The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-10-08

way to church. It Is communion day, and
what is the old mans surpris, to see hi;
son pass down the aisle with one Of ths
silver cheliees, showing him to be church
official. The fact was that Nicholas from
the start in city life honored God, and God
had honored him. When the first wave o.
city temptation struck him he had felt the
need Of divine guidance and divine
protection, and in prayer had sought a re.
generated heart, and had obtained that
mightiest OF all armor, that mightiest Of
all protection, that mightiest OF all REIN
forcements, the multipotent and omipo.en,
grace Of God, and you might as well
throw thistle down against Gibraltar
expecting to destroy it, as with all the
combined temptations Of earth and he'll
try to overthrow a young man who car
truthfully say: "God is my refuge and
strength"
Come, let rs measure Nicholas around
the head. As many inches of brain as any
other Intelligent man.. Let us measure
him around the heart. 1t Is so large IL al
it takes in all the earth and all the heav-
ems. Measure him around the purse. He
has more resources than nine-tenths OF
those who on that Monday, September 20,
came in on any Of the railroads from
north, south, east and west.
But that Sabbath afternoon while in the
back room Nicholas and his father are
talking over any attempt at the reclama.
ton of Edward, there is a ringing of the
door-bell and a man with the uniform of a
policeman stands there; and the man with
1 HI
and in a roundabout way says that in q
| fight in some low haunt of the city Ed.
ward had been hurt He says to Nicho.
| las:
81 heard that he was some relation Of
yours. and thou yht you ought to know it. I"
"Hurt! Is he badly hurt:"
"Yes, very badly hurt:"
SIS the wound mortal?"
Eyes; it is mortal. To tell You the
| whole truth, sir,' says the policeman,
''although can hardly bear to tell you,
he is dead.'
"Dead" cried Nicholas: and ty this
| time the whole family are in the hallway.
The father says:
"Just as feared. 1t will kill his mother
when she hears of it. Oh, my son, my
son! Would to God had died for thee.
Oh. my son, my son."
"Wash of the wounds.' saws Nicholas,
sand bring him right here to my house,
and let there be all respect and genteness
shown him.
Oh, what obsequies, The next door
neighbors hardly knew what was going
on; Tut Nicholas and the father and
mother knew. Out of the Christian and
beautiful home of the one brother is car
ried the dissolute brother. No word of
blame uttered. No harsh things said. On
Their" Had the prodigal been true and
pure and noble in life and honorable
in life and honorable in death
he could not have been carried forth with
more tenderness or slept in a more beauti-
full casket, or been deposited in more
beautiful garden of the dead. Anil the
loosened turf the brothers who left the
country for city life five years before, now
part forever. The last Sc ne of the fifth
act of an awful tragedy of human life is
ended.
What made the difference Ietween these
two young men: Religion. The one de.
on God. They started from the same
home. had the same opportunities of edu-
cation, arrived in the city on the same
day, and if there was any difference, Ed.
ward had the advantage, for he was
brighter and quicker, and all the neigh.
bors prophesiei greater success for him
than for Nicholas. But behold and won.
der at the tremendous secret. Voices
come up out of this audience and say:
did you know these brothers."
"Yes: knew them weil.''
did you know their parents:"
Eyes; intimately"
Why this sermon! I have made I'D nv
mind that our city life is destroying too
many young men. There comes in every
September and October a large influx Of
those between sixteen and twentr-four
years Of age, and New York and Brook.
lyn damn at least q thousand of them
every year. They arc shoveled on and
down with no more epmpunctiou than that
with which a coal-heaver scoops the an.
thracite into dark cellar. What with
the wiue-cup and the gamblers dice, and
the scarlet enchantress no young man,
without the grace of God, is safe ten min.
utes.
There is much discussion about which is
the worst city of the continent. Some say
New York, some say New Orleans, some
say Chicago, some say st. Louis. What I
have to say Is, you caH not make much
comparison between the infinites, and in
all our cities the tenptation seems infini e.
We keep great many mills run
Mig dag and night. No rica-
mills or cotton-mills. Net mills of corn or
wheat. but mills for grin ding up men.
Such are all the grog-shops, licensed and
saloons. Such are all the houses Of in.
fanny. And we do I'll the work according
TO law, and we turn out a new grist every
hour, aad grind up warm hearts and clear
heads. and the earth about a cider-nIil Il is
not more saturated with the beverage thu an
the ground about all these mind-de strov-
ing institutions is saturated with The
blood eff victims. We say to Long Island
and villages:
Send US more supply"
And to Westchester and Ulster and an !
the other counties os New York:
''Send US more men and women TO put
under the uheels.S
Oman and woman. ponder the Path Of /
thy feet. See which way yea are going. !
VIII you have tn. destiny Of Edward or 1
Nicholas: On this sacramental day. when |
the bur nished chaiices stand in the pres. /
enee Of the people, start from the fqot Il
the cross for usefulness and Heaven Plu-
tarch tells Us that after Cesar was slain
and bis twenty-tdree wounds had Teen |
display ed to the people, aro0sing az I'M.
excitement, and the !
body of the dead connuernr 40.