The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-09
THE THIRD WATCH.
a Sermon orr Gambling ana Drunkeuess
with tho Usual Theatrical
AccOmpa Imenfs.

d BROOKLYN, Dec. a.-Mr. Tamage to-day
continued his series OF sermons on the night
side Of city life, taking his text from Genesis
l. 8; "And darkness he called night
| have spoken to you. said TaImage In
1 this series Of sermons about the first watch of
night and the second watch of night I'm our
great cities. j propose now to speak to you
OF the third watch of night. or from II o'clock
at night until In the morning.
Thousands tonight will not sleep at all Go
up that dark alley. Be cautious lest you fall
over the form Of that drunkard lying on his
own doorstep Look through the window
you will hear the cry, God help us There
is no light fire, bread or hope. They are
shivering In the cold. They have had no
food for twenty-four hours. Why don't they
beg2 They did beg, and got nothing. The
vicious poor need your pity much, for they
are In hell now. | would give ten prayers for
The guilty who are suffering where | would
give i've for Christians who are suffering.
want y0ujto understand that these vicious
poor have had two shipwrecks, one of the
soul and body, and the other for time and
eternity. Pass on through the alley and
open the door. Ii Is not locked and never has
Deem Only broken chair stands against it
Shove 1t back and go in. There IS nothing
but beastliness and rags. See those glaring
eyeballs. Do not offer any insult or utter one
word OF suspicion II you value your life. That
red mark on the wall is the mark of a muir
derer's hand. Strike another match. You
see that babe, but ii will never smile again
The light has gone out, but do not strike an
other for 1t will be mortuary.
Brooklyn, New York and all our great cities
are full Of such scenes as that, at the worst
time, the third watch of night. Tamage
said that In this third watch gambling did
Its worst work. The member Of Congress
gambled with the member elect and won
$1200O0. The old way of getting living
was so slow and the old way of getting a for
tune SO stupid, that they toss UP to see who
will have 1t. and so the work went on, from
the wheeling wretches pitching pennies in a
back room Of a grocery to the millionaire
gamblers In thestock market. As they passed
down the streets of these cities the click of
the dice and the sharp. keen stroke of the ball
on the billiard table could be heard. All the |
people were robbed by this crime The clerk |
OF the store takes hand after the shutters |
were up, and the officers OF court while away
their time while the jury Is out. In one year |
IN the city OF New York $1,000 900 were sacri- |
Heed at the gaming table.
Perhaps some strangers were i'm the Taber-
nacle from some hotel. and Talmage urged |
.bem to look out for those agents of iniuuity
fyho tarry about hotels and ask you If you
would like to see the city and il you have
een that splendid building up town If you
ave not seen 1t the villain will undertake. to
how you what he calls the "lions and the ele-
,hants.' Laughter After the young man,
lrough morbid curiosity Or through badness
I soul, has seen the lions and elephants he
ill never see heaven. Subdued sobs. There
& more mercy continued Talmage, in a
fGhWayman Tor the belated traveller on whose
)dY he heaps stones, more mercy in fire for
te tree branch itsteals: more mercy in frost
r the Hover 1t kills more mercy In the hur-
1 ,ane that shivers the ship than there is
ercy In the heart of the gambler for his vic
a.
Drunkenness did its worst in the third
,tch OF night. great deal Of what was
He'd Christian work went for nothing. What
! wanted was common sense Christian
lrk with bread i'm one hand and the bread of
D In the other. kind word uttered in the
lex places of crime would bring back thous-
Il 81 echoes from al the thrones in heaven
Icy should not look to men, but to God.
There was q man who would not reform.
kd Talmage transformed his platform into
heatrical stage, rang up the curtain and
Icted the tragedy of Ellis Life.D Act l.
Foung man starting from home; farewell
an, bright lights. long white veil trailing
the aisle; prayer, congratulations and the
samation, How we'll she looks" Ring the {
J and the curtain drops, Act 2-A wo-
h waiting for staggering steps; old gar
lt8 stuffed into the window panes: marks
AUdship on her face; biting the nails of 6
5dless fingers: neglect, cruelty and de-
Dir. Ring the bell. and the curtain drops
4-Three graves in dark place; grave ,
child, who died for want of medicine
re Of wife, who died of broken heart
% Of a man, who died OF dissipation. "Oh,
! blasted the heath with three graves. |
e ID plenty Of weeds but no flowers: an !
coiling its serpent around the crushed Z
Is black darkness forever. | can look no y
ar on woe. | dose my eyes to this last
VI the tragedy. Quick quick ring the i.
iand let the curtain drop" A voice : :
MI