The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-01-23
THE MIDNIGHT LECTURE.
By REV. t. DE WITT rALMAaE. D D.


pights,'w stepped on the rostrum at Chica'
go, Zauesviiie, Indianapolis, Detroit, Jack
sonvitle, Cleveland, and Buffalo But II
seemed inat Dayton WAS to be failure we
telegraph from Indianapolis, Missed
connection. Cannot possibly me' engage
neut at Dayton " Telegram came back
aa,ing "Takesa locomotive and come on T.
We could not get a locomotive. Another
kergrn m arrived, "Mr, Gale, the superlu
Sendent ot railroad, will send on n an extra
Ernin Go Immediately TO the drpoI u W.
gathered up our traps from the hotel floor
and sofa, aud hurled them at the satcheI
They would no. go in. awe put q collar IL
eur hat and the shaving apparatus in our
coat pocket; got on the satchel with both
lift epIi' everything between Indians polls
and Dayton. Arriving at the depot, the
tram was ready. We had u locomotive and
one car. There were six OF us ON the train
namely; he engineer and stOker ON tho loco
= motive while following were the conduit
tor. a brakeman at each end of the car,
and the pastor of heap OF ashes "n
shall we get 10 Dayton? we asked " Hail.
past nine O'Clock p responded he con,.uc
tor = Absurd |" we SAID - no audience
will wait till haIi-pGsr nine at Ighr for a
lecI urer''
Away we flew. The car having such q
light load. frisked and kicked, and msds
nerry "I a journey tnst 10 Us WAS bee ming
break meek spe, d, We relt inclIned To SUCCESS
80 The conductor tina, II would make no e.
ptcal difference it We did MOI get TO Day on
TIL sA quarter 10 ten. The night Was cold.
and the hard ground thundertd and cracked
TIE bridges. instead of roaring as Is their
wont, had no tune TO give any more than
grunl rs Struck them and passed on. At
times it, wss so gOu "a We were in doubt rs 10
whether we were ON The rack, or taking q
shOrI cut seross the field TO gel to our destl-
natl IN q little sooner. The aagm-n would
hastily open their windows, aud look at he
screrching train. The whistle blew wildly
not so much o give The villages warntug as
to let them know that something terrible
had gone through. Stopped to take in wnod
and water. A crusfy old man crawled out
Of a depot, and said To the engineer, "JIm q
what on earth is tie matter:" DOM
know" said jim, "that fellow in the car
yondPr Is hound to get TO Dayton, and W,
are putting hIHgs through" Brakes lifted,
bell rung and of again. Amid the rnsh and
pitch OF he tram there was no cka nee TO pre-.
pare our oilrt, and no booking glass, and Il
va quurE certain thar we would hsvr 10 step
from he tram immediately INTO he lectur.
2nR-haIl. We we're unff to br sren. We
were sure our hair wss parted in Ave or SIX
different piaces, md hat tn cinders had pun
our lace III mourning, and that sOme,L ling
mus De duue WHAT time ae con spare
from holding ON 10 the bouncing srat We
gave 10 our tOiltt, and The arrSngemt nts We
made, hough tar from satisfactory, katikft d
eur conscience tha We had done wuGt we
could. nution broke as VI were fAsten-
lug our cOlIsr-indeed hutton always does
break when y on are In hurry, and n, body
60 Few II on How long before we gei
Sher 2 We anxiously asked u have mIs-
.esiculai'd,' hHid the conductor; I'VE can
aOt get there till fv" minute Of /, IA O'Clock"
Ny dear man." ! cried You might ~
We'll turn round and 40 back tbs Vudc nee
wili br gone long before ten O'CLOCK ''N0!"
SAID he cOnduci or, at tho last dSpoi got
telegram saying they ara waiting patiently.
and etllng us To hurry on" The locomotive
sermed To feel it wa Oh the home-stretcb
Al riuer, wuat with the curling All Ike, and
sAs shn~erlng sparks, and the din, and rush,
and bang II sesn"d a. it we acre ON our
last ride and Ciiat the brakes would not iaii
Gil W slopptd forever.
Al five minutes of ten O'Clock we rolled
ant" the Dayton depot, and before tue tram
came To a halt We were in carriage with
the lec'urldE committee gong at the horses
GOl run toward the Opera House. Without
an iusL,nt Ia which 10 siacken our pulse.
She chairman rushed ia upon the stage, and
introduced he lecturer of the evening. Al
ser VI quickest way shedding overcost and
shawl, We confronted the audience ana with
our head yet swimming from the motion q,
shs ral-traln, We accOsted the peopIe-uany
st whom had been waiting siuce seven
O'cIock--with the words. - Lung-sufFeripy
out patient ladies and gentlemen: You are
che best natured audleace we ever saw -
Whrn we had concluded what we had to saw.
81 was about midnight, and hence he title of
hir sketch .-....' .''-''-' s.
We would have felt itsmore worthy OF the
raiIroud chase, ii it had been sermon rather
than lecture. Why do not the Young
Minis Christian Associations OF the country
gntersperse religious -dIscourses with the
secular the secular demanding an admission
fee, this religious without money or price ?