Year: 1879

XVII ~.


Cheerfulness of spirit is the best medicine
in the world. One who possesses cheerful
disposition is seldom sick himself, while he
administers healing and health to all around
him. There is sort of magnetism about
merriment that inspires all within the IN
fluence of him who irradiates it. This is
seen every day in every walk of life. In
social gathering the advent of man or a
woman of bright disposition is hailed as
ray of sunshine in dark day. 1t is pana-
cea for whatever of gloom may have settled
over the assemblage, and a certain cure for
the blues. On the other hand, person with
a chronic dyspepsia is almost certain to mar
the enjoyment of company, no matter how
they may have been disposed previous to his
coming. His presence acts like a wet blanket
on all who are assembled, and unless he soon
departs the company will disperse in mood
which may lead to suicide and is almost Ger
tain to result in family disturbance. One
man with the blues can do more harm in an
evening than all the preachers in America
can remedy in century.


Have our clergymen and professed Chris
tians given this subject the thought that it
requires? We are afraid they have not, else
we would find the house of worship far
different place from what it is to-day. In
stead of being compelled to listen to sermons
devoted to a recital of the terrible conse-
quences of sin, and the wrath that is sure to
be visited upon those who transgress, we
would be able to enjoy an occasional dis
course upon the beauties of holiness,
and the benefits that follow a
righteous life. All over the country
we find that the abodes of sin glitter with
all the attractions that art can devise, while
the presumed habitations of holiness
and virtue have the appearance of cave of
gloom. The drinking saloon is brilliant
with gaslight and tinsel, while the temper
ance coffee house is illuminated only by a
Pickering lamp, and presents an aspect
the reverse of inviting. The home of the
scarlet woman is enlivened with music and
mirth, while the home to which tired
man HES himself after hard days work
is too often rendered untenantable by a
scolding wife and group of petulant
children. The gambling room is furnished
lu1uriantly and every sense is gratifed in
the surroundings, while the reading room
is made place of repulsion rather than
attraction. Its walls are adorned with
placards warning visitors against loud
talking, and an accidental burst of laughter
is punished by instant expulsion. Tht
club room is place of relaxation, where
after the days work is done, man can e
and find congenial company, refreshmen
and rest; the prayer meeting or the ser
vice of the church is rendered unattractive
by the dull monotone of the prayers, th<
apparent joylessness of the hymns, and the
universal penitence and sentimentalism o.
the recitals of religious experience.


We are constrained to the belief, after 6
careful survey of the ground and com
parison of the methods of the two contend
ing moral forces in this country, that the
devil has got decidedly the best of tht
battle thus far. He has got all the glitter
that attracts, while his enemies have
monopolized the gloom that repels. Th.
reformers and advocates of Christianity
have taken the wrong tack. They have no
had proper knowledge of human nature
while the saloon keepers, the gamblers
and the variety managers are fully &C


quainted with all the weaknesses that frai
humanity is subject to, and have profted b,
that knowledge. It used to be said tina
ssvinegar never catches fies.'' OF course al
occasional insect with vitiated taste meets
it's fate in cruet of the liquid, but the mo
lasses attracts the largest swarms. So it i
with humanity. The race is simply like
swarm of flies. Sweets attract while the re
verse repel. The Christian public have, n,
doubt, with an earnest faith and sincere de
sire, undertaken to capture men and brin,
them into the fold of Christ. But they hav
gone to work in the wrong direction. In
stead of making their religion attractive the,
have endowed it with all the repellant fea
lures of which it is capable. The readin,
rooms they have established are rendered a


unattractive as the ingenuity of man coul,
make them. The coffee houses managed b,
them are places into which no one woul,
voluntarily care to enter. They are appar
emily dyspeptic, and have proceeded on tn,
theory that all mankind is afflicted with th,
same disorder, and prefer surroundings witt
a tendency to depress rather than elevat
the spirits. The agents of his satanic mai
esty, on the contrary, have had clearer in
sight into human nature, and have sought t.


allure frail men by all the seductive vile


that could be devised. Hence we see tht


church decaying and the ranks of sin en-


larging day by day. Until reform is in


stituted We need hope for no change for tn


better. Until the churches spread out mo


lasses instead of vinegar, they need not e1


pect to catch flies.


SOMETHING FOR CONGRESS TO REG
UL4TE.


1t transpired yesterday that the DOS
leadership at the new post about to be erect
ed on Milk river had been awarded to a rer
: resentative of Mr.. A. H. Wilder, of this cit,
What made the matter peculiar was that th
same gentleman already has similar tradin
privileges at Fort Custer and Fo7
keogh. This concentration of three 30,
tradershlps In one person smach
e | of the BalknaD roo;roo ,rbo-, 1l