The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-12-21
Mr., AShtOn'S Second Sermon.


Her bold, black eyes stared at him as he went
by the open bar-room door. She stood on the
threshold, and Mr.. Ashton flushed at her smile
as he passed She had long since ceased to
blush others might do it for her, but she was in
no wise ashamed of her appearance. Strangely
out of place she looked in the garish light, laugh
ing and joking with the rough men near her.
Such n girlish embodiment of the vice he was
seeking the young minister was not prepared to
behold. The heavy-footed, coarse faced men,
smoking strong-smelling pipes and sickening
cigars; the imitation dandes, with staggering
gait and haring neckties, they seemed to belong
to the vicious place. But the girl with her
handsome face, plump arms and shoulders bare
as If she were in ballroom, and her scanty
pink dress barely reaching to her knees, she was
startlngly incongruous. So young, so pretty,
so hardened, going down SO swiftly to the gates
of hell All, it was pitiful.
Mr. Ashton sighed compassonately as he went
into the hall adjoining the barroom. few
kerosene lamps ranged along the walls shone
duly through g blue haze of tobacco smoke.
Long wooden settees covered the floor, which
was dirty and uncarpeted. 1t was Saturday
night, and larger number than usual OF men
and youths lounged upon the seats or gathered
in groups about the hall, across the rear end OF
which extended stage, with footlghts and
curtain. A low, dingy-white gallery, connect
ing with the stage and running half way around
the room, was divided into dozen or more lit
tie stalls, called 'wne-rooms." In them GER
tain moneyed and reckless patrons of the place
could sit at their ease while drinking and view
ing the stage and scene below, or they could
with curtains screen themselves completely from
the public gaze. as they preferred.
Such was the thriving young Western city's
most notorious den of vice, sink of iniquity,
centre of sinful contagion, etc, against which
the vorrg- minister had recently Numbered.
His first sermon, delivered the Sunday before,
had madea profound impression. Ithad set all
the better portion of the community to talking
about this plaguespot known as a "dive,"
though it was up one flight from the main
street. The Daily Mirror printed the sermon in
full, with warm editorial Endorsement. 1t ap-
plauded his earnest, fiery declaration that he
would not, could not, discuss dogmas and
creeds, living or dead, till he had done his best
to start crusade against the pestilential sin at
their very doors. Until this foul snare, which
was set before their eyes openly, but into which
even the boy from his Sunday school were
blindly walking-until this was destroyed,
there was no higher or holier duties to perform,
no more vital theme to dwell upon. 1t was a
strong, stirring blast from mail warrior,
who did not seek in distant lands for the foe in
his own house.
With the crusading spirit strong within him,
Mr.. Ashton, in the midst of his preparation OF
his second sermon, determined to slip out of his
study quietly and see the monster of vice with
his own eyes. Then, returning with its hideous
yisage still fresh in mind, he could vividly de-
scribe it on the morrow.
So, taking seat we'll up to the stage, for he
was rather near-sighted, he looked about him.
1t could scarcely be pharsacal, he thought
with shudder of disgust to thank the Lord
that be was not as some other men were-such
as those around him. What enjoyment could
they get out of such repulsive place? The
foul air was hot and nauseatiDg Already he
felt slightly feverish, and his head was begin
ming to throb There was none of the glitter
and glare which he had expected to find. But,
of course, it was early yet; he would wait as
best he could for the curtain to rise.
Meanwhile he studied the faces of those near.
est to him, trying 10 read their thoughts, listen
ing to their talk, and endeavoring to put him
self in their places. Two brawny fellows, with
an Irish brogue, were warmly arguing about q
strike of iron workers then in progress, and theil
reexing whisky-drnkers breath swept over his
thin, shrinking nostrils Next to them, three
boys, the Oldest not over fifteen, were animat
edly discussing, while pulling cigarettes, the
peculiarties of their ''boss." Such shocking
profanity, so carelessly uttered, the minister
had never before heard, They left their seats
and, following them with his eye down the hal
and through the open door, he saw them 90
into the bar-room, stopping on the way to chat
a minute with the bare-shoudered siren at the
entrance. He began to realize that he had got
into another world the inhabitants of which
neither knew nor cared what he might have
been saying about them from his fashionable
pulpit to his silllen and fur-cad congregation
Clenching his thin, white hands together pas
sionetely, he longed for the power of an auto
crat that he might arise and command that this
souldestroying ulcer be instantly cut out, these
good-hearted but imbruted ones about him
forced to walk in the light till they came to
know, as they must in time, that it was 7asty
better than darkness.
The whining of fiddle, followed by the
clamor of a small orchestra, interrupted his
thoughts, and presently up went the lights and
the curtain. Itwas variety performance, some
what above the average, as travelling company
had gone to pieces in the city that week. and
some of the members, unable for reasons of 6
distinctly financial nature to return to Chicago