Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-10-15
DB. qALMAGE'S SERMON.
1.-TWO YOUNG MEN WHO CAME TO
LlVEIN THE CITY"

INT; "Fondcr the path Of thy fect"-Frov-
Tbs w., %.
IL was Monday, September 20, at a country
depot. Two young men are to take the cars
TO the city. Father brought them in a wagon
with two trunks. The evening before at the
Old home was rather sad time The neigh
bors had gathered in TO say goodbye. In
deed, all the Sunday afternoon there had
been strollins that way from adjoining
farms Tor It was generally known that the
Two boys the next morning were going to the
city TO live and tie whole neighborhood was
interested, some hoping they would do well
ana others, without saying anything, hoping
Tor theln city failure. Sitting on the fence
talking over the matter, the ne ghbors would
inter!ard their conversation about the wheat
cropof last summer and the apple crop yet to
begathere1 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
quicker 70 learn, knew as mut 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 filled out
Father and mother on Monday morning
had both resolved to go to the depot with the
boys, but the mother at the last moment
backed out, and she said that somehow she
tet quite weak that morning, and had no
appetite for day or two, and SO concluded
to say goodbye at the front door of the old
place Where she went and what she did
alter the wagon left | leave other mothers to
guess. The breakfast things stood almost
TIL noon before they were cleared away. But
little was said on the way to the railroad sta
ton. As the locomotive whistle was heard
coming around the curve the father put out
his hand, somewhat kuotted at the knuckes
and one of the joints stiifened years ago by
a wound from scythe, and said: Goodbye
Edward, goodbye, Methodist Take good
care OF yourselves and write as soon as you
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
considel 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
they seldom saw each other, for it is aston
lshlng how far apart two persons can be in
large city, especially If their habits are
different. Practically hundred miles from
Sowing Green to Canal street or from At
'antic avenue to Fulton.
Edward, being the youngest, we must look
after him first. He never was in so large
store in all his life. u interminable
shelves, such skillful imitation of real men
anu women to display goods on, such agility
of cash boys, such immense st lck of goods
and a whole community of employees. His
head Is confused as he seems dropped like q
pebble in the grl at ocean of business life
"Have you seen that greenhorn from the
countrytn whispers young man to young
man. He is in such and department.. We
Will have to break him i'll some night" Ed
ward stands at MS new place all day so home
SICK that any mo ent he could have cried
aloud if his pride had not suppressed every
thing. Here and there tear he ca! elesSly
dashed oil as though it were from influenza
OF q cold in the head But some of you know
how young man feels when set down in
city OF strangers thereafter to fight his own
battles and no ole near by seeming to care
whether he lives ur dies. The centre of O
desert, a months Quincy to the first settle
nent, is not mu h more solitary
But that evening as tho hour for closing
has come, there are tive or three young men
who sidle up to Edward, and ask him how he
likes the city, and where he expects to go that
night and Ii he would like them to show him
the sights. He thanks them, and says he shall
nave 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. After spend
ing two or three evenings in his boarding
house room, walking up and down, looking
al the bare wall OF an old chrome hung there
atthe time that religious newspapers, by such
prizes advanced their subscription lists, and
alter toying an hour with the match boz, and
ever and anon examining his watch to see il
1t is time to retire, and it seems that ten
O'Clock at night, or even nine o'clock, 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
odt together. Although his salary is not
large he is quite flush with pocket money
which the old folks gave him after saving up
for some time. lie cannot be mean and these
friends are doing all this for his pleasure and
30 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 they say
they will make it all right aud will them
selves lay the next time. Edward, accus-
TONED to farm life CT village life, is dazed
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
arrayed in ali 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
shape.
But after few nights, being very late out
ne says: Unjust stop, my purse won't stand
this. My health won't stand this. My rel u
tation won't stand thsn Indeed one of the
business firm one night from his private box,
in whit b he applauded a play in which att-
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 ,-fro:n this hi2 priced box sees in
cheaper plare 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 spenls a few more even
ings examining tie chromos on the wall and
counting the matches il the match box, or
goes down in the boarding house parlor to
hear the goss p about thu other boarders or a
discourse on the efficiency of the table
fare cons dering the prize pad--the criti-
cism severe in proportion as the faultfinder
pays little or is resolved to leave unceremoni
ously and pay thing at all.
"CCnfound it," cries the young man, 81
cannot stand this life any longer, and must
go out and see the world" The same young
men and Others of a now larger acquaintance
are ready to es sOrt him. There is never any
lack OF such guidance. If a man wants to
go the whole round of sin he can find plenty
to take him, who regiment who know the
way. But after awhile Edwards money is
all gone lie has r. eired his salary again
and again, but it ! srent before he got it,
borrowing ltd ere and a little there.
What shall he do liuJ Why, he has seen in
his rounds of the gambling tables men who
put down dollar and took mp ten, put down
O. hundred aud took up a thousand. WHY
not hel 70 re onstruct his finances he takes
hand IN. = MS il pleased be takes an
other hand and win' il in phrenzy of delight
and takes another hand and loses ALL
When he first came to this city Edward
was disposed to keep Sunday In quletness,
reading little and going occasionally to
hear a sermon. Now, Sunday is day OF
carousal. He il so full of into xicants by II
o'clock in the day he staggers on the street
Some morning, Edwal d, his breath stencil
full with rum, take his place in the store He
is not fit to be there He is listiess or silly
or impertinent or in some way incompetent