The Banner-Democrat., 1893-06-03
THE DARK SIDE.
DR.. Talmage Talks on the Dark Side
of Social Life.
The Midnight Hour the CuiminatinR Point
In the Daily Record Of Evil In
the Great Cities Of
Our Land.

The following discourse on ''rhe
Dark Side of the Social Life in Our
Great Cities" was delivered by Rev. T.
Dewitt Talmage in the Brooklyn taber-
nacle, from the text: .
And the darkness He called light-Genesis
f.,b.
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 lam
guages as type of sadness and afiic-
tion and sin. These two divisions
were made by she Lord himself. Other
divisions of time may have nomencla-
ture of human invention. but the dark
ness held up its dusxy brow to the
Lord and He baptized it. the dew drip
ping from His fingers as He gave it
name-'and the darkness He called
night" My subject is midnight in
town. The thunder of the city rolled
out of the air. The slightest sounds
cut the night with such distinctness as
to attract your attention. The tink-
ling 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 slamming of saloon door. The
hiccough- of the drunlsard. The
shrielxs 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 a city mis-
sionary who has been carry scuttle OF
coal to that poor family in that dark
place. Here is an undertaken going up
the steps of building from which
there comes n bitter cry which indi-
Gates that the destroying angel has
smitten the first born. Here is a min
lister of religion who has been giving
the sacrament to a dying Christian.
Here is a physician passing along in
great haste, the messenger few steps
ahead hurrying on to the household.
Nearly all the lights have gone out in
the dwellings. That light in the win
dow 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 and the ice must be
kept on the hot temples, and the per.
petual prayer must go up from hearts
soon to be broken. Oh! the midnight
in town! What stupendous though,
Ia whole city at rest!
Weary arm preparing for Tomorrow
toll. bot brain being cooled of. Rigio
muscles relaxed. Excited nerves
sootlfed. The white hair of the octo
genarian in thin drifts across the pill
Ell - A. oI
ready fallen. Childhood with its dim
pied hands thrown ont on the pillow
and with every breath taking in new
store of fun and frolic. Gods slum
berless eye will look. Let one grea
wave of refreshing slumber roll owe
the heart of the great town, submerg
ing care, and anxiety, and worriment
and pain. :,
Let the city sleep. But, my friends
be not deceived. There will be
thousands tonight who will not sleel
at ALL Go up that dark alley, and b
cautious where you tread, lest you fal
over the PROSTATE form of a drunkar
living on his own doorstep. Loo
about you, lest you feel the garroter'
hug. Look through the broken wiz
dow-pane and see what you can see
You say: 'Nothingw Then lister
What is it? "God help u.s." No foo'
lights, but tragedy ghastlier an
mightier than Ristori or Edwin Boot
eser enacted. No light, no fire, n
bread, no hope. Shrivering in tn
cold, they have had no food for twenty
four hours. You say: 'Why don
they beg?" They do, bnt they 60
nothing. You say: "Why don't the
deliver themselves over to tn
almshouse?" All! you would M
ask that if you ever heard the bitt,
cry of man or child when told b
must 60 to the almshouse,
.Ohr you say. ''they are the vicio'
moor. and therefore they do not demar
our sympathy" Are they vicious?
much more need they your pity. III
Christian poor, God helps ther
Through their night there twinki
the round, merry star OF hope, al
through the broken window-pane tht
see the crystals of Heaven; but q
vicious poor, they are more to be pitie
Their last light has gone out You e
cuse yourself from helping them sa
ING they are so bad they brought tn
trouble on themselves. l reply, whe
give ten prayers for the innocent WI
- are suffering viii give twenty pra
ers for the guilty who are sufferin
The fisherman, when he sees vcss
dashing into the breakers, comes o
from his hut and wraps the warmt
flannels around those who are mt
chilled and most bruised and most 81
tered in the wreck, and want you
know that these vicious poor have h
two shipwreclss-shipwre OF the boz
shipwreck of the soul-shipwreck
time, shipwreck for eternity. Pity,
all means, the innocent who are s.
fering, but pity more the guilty.
Pass on through the alley. Open
door. "Oh," you say, lit is locke'
No. il is not locked; it has never be
locked. No burglar would be tempt
TO 90 in there to steal anything !
door is never locked. Only broA
chair stands against the door. Sht
II back. Go in. Strike match. n
look. Beastliness and rags. See tn
plarinr eye-balls. Be careful n
what you say. Do not utter any
suit: do not utter any suspicion. II
value your life. WHAT'S that red mi
IN the wall? tits the mark of m