Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-04-13
AT THE TABERNACLE.
DIR. TALMAGE ON THE DARK FEA-
TURE6 OF LIFE IN THE CITY.

when Other People slecp-street Scenes
at Midnight.
BROOKLYN. April 9.-Rev. DIR. Talmage
yhose for his sermon today Il theme of uni
V.rsal interest the dark side of social life
In our great cities The text chosen as the
basis of a most graphic discourse was Gene
N,i. ). And the darkness he called night"
Two grand divisions of time. The one Of
sunlight, the other of shadow; the one for
work, the other for rest; the one type of
Everything glad and beautiful, the other
used in all languages as II type of sadness
and Hifiction and sin. These two divisions
were made by the Lord himself. Other di-
Ijsions of time may have nomenclature of
human invention, but the darkness held up
It's dusky brow to the Lord, and he bap-
tiaed it, the dew dripping from his fingers
rs he gave it a name, And the darkness
he called night"
My subject * midnight in town. The
thunder Of the city has rolled out of the
uir The slightest sounds cut the night
with such distinctness us to attract your
attention The tinkling of the bell of the
street car in the distance and the baying of
the dog The stamp Of horse in the next
street. The samming of saloon door
The hccough of the drunkard. The shrieks
of the steam whistle five miles away. OH
how suggestive my friends midnight in
town.
There are honest men passing up and
down the street. Here is n city missionary
who has been carrying scuttle of coal to
that poor family in that dark place Here
is an undertaken going up the steps of a
building from which there comes bitter
cry, which indicates that the destroying
angel has smitten the firstborn. Here is a
minister of religion who has been giving
the sacrament to dying Christian Here
j. "A physician passing along in great haste,
the messenger few steps ahead hurryinE
on to the household. Nearly all the lights
have gone out in the dwellings. That light
in the window is the light of the watcher,
for the medicines must be administered,
md the fever nBst be watched, and the
restless tossing off of the coverlid must be
resisted. and the ice must be kept on the
hot temples and the perpetual prayer must
40 up from hearts soon to be broken. Oh,
the midnight in town. What a stupendous
thought-a whole city at restl
SLEEP OF THE HONEST AND WEARY.
Weary arm preparing for tomorrow 5 toll.
Hot brain being cooled off. Rigid muscles
relaxed Excited nerves soothed. The white
hair OF the octogenarian in thin drifts
HcToss the pillow, fresh fail of flakes on
snow already fallen. Childhood with its
dimpled hands thrown out on the pillow
and with every breath taking in a new store
of fun and frolic. Gods slumberless eye
will look. Let one great wave of refresh
Ing slumber roll over the heart of the great
town, submerGing care and anxiety and
worriment and pain.
Let the city sleep But, my friends, be
not deceived. There will be thousands to-
night who will not sleepat all, Coup that
dark alley and be cautious where you
tread, lest you fall over the PROSTATE form
OF a drunkard lying on his own doorstep.
Look about you, lest you feel the garroter' $
hug Look through the broken window
pane and see what you aan see. You say,
Nothing" Then listen. What is it, God
help u.s. No footlights, but tragedy
ghastlier and mightier than Ristori or Ed
WIN Booth ever enacted No light, no fire
no bread, no hope. S5hivering in the cold
they have had no food for "a hours. You
say, why don't they begS" They do but
they get nothing You say, "Why don't
they deliver themselves over to the aims
house," An, you would not ask that if you
ever heard the bitter cry of n man or child
when told he must 20 to the almshouse
On" you say, they are the viciou:
poor, and therefore they do not demand oul
sympathy" Are they vicious? So much
,NJ 0"' r.
poor u"u he,P' thehl' lArouGh lhelr hlgh
lhefe V"!uhIeS the Fouht' merry star o.
nope an" 'hrou3n 'ne proheh "lhoo" pane
tlty Ste ihe crystals OF heaven, Dut the
vicious poor they are more to be pitied
Their last Light has gone out You excuse
yourself from helping them by saying they
are so bad they brought this trouble OF
themselves reply, where give 10 prayers
Tor the innocent who are suffering viii
give 20 prayers for the guilty who are SUI
fcrlng
The fisherman, when he sees "A vessel dash
ing into the breakers, comes out from hi
hut and wraps the warmcst flannels arounC
those who are most chilled and mos
'"ui-ed and most battered in the wreck
mud want You to know that these viciou
poor have had two ipwrecks-s hipWlecl
Of the body, shipwreck of the soul-ship
wreck for time, shipwreck for eternity
PITY, by all means, the innocent who ar
suffering, but pity more the guilty.
THE VILE ALLEY.