The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-04-27
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE's SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "rhe Dark side of City Life"

tiki: "And the darkness He catles
night.'-Genesis j., ).
Two grand divisions OF time. The one OF
sunlight. the other OF shadow; the one for
work, the other for rest; the one a type OF
everything glad and beautiful, the other
used in all languages as a typs OF sadness
and affection and SIN. These two divisions
Of time may have nomenclature OF human
invention. but the darkness held up its dusky
brow to the Lord and He baptlz9d it, the
dew dripping fro n His fingers as He gave it
name, "And the darkness de called night"
My subject is midnight in town. The
thunder Of the city has rolled out of the
air The slightest sounds cut the night
with such dstlnctness as TO attract your
attention. The tinkling Of the bell Of the
street car in the distance and the baylng
OF the dog. The stamp OF horse in the
next street. The samming of a saloon
{ door. The hiccough of the drunkard. The
shrieks of the steam whistles five miles
away Or, how suggestive my friends
midnight in town.
There are honest men passing up and down
the street Here is a city missionary who
has been carrying a scuttle of coal to that
poor family in that dark place. Here is an
undertaken going up the steps OF building
/ rom which there comes a bitter cry which
indicates that the destroying angel has smit-
ten he first born. Here is a minister of re-
ngion who has been giving the sacrament
to dying Christian. Here is physician
passing along in great haste, the messen-
ger few steps ahead hurrying on to
{ the household. Nearly all the lights
! have gone out in the dwelling. That light
[ in the window is the light of the watcher,
for the medicines must be administered, and
/ the fever must be watched. and the restless
tossing off of the coverlid must be resisted,
4 ~ too ba kar1t IN thn hot tam.
pies and the perpetual prayer must go up
from hearts soon to be broken. Oh, the
midnight in town. What a stupendous
thought-a whole city at restl
| Weary arm preparing for to-morrow's
toll. Hot brain being cooled off. Rigid
muscles relaxed. Excited nerves soothed.
| The white hair of the ocUogenarIan IN tnin
drifts across the pillow, fresh fail of flakes
on snow already fallen. Childhood with its
dimpled hands thrown out on thepillow, and
/ with every breath taking in new store or
fun and frolic. Gods slumoerless eye will
look Let one great wave of refreshing
slumber roll over the heart OF the great
town, submerging care and anxiety ana
worrment and pain.
Let the city sleep; but, my friends, be not
deceived. There will be thousands tonight
who will not sleep at all. Go up that dark
alley and be cautious where you tread lest
you fall over the PROSTATE form of drunk
| ard lying on his own doorstep. Look about
you lest you feel the garroters hug. Look
through the broken window pane and see
what you can see. You say, Nothing"
Then listen. What is it? God help usp
No footlights, but tragedy ghastlier and
mighter than Ristori or Edwin Booth ever
enacted. No light, no fire, no bread, no
hope. Shivering in the cold, they have had
no food for "a hours. You say, why don't
they beg?' Tney do, but they get nothing.
| Won tEltbV don't thaU HphVar than,
selves over TO the almshouseY All, you
would not ask that il you ever heard the
bitter cry of man or child when told he
must go to the almshouse.
or you say, they are the vicious poor,
and therefore they Go not demand our sym
pathy." Are they vicious? So much more
need they your pity. The Christian poor,
God helps them. Through their night there
wrinkles the round, merry star Of hope, and
through the broken window pane they see
the crystals OF heaven, but the vicious poor,
they are more to be pitie1 Their last light
has gone out. You excuse yourself from
helping them by saying they are SO bad they
brought this trouble ON themselves. l re-
ply where | give 10 prayers for the inno-
cent who are suffering will give 20 prayers
for the guilty who are suffering.
! The fisherman, when he sees vessel dash
/ Ing into the breakers comes out from his
| hut and wraps the warmest hannels around
| those who are most chilled and most bruised
and most battered in the wreck. And l
want you to know that these vicious poor
have had two shipwrec -shipwreck of the
body, shipwrecl of the soul-shipwreck for
time, shipwrecS for eternity. Pity, by all
| means, the innocent who are suffering, but
pity more the guilty.
Pass on through the alley. Open the door.
SOB" you say, at is locked" No, it is not
| locked; it has never been locked. No burglar
| xyc11i1 ba ta-71rNral r., in IN
anything. The door is never locked. Only
a broken chair stands against the door.
Shove it back. Go in. Strike match.
Now look Beastlinsss and rags. See those
glaring eyeballs Be careful now what you
say. Do not utter any insult, do not uJter
any suspicion, il you value your life
What is that red mark on the wall? 1t is
the mark of a murderer's handl Look at
those two eyes rising up out OF the darkness
I and out from the straw in the corner COM
ing toward you and as they come near you
your light goes out Strike apother match.
All this is babe not like the beautiful
children of your household, OF the beautiful
children smiling around these affairs on bap-
tismal day. This little one nsyer smiled; 1t
never will smile. A flower flung on an
awiuly barren beach. . Heavenly Shep-
herd fold that little one in Thine armsl
Wrap around you your shawl or coat
tighter, for the cold night wind sweeps
through.
Strike another match. Ahlis it possible
that that young woman's Scared and
bruised face was ever looked into by ma
ternal tenderness? Utter no scorn. Utter
10 harsh word. No ray of hope has dawnsd
on that brow for many year. No ray of
hope ever will dawn on that brow. But the
light has gone out. Do not strike another
light. 1t would be mockery to kindle an.
other light in such place as chat. Pass out
and pass down the street. Our cities of
Brooklyn and New York and all our great
cities are full Of such homes, and the worst
time the midnight. Do you know it is in
the midnight that criminals do their worst
work?
At half past o'clock you will find them
in the drinking saloon, but toward IL
o'c.ock they go to their garrets, they get
out their tools, then they start on the street.
Watching on either side for the police, they
go to their work OF darkness. This is a bur-
glar, and the false key will soon touch the
store lock. This is an incendiary, and be-
fore morning there will be light on the
sky and cry of "Fre Fren This is an as.
sassn and tomorrow morning there will be
a dead body in one of the vacant lots. Dur
ing the daytime these villains in our cities
lounge about, some asleep and some awake,
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