Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-04-21

| Tie uedleT III OudIlllu SOT6oU pOShcv uauA-
Eerchiefs The clerks OF the store take a
hand after the shutters are put up, and the
officers of the court while away their time
while the jury is out.
In Baden-Baden when that city was the
greatest of all gambling places on earth, fS
was no unusual thing thu next morning IN
the woods around that city to find the sus-
pended bodies of suicides. Whatever be the
soendor of the surroundings, there is no ex-
cuse for this crime rne thunders OF eter.
nal destruction roll in the deep rumble of
that gambling tenpin alley. and as men
come out to join the long proc ,Ssion OF sin
all the drums of woe beat tas dead march
of thousand sous. In one year in the
city of New York there were 81, 0)0, 900 sac.
riicei at the gaming table
Perhaps some of your frien1s have been
smitten of this sin. PERHAPS soma OF you
have been smitten by it. Perhaps there may
DE stranger in thu house this m 0rning
coma from some of the hotels. Look out for
those agents of iniquity who tsrry arouni
about tue hotels ana ask you, "Would you like
to see the city2' Yes, "dave you ever seen
that splendid building uptown No. Then
the villain will undertake to show you what
he calls the Lions" and the elephants"
and after young man, through morbid
curiosity or through badness OF soul, has
seen the "iions" an the elephants he will
be on enchanted ground. Look out for
these men who move around the hotels with
sleek hats-always sleek hats-and patron
izing air anil unsccountable interest about
Your welfare ami entertainm mt. You are
fool If you cannot Sc, through 1t. Thsy
| want your money.
In Chestnut street, Philadelphia, while
was living in that city. an incident occurred
which was familiar to US there. In Chest
nut street, young man went into a gam-
bling saloon, lost all his property. then blew
his brains out, and before the blood was
washed from the q ,ur by the maid the COM
rades were shutting cards again. You sse
there is more mercy in the highwayman for
| the belate traveller on wlose Doly he heaps
the stones; there is more mercy in the frost
for the flower that it kills; there is more
mercy in the hurricane that shivers the
steamer on the Long Islau1 coast than there
is mercy in the heart OF gambler for his
victim.
In the midnight hour also, drunkenn ess
does its worst, The drinking will bs re-
spectacle at o'clock in thu evening, a little
flushed at 9, laxative AMI garrulous at 10.
at II blaspAemous at 10 the hat falls OF and
the man falls to the floor asking for more
drink. Strewn through the drinxin,
saloons of the city-fathers brothers,
husbands, sons, as goo as you are by nature
perhaps Letter.
In the high circles OF society IL is hushel
up. A merchant prince, if he gets noisy
an uncomfortable is taken by his fellow
jewellers. who try to get him to bed, o. taxa
him home, where he falls fat in the entry. Do
not wake up the children. They have had
disgrace enough. Do no5 let them know it.
Husa it up. Bat SOMETIMES it cannot be
hushel up when thu ru t)ucaas thu brain
and the man becomes tn )rod yhly frenz,el.
Oh, if the rum touches the BRAIN you an
not hush it up. You do not seq the worst.
In the midnight meetings great mu'titu lie
have been saved. We want few hundred
Christian men and women to come down
from the highest circles OF society to toll
amid these wandering an destitute ones AMI
kindle up light in the dark alley, even thu
gladness of heaven.
Do not 20 from your we'll file tables with
the idea that pous talk is going to stop the
gnawing OF an empty stomach or to warm
stockingIess feet. Take bread, take rament,
take medicine as we'll as take prayer. There
is a great deal of common sense IN wat tbs
poor woman said to the city missionary
when he was telling her how she ought 10
love Col and serve Him. "OlP sail sac.
''if you were as poor and col as an, AMI
as hungry, you could think of nothing else"
A great deal OF what is called Christian
it is not practical, as after the battle of
Antietaal a pan got out OF an Ambulance
with bag of Tracts aud he went distribut-
ing the tracts, and George Stuart. one OF
the best Christian men in this country, said
to him: "What are you distributing tracts
for nowP There are 300 men bleeding to
death. Bind up their wounds, and then dis
tribute the tracts"
We want more common sense in Chris
A-1.s h. A.ao Of lie 70 in
one hand and the bread Of the next life in
the other hand. No such inapt work as
that done by the Christian man who, during
the war, went into a hospital with tracts.
and coming to the bed of man whose legs
had been amputatsd, gave him tract Oh
the sin of dancingl l rejocs before Col
that never are sympathetic words uttered,
never q prayer offered, never q Christian
almsgiving INDUCED in but it is blessed.
There is place in Switzerland, have
been told, where the utterance OF one word
will bring back score of echoes, and Ihave
TO tell you this morning that a sympathetic
word, a kind word, generous word, help
full word uttered in the dark place of the
town will bring back ten thousand echoes
from all the thrones OF heaven
Are there in this assemblage this morning
those who know by experience the tragedies
of midnight in town. | am not here to
thrust you back with one hard word. Take
the bandage from your bruised soul and put
on it the soothing salve of Christ's gospel
and of Gods compassion. Many have come.
I see others coming to God this morning,
tired of sinful life. Cry up the news to
heaven. Set all the bells ringing. Spread
the banquet under the arches. Let tbs
crowned heads come down and sit at the
Jubilee.
I tell you there is mora delight in heaven
over one man that gets reformed by the
grace of God than over ninety and nine that
never got off the track. l could give you
the history in a minute OF one of thu best
friends ever had: Outside OF my own
family never had a better friend. he
welcomed me to my home at the west. de
was of splendid personal appearance, ana
he had an ardor Of soul and a warmth OF al
lection that made ms love him like
brother.
saw men coming out of the saloons AMI
gambling bells. and they surrounded my
friend, and they took him at the weak point,
his social nature, and saw him going down,
and had fair talk with him, for never
vet saw a man you could not talk with on
the subject of his habits il you talked with
him in the right way. l said to him, why
don't YOU give up your bad habits AMI be.
come a ChristianY l remember now just
how he looked, leaning over his counter, as
he replied: ~ wish l could. Oh, sir,
should like to be a Christian, but | have
gone so far astray can't get back"
So the time went on. After awhile the
day of sickness came. l was summoned 10
his sickbed. l hastened. 1t took me but
very few moments to get there. was sur
Iprised as I went in. | saw him IN MS
ordinary clotoes fully dressed, lying on the,
top of the bed. gave him my band, aud
he seized it convulsively aud said: "O1,