The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-06-22
AT DEATHS DOOR.
The DestrOyers of Humanity Do No,
Grieve for the Dead Soul.


Grieve for the Dead Soul.
had friend at the west-a rare
friend. He was one of the first to well
come me to my new home. To fine
personal appearance he added gener-
osity, Kindness and ardor of nature
that made me love him like a brother.
But ! saw evil people gathering around
him. They came up from the saloons
and from the gambling hells. They
piled him with thousand arts. They
seized upon his social nature, and he
could not stand the charm They
drove him on the rocks, like ship full
winged, shiverlng on the breakers.
used to admonish him. | would say:
''Now, l wish You would quit these bad
habits, and become a Christian" ''Oh,"
he would reply, Il would like to;
| would like to; but L have
gone so far l don't think there is any
way back" In his moments of repent
ance he would go home and take his lit
tie girl of eight years, and embrace her
convulsively, and cover her with adorn-
ments, and strew around her pictures
and toys, and everything that could
make her happy; and then, as though
bounded by an evil spirit, he would go
out like fool to the correction of the
stocks. ! was summoned to his death
bed. ] fastened | entered the room.
| found him, to my surprise, lying in
full everyday dress on the top of the
couch. ] put out my hand. He grasped
it excitedly, and said: 'Sit down, Mr..
Talmage, right there" l sat down.
He said: 7"Last night / saw my
mother. who has been dead TWEEN
ty years, and she sat Just
where you sit now. It, was no
dream. | was wide awake. There rs
no delusion in the matter saw keS
just as plainly as | see you. Wife, Z
wish you would take these strings off
of me. There are strings spun allaround
my body. wish you would take them
off of me- ! saw it was dclirium. sob"
replied the wife, my dear, there is
nothing there, there is nothing there"
He went on and said: Just where you
sit, Mr.. Talmage, my mother sat. She
said to me: Henry, | do wish you would
do better Igot out of bed, put my arms
around her and said: Mother, | want
to do better; ! have been trying to do
better, Won't you hell me to do better?
You used 70 hell me. No mistake about
it, no delusion. | saw her-the cap, and
the apron, and the spectacles-just as
she used to look twenty years ago;
but | do wish you would take
these strings away. They annoy me
so. can hardly talk Won't you take
them awayr lSnelt drown and prayed,
conscious OF the fact that he did not
realize what was saying. got up. |
said "Good-by, good-by." That night
his soul went up 10 the God who gave
| it. Arrangements were made for the
obsequies. Some said: Don't bring
him into the church, he was too disso-
lutte" "Oh," said, bring him in. He
was good friend of mine while he was
alive, and | shall stand by him now
that he is dead. Bring him to the
church. As sat in the pulpit, and
saw his body coming up through the
aisle, felt as if could weep tears of
blood. | told the people that day:
This man had his virtues, and good
many of them. He had his faults, and
a good many of them. But if there is
any man in this audience who is without
sin, let him cast the first stone at this
coffin lid" On one side the pulpit
sat the little child rosy, Isweet-faced, as
beautiful! rs any little child that sat at
your table this morning, warrant you.
She looked up vistfully, not knowing
the full sorrows OF an orphan child. Oh,
her countenance haun.s me to-day, like
some sweet face looking upon me
through horrid dream. In the other
side of the pulpit were the mel. Who had
destroyed him. There they sat, hard.
visaged, some of them pale from *.
hausting disease, some of them flushed
until it seemed as If the fires of iniquity
famed through the cheek and cracked
the lips. They were the men who had
done the work. They were the men
| WIZ ldu bouIiti MN liduu anu 1OOt
They had kindled the fires. They had
poured the NORWOOD, and gall into
that orphans cup. Did they weep.
No. Did they sigh repentingly? No
Did they say: What a pity that
such brave man should bt
slain?' No, no; not one bloateC
hand was lifted to wipe a tear from q
bloated cheek. They sat and looked al
the coffin like vultures gazing at tn,
carcass of lamb whose heart they haf
ripped out, | cried in their ears a.
plainly as could: There is God anc
a Judgment day." Did they tremble.
Oh, no, no. They went back from tn,
house of God, and that night, though
their victim lay in lakewood cemetery
l was told that they blasphemed, anC
they drank, and they gambled, anC
there was not one less customer in al
the houses OF iniquity. This destroyed
man was samson in physical strength
but Delilah shearcd him, and the Philis
tines Of evil companionship dug hi!