The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-12


clothed and in their right mind or the lnst1tl-
tons tor the blind where the eyes OF those who
never saw are touched, and INTO their vision
pours the sunlight OF knowledge and religion
or the Magdalen Asylums. where the lost one OF
the street comes 10 bathe the Savi0ur's feet
with her tears, conhdug IN the pardon OF Him
who sald, Let him tha. is without sin cast the
first stone at her !" or mention tnOse medical
Institutions which have taken hold OF the pulse
OF the worlds sCkDesses and in all the land
and throughout the world assuaged pain, pro.
longed the life of the race, and into novels of
wretchedness and laZarettoes OF pestence
followed the footsteps OF the Great Physl-
Clan; OF speak of the thousand-armed ma
Chinery that sends streaming down through the
reservoir the clear, bright, sparkling, God-given
water that rushes through our aqueducts, and
dashes out OF the hydTants, and tosses up in our
fountains, snd hisses in our steam-englnes. and
showers out the cODfagratlon, and sprinSes
from the baptismal font of our cnurcnes and
with silvery note and golden sparkle and crys-
t9lltne chime says to the hundreds of thousands
OF our population In the authentic words of Him
who made IT. 81 will be thou clean.r
Ay Ay have proved it. We have goodly
heritage, and when come to speak OF the sins oC
this place, 1t Is not because our city Is worse
than others, but because the very contrast with
our history and our advantage, and our mission
nable. III
shall not walk softly about this theme. but
call things by their plain Anglo-Saxon terms
and IN the name of the Lord God Almighty
arraign WickedLess in high places aod low,
and call up for public Indignation and correc-
tion the crimes that walk our streets at noon
dav, and under the very swallow OF our
churches. The sources from which snail bring
the array OF facts Will be police detective and
almsh0use reports and city misslonary's eXplO-
ration, and the testimony OF the abandoned and
sln-blasted who, about TO take the final plunge
into peroition. have staggered back just Tor
moment TO utter the wild shrek of their warn
ing and the agonizing wall OF their despair
People wondered how Turner got such fac-
lily in painting storm at sea, but after awhile
found him, during storm iashed fast in the
rigging studying the tempest So those who
have beer IN the a @ful shIpwreck OF bad pas
sions could best describe to us the storm. That
hand tremulouS with exhausting diseases, and
hardly able to get the accused bo wi to his Ilps
put In such hand the pencil, and he can
sketch as no one else the darkness and the tire,
and the wild terror, and the headIong pitch,
and the hell of those who have surrendered
themselves to sin. We dare only to come near
the edge, and, carefully balancing ourselves,
look off, and our head swims and our breath
catches, Only those can tell the story VINO,
having fallen to the depths with wilder crash
than glacier from the top of Swiss cuff stand
down IN their agonies looking up for relief that
comes not, and straIlng their eyes tor hope
that never dawns, crying, so God D God!
G0dV IL ls an awful thing to see man Gagged
of sinful habit, and beating against the wires
TO get out, till there is blood on the cage and
, blood on the soul.
Others may throw garands upon sin, and pic
ture the OveIhanging fruits that drop in her
path way, aud make every step graceful as the
dance. But we must speak of it as giant black
with the SCOT OF torges where eternal chains are
made, and feet rotllng with disease, and breath
foul with plaques, and eyes glaring with woe,
ana locks no wing IN serpent fanes, and voice
nom which rumble forth the blasphemes OF the
damned.
open YOU door through which you see -
what? Pleasant pictures and fountains, and
mirrors, and ioweTy bands? No! no! 1t is a
laZar-house OF disease. The walls driD, drip,
drip with the damps OF sPpulchres The victims
W at m
each other IN contOrtons lndescrIbaOle, holding
up their ulcerous wounds, tearing their matted
hair, weeping their tears of blood, some hootirg
with revengelul cry, some hoWlIng with ma
MACS lear, some chatterng with an idotic stare,
some calling upon God, some calling upon
friends, wasting away, thrusting each other
back, mocking each others pain, tearing open
each others ulcers dropping with the ichor of
death. And the wider | open the door, tn he
ghastlier the scene, the worse the horrors more
desperate the recoling, deeper curses, and
more blood, until can no longer endure the
vision, and slam shut the door, and cover my
eyes ana cry, "God pity themp
Some may say, what is the use of such an
exposition as you propose to make in this course
of sermons? Our families are highly respecta- |
BILE. We are in no danger!" | ans wer that no
family, however elevated or exclusive, can be |
independent OF the state or public morals |
While three years ago discoursed somewhat |
upon similar themes, a father sat inditerently, |
and thought snCh a sermon would be of no SER |
vice to his family. Hear it, ana let your ears |
tngle! At that time his sou was tottering on
the verge of habits which have since swallowed
him, body and soul; and his daughter was
taking the first steps IN that dark, dismal dole
ful path across which dart the fierce lgh tnings
OF an Incensed God, and over which-shall ]
tell you! Will you endure the unfolding? Nay,
nay heart stails mel | shudder and turn away.
However pleasant the block OF houses IN
which you dwell the wretchedness, the temp
tatlon, and the outrage of municipal crime will
put Its hand on your door-knob and dash Its
AWFUL surge against the marble OF your door
steps as storm-struck sea drives on the rocky
beach. That condition OF morals is now being
formed amid which our children must walk.
Do you tell me il is none of my business what
street profanity shall curse my boys ear on his
way TO schooly Think you it Is no concern of
yours what infamous advertisement shall, from
placards on the wall or public newspaper, smite
the Vision OF your innocent little ones +? Shall |
be offended at the nuisance OF q stagnant pool
OF water near my dwelling, and have nothing to
say When there are IN the very heart OF this city
twelve thousand houses devoted to various forms
OF dissipation and abandonment, and day and
night they steam with masma and pour ont
the fiery lava OF polluuon, and darken the air
with their horrors, and till the skies with the
smoke OF their torment that ascendeth up forever
and ever.
II there be a siaughter-hOuse too near the
CITY, we 90 down to the Mayor, and piteously
beg TO have the nuisance abated. make COM
plant to-nieht not TO Mayor or Common Coun.
Cu OUT 10 tne masses OF the people VINO have
the power to lift men up to Office and cast them
d0Wn-t0 you make complaint against tlDelue
thousand Saughter-houses In the name of our
happy homes our refined circles, our SCHOOLS
our churches, l enter complaint And il now
you sit unconcerned and leave TO profeSsed
philanthrOpsts the work, and care not who are
in authority, or what laws remain uuexpcuted
you may live to see the time when YOU will
curse the day in which your children we're born
My belief is that such an exposition OF public
1mmOraltCleS will do good nv pXci'inQ Dity Rnr