacred things, the first jaunt with unwhoI- some companions, the first neglect of duty in Christian things-these are the crucial moments in sins de- structive career Well does the Prince of the power of the air understand that he can make life's sled plunge down the slope and on to ruin, if he can only succeed in removing the check that holds one at the brow of the. hill of conduct
 One of the delights of my bOyhood was coasting. Near our home was hill that nature seemed to have shaped for the pleasure of the boys of the community. The slope was long and gradual, with a good land ing place. except when the momen- tum was strong enough to carry us over raise at the bottom. And in that event there was danger of going ever a precipitous place where the landing would probably be d fence
 There was only one certain way to avoid that risk; and that was to remain on the top of the hill. When once the wedge was removed from the runner of the sled the conse- Iuences had to be taken, be they what they migh-.
 m i'm, Gi iS- Dnly safety is to leave the chOck uf where God has placed 1t. For nora! Gvavitation is downward, md ve gre driven on by the momen- um of evil habit until at last the Drecipice of eternity closes our wild .areer.
 Oh. how many are on the down ward slope tonight. They set out rom good homes. with mothers | prayers and fathers counsel to di- | ect and sustain. Perhaps they were successful in business for a time. Maybe they filled a worthy place in | ociety. Perchance their names were | m the church book, and their pres nee in the services was noted with | pleasure by their friends
 Alas, It is not so tonight They | re living on the down grade. going | $ fast as sin can carry them. And | he reason they could tell with tears | oursing down their cheeks. For | recalls the day when they | made their first concession to evil. nd all the days since then sin has uilt upon it's success of the day efore until nOw-GOd pity-the mo- nentum in vice is so rapid that othing short of a wildwhirl of ivine grace can turn them away rom the precipice of ruin and set hem going up grade instead.
 g. Sin is an unfailing detective ecause it lands its victims behind he bars I cannot say the longest ime that may have passed between he commission of the crime and he detectives locating the man. No oubt, decades have intervened. So in may require years in coming to s full fruition. but it will succeed at lst in accomplishing its end: Be ure your sin will find you out"
 Many a man has it dragged behind he bars of physical weakness. Oh,
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