Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-23
DR.. TALMAGESssS ERMON
TWO YOUNG MEN WHO CAME TO
LIvEIN THE CITY"

1t was Monday, September co. alta country
depot. Two young men are to take the cars
20 the city. Fas her brought them IN wa ron
with two trunks. The .ening before at the
old home was rather a sad time. The ne. gh-
oors had gathered in to say goodbye. In
iced, ell the Sunday afternoon there had
been strolling that way from adjoining
arms for 1t was generally known that tho
Two boys the next morning were going TO tho
city to live and tie whole neighborhood was
interested, some hoping they would do well
and others, without saying anything, hoping
tor them city failure. Sitting on tle fence
talking over the matter, the ne ghbors woul
interiard their conversation about the wheat
crop last summer and the apple crop yet to
be gathered with remarks about the city pros
poets of Edward and Nicholas, for these
were the names of the two young men; Ed
ward, seventeen, and Nicho as, nineteen, but
Edward, although two years younger, being
hui ,ker to learn, knew as mu. h as Nicholas.
They were both brown-faced and hearty and
had gone through all the curriculum of coun-
try sports by which muscle is developed and
the chest filed out.
Father and mother on Monday morning
had both resolved to go to the depot with the
hoys, but the mother at the last moment
backed out, and she said that somehow she
felt quite weak that morning, and had no
appetite for day or two, and SO concluded
70 say goodbye at the front door of the old
place Where she went and what she dld
after the wagon left leave other mothers to
guess. The breakfast things stood almost
till noon before they were cleared away. But
little was said on the way to the railroad sta
hon. As tie locomotive whistle was heard
coming around the curve the father put out
his hand, somewhat knotted at the knuckles
and one Of the joints stitfened years ago by
wound from scythe, and said: Goodbye
Edward, goodbye, Nicholas! Take good
rar IF and tn xyo1r
get there and let us know how they treat you.
Your mother will be anxious to hear
Landed in the city they sought out with
consider able inquiry of policemen on street
corners and questioning of car-drivers the
Two commercial establishments to which they
were destined, so far apart that thereafter
bhey seldom saw each other for 1t is aston
ishing how far apart two persons can be in
large city, especially if their habits are
different Practically hundred miles from
Bowling Green to Canal street or from At
iantir avenue to Futon.
Edward, being the youngest, we must look
after him first. He never was in so large
store in all his life. Su b interminable
shelves, such skillful imitation of real men
aud women to display goods on, such agility
Of cash boys, such immense stock of goods
and whole community of employees. His
lead is confused as he seems dropped like a
pcbb.e in the great ocean Of business life.
Have you seen that greenhorn from the
.Ountryf" whispers young man TO young
nan. HE is in such and de artment. We
"iD have to break him in soma night" Ed
ward stands at his new place all day so home
sick that any no nent he could have cried
loud if his pride had not suppressed every
LING. Here and there a tear he ca elessly
dashed of as though it were from influenza
Or cola in the head. Butsome of you know
how u young man feels when set down in
city OF strangers thereafter to fight his own
battles and no one near by seeming to care
whittier he lives or dies. The centre of a
desert, months journey to the first settle-
ment. is not mu h more solitary.
But that evening as the hour for closing
has come, there are two or three young men
who sidle up to Edward, and ask him how he
likes the city. and where he expec,sto go that
night, and ii he would like them to show him
the sights. He thanks them, and says he shall
have to take some evenings for unpacking
and making arrangements, as he has just ar
rived, but says that after while he will be
glad To accept their company. Alter spend
ing two or three evenings in his b. arding-
house room, walking up and down, looking
at the bare wall or an old chrome hung tlere
at the time that religious newspapers, by such
prizes advanC ed their subscription SITS, and
a. ter toying an hour with the match box and
ever and anon examining his wat h to S ii
it is time to retire, and it seems that ten
u ClOSh hU nlBIO, Vi CNtti utuC " ClOShf Will
never come, he resolves thereafter to accept
the chaperoning of his new friends at the
store.
Soon the night comes when they are all
out together. Although his salary is not
large he is quite flush with pocket money
which the old folks gave him after saving up
fSr scme time He cannot be mean and these
friends are doing all this for his pleasure and
20 he pays the bills. At the door of places
Of amusement his companions cannot find the
change. or they accidentally fall behind just
as the ticket Office is approached, or thew say
they will make it all right and will them
selves ray the next time Edward, accus-
TONED to farm life or village life, is da1ed
and enchanted with the glitter of spectacular
sin. Plain and blunt iniquity Edward would
have Immediately repulsed, but sin accom-
panied by bewitching orchestra sin amid
gilded pillars and gorgeous upholstery, sin
arTayed in all the attractions that the powers
of darkness in comb nation can arrange to
magnetic young man, is very different
from sin in its loathsome and disgusting
share.
But after a few nights, being very late out,
he says must stop, my purse won't stand
this. My health won't stand this Myreru.
tation won't stand this" Indeed one of the
business firm one night from his private box,
in which he applauded play in which atti-
tudes and phraseology occurred which, il
taken or uttered In his own parlor, would
have caused BIN TO shoot or stab the actor on
the spot,-from this hish-priced box sees in
a cheaper place the new clerk of his store,
and is led to ask questions about his habits
and wonders how, on the salary the house
pays him, he can do as he does Edward, to
recover his hysical vigor and his finances,
stops while and spends few more even
ings examining the chromos on the wall and
counting the matches in the match box, or
goes down in The boarding-hous parlor to
hear the gossip about the other bcarsers or a
discourse on the ~ efficiency of the table
fare, cons dering the pri pa d-tne criti-
cism severe in PROF ortion as the faulthnder
pays little or is resolved to leave unceremoni-
ously and pay nothing at all.
"Ccnfound it9' cries the young man, 81
cannot stand this life any longer, and must
20 out and see the world The same young
men and others of a now larger acquaintance
are ready TO escort him. There is never any
lack OF such guidance If man wants to
20 the whole round Of sin he can fin1 plenty
way. But after awhile Edwards money Il
all gone. He has received his salary again
and ngain. but it was srent before he got it,
borrowing little here aud little there.
What shall be do now Why. he has seen in
his rounds Of the gambling tables men who
put down dollar and took up ten, put down
a hundred aud took M a thousand Why
not hel TO re onstruct his finances he taket
hand und wins: is so pleased be takes an
other hand and win, is in phrenzy Of delight
and takes another hand and loses all.
When he first came TO this city Edward