The Washington herald., 1918-01-14

when a father sends for a boy, who
left home with good heritage, and
when he is found in the city, a NOR
al leper, a drunken bum. an imbe-
cile. a gambler or a thug, could
anything be more heartrending
than that?
Young women, are you keeping
company with a young man that is
a moral leper? In Gods name take
my advice and quit instantly. Stop
where you are! Husband, If you
go back home. does your conscience
lash you because of guilt? And
young man. when you stand at the
marriage altar. with a pure girl. if
your character is reprobate and
your life is debauched, before God
Almighty, I charge that you ought
to be compelled to cry out: I'm
clean! Unclean! Unclean!"
But he was a leper." He thought
more about sin. He had other quail
tiles. but that puts many a fellow
down-and-out. That puts him be-
hind prison walls. that makes him
take the count. You can say other
good things but when you've got
to add that. it is pitiable to me
absolutely pitiable.
But he was a leper." Moral lep-
ers. They I'LL our cities. sir. oh.
they make the air Ioathsome with
their profanity and their low down
jests and their rascality; and they
are out on the farms, in the stores,
billiard halls, street corners, fac
tories, garages. saloons. lodging
houses, hotels, oh! there is hardly
a place. my friends that doesn't be-
come the spawning place for all
sorts of sins. Mind branded with
corroding influences of vulgarity
and memories Of sin. AS leprosy is
injecting, so is sin. The evil that
is IN you or me will become the
evil that will dwell in others that
we pick for companions or the evil
that is in them will become the
evil that is in US IL we associate
with them.
So God says: Have nothing to
do with them IL you want to win
out in this world"
That's the secret of many a fall
ure. The wrongs you commit
against yourself will be the wrongs
that the other people will be in
spired to do against themselves.
And this infection implies that to
scatter it you must come in contact
with one that Is thus afflicted with
it. Those most liable to be de-
stroyed by our sins, / am sorry to
say, are those that are nearest and
dearest to US.
The sins of the mother will be
the sins OF the daughter. The sins
of the father, the sins OF the son.
the brother. the sins of the broth
err. Kindred ties seem only to facil-
itate the transmitting of all these
characteristics.
Like Robert z. Lee, walking over
the snow-covered hills of Arlington.
heard a sound and turning about
saw his little boy trying to take
steps and put his little feet where
his fathers had been in the snow
and he said to himself:
THAT says, Robert E. Lee, he
mighty careful where you are go
ing for your child is trying to fol-
low you and walk in your foot
steps"
So we ought to think of others in
this world, not simply ourselves.
Suppose our hearts were all open.
Supposing we had glass doors to
our hearts and we could just walk
along the street and look in and see
where you'd been and what you'd
done. I think we'd all want stain
ed glass windows. Then I think
we'd all vote for heavy tapestry
over the stained glass.
Now, suppose I could do this. Sup
psoe had a screen here and 1 could
push button and reproduce the lives
upon the screen. Supposing I'd say:
Here's Mr.. AS heart. Here's what
people think he is and here's what he
is"
I'd say: Here's Mrs. AS heart" /"
Supposing 1 could do that and go
down through the alphabet and go on
down, I wonder how long could hold
my audience? think 1t would be too
hot for most Of US.
Moral lepersI A man said to me:
Does that mean the rottenness of a
corrupted life?'
1t does, in its last analysis, but 1t Is
the beginning of things that society
takes no note of. That's what I'm
lESluS " "dTh you VI III the DtSln-
ming, the thought that there is a
divine philosophy in the blessed God.
The Good Angel.
I never could imagine an angel
preaching to an. audience of men and
women and that audience being con-
verted by anything the angel would
say. Why, here's what think some
of US would say to that angel: Good
angel, did you ever SIM"
mo! No! haven't your nature
There is great mercy with God"
well, good angel, did you ever get
drunk?"
mo! Mo-"
Did you ever sweat?"
mo! Nov'
.,-"Did you ever attempt to lie or COM
init adultery?'
mo! No! We are not male and fe-
male"
Wen. think his audience would
leave.
You never set up In the night and