Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-27

am able TO interpret II and uy the faith
% man to live il.
Let me say another thing. I am
not one OF those people that go up and
down the land talking to men and wum-
en- in all sorts or laborious disserta-
lions. jumbling and meaningless jargon.
was born and bred on farm, ana
know what IL is TO so to bed with an
honest dollar in my breechcs' pocket
that I earned by the sweat OF my brow.
under the blazing sun in the cornhelds
of Iowa. when the Statue of Liberty on
one side became a Jenny Lind and the
American eagle on the other became a
nightingale. and they'd sing poor,
homeless orphan boy to sleep.
And / know about the. hard knocks
and the dark and seamy side of life.
am no. like n fellow who when asked:
Are YOU going up to hear Bill?" re
piled: Il don't like to 90 where
can't take my Wife
Well. the old devil has been a good
many places. l guess. where he never
took his wife. You always keep shy OF
those bucks.
II sin wasn't so deceitful it would
not be so attractive. The devil does
not allow a man to stop and think that
every time he INDUCES his desires that
desire is growing stronger and through
accun1uIative force OF habit ne is grow
ing weaker in his power to resist II.
Every time a man drinks that habit
grows stronger and he grows weaker
in his power to resistance, my friends,
until the time comes when he is held
in bands stronger than steel and more
enduring. and he cries: "Oh. wretch
ed man that am Who shall deliver
me-
-. . ,oo5 ,,an1- manila who seem,
TO think that to be n Christian means
10 be a sort of a dishrsg kind of fei-
low. a w.shwashy milksop. j want 20
tell YOU you never made a bigger blum
der in your life.
Before 1 was converted I could put
on a pair of running shoes and HIT
the dirt 100 yards in 10 seconds from
the crack OF the pistol. l could circle
the diamond in il seconds from a
standing start And I was handy with
my dukes, too.
I could run just as fast after l was
decent as I could before I was decent,
and could circle the bases just as fast
after I prayed as could before
prayed. can still handle my dukes
pretty good. / can so so fast for FIVE
rounds you can't see me. / meet lot
of people that seem 10 think that a mys-
terry. They don't know that Christianity
was intended to increase the highest
possible degree of happiness. and the
man that flies in the face of God is a
fool.
Years ago when I quit playing base
ball became secretary Of one of the
Y. NJ. c. AS in Chicago. I had the
saloon route. going through saloons and
giving men tickets inviting them to
come to the Y. NJ. c. A. to our mems
meetings One day 1 went into a sa-
loon that used to stand across the
street from where the old Boston Store
now stands. and I was in there giving
ont tickets and I met young fellow
that I used to know out in Iowa and
I said to him: What are you doing in
here. George?" You are three sheets
to the wind now said.
He said, 81 came over Sunday night
and dropped in here between acts to
take a drink"
I said. You have taken too much
now!''
He said: Eyes. know At
said: DO you want TO become a
drunkard?"
He said: II don't intend to become
a drunkard"
I said: You can't find a drunkard on
Gods earth that started out intending
to be a drunkard when he took his first
drink Not a one. You can't find man
today that intended when he was a boy
to become a drunkard. He had no in
tentions of becoming one at all! Not
at all.'
Just then the door opened and an
old devil came staggering in out OF the
storm and the snow. He had straw
hat on. dirty and worn; he had torn
shirt on, and old dirty shoes; eyes
blood-shot. corners of his eyes full of
matter. vermin wriggling over him. /
said: DO you see that poor old devilE
There was a time when he stood where
you stand with as good a job as you
have and as good a suit of clothes as
you have on. And you go up and ask
that old bum IL he ever intended to be
a bum"
When he started out he walked over
to the bartender and said: Can you
give a poor. old bum 4 drink of whis-
ky?' and the barkeeper poured out
glass OF whisky. and, shaking. he threw
1t down with a gulp. He shrugged his
shoulders and headed out into the storm.
Ny friend laughed at me because l
called the matter to his attention.
One year later | stood on the cor
ner of Madison and Clark streets, IN
front of where the Morrison hotel stands
now-it was a clothing store then-giv-
ing out tickets inviting men TO come TO
Fargo hall to a meeting down there.
Down through the snow came a drunken
fellow. eyes bloodshot, face dirty
clothes greasy and ragged. I recognized
my friend that gave me the ha ha- The
year before he had lost his job in the
Chicago and Northwestern railroad gem
eral offices. There he was, common
hobo, going from place to place for a
handout The devil doesn't allow you
TO stop and think that every indulgence
I'm a sin weakens your power Of re-
sistslce. sir.
Christian character--oh. that's your
capital, That's what YOU do business
on, That's what enables man to go
TO a bank and borrow money without
somebody going as security on the
note,
Christianity is character There is
a big difference between character and
reputation. Your reputation is what
people say about YOU and think, but
your character is what God and your
wife and the angels know you to be. Oh.
there's many a man has a reputation
for being a good, noble, upright sort
Of man, whose heart is as black as
tar, and whose character would make