Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-04-14

Two grand divisions of time Tbs one ot
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 a typo OF sadness
and affiiction and s.n. These two divisions
of time may have nomenclature OF human
invention, but the darkness held up its dusky
brow to the Lord, and He baptized it, the
dew dripping 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 has rolled out OF the
air. The slightest sounds cut the night
with such dishncsnesS as to attract your
attention. The tiuklng 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 hiccoush of the drunkard. The
shrieks Of the steam whistles five miles
away. o., 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 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 bitter cry whlch
indicates that the destroying angel has smit-
ten the first born. Here is a minister OF re-
llElIn " nO has bCth 6ANtuA VIZ
TO q diving Christian. Here is a 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 win low 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,
AMI the ice must he kept on the hot tenn
pies. and the perpetual prayer must go up
from hearts soon TO be broken. Oh, the
midnight in town. What stupendous
tbought-a whole city at rest
Weary arm preparing for tc-morrow's
toll. Hot brain being coole1 Oh. Rigid
muscles relaxed. Excited nerves soothed.
The white hair OF the octogenar.an in thin
drifts across the pillow, fresh fall OF fakes
on snow already fallen. Childhood with its
dimpled hands thrown out on thepillow, and
with every breath taking in a new store OF
fun aud froic. Gods slumberless eye will
look. Let one great. wave OF refreshing
sumber roll over the heart Of the great
town, su5merging care and anxiety an l
worriment an pain.
Let the city sleep; but, my friends, be not
deceived. There viii 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 living on his own doorstep. Look about
you lest you feel the garroters hug. Look
| through the broken window pane AMI sea
! what you can see. You say, Nothing"
Then listen. What is it; God help us"
| No footlights, but tragedy ghastlier and
| ruightier than Ristori or Edwin Booth ever
enacted. No light, no fire, no bread, NJ
hope. Shivering in the cold, they have had
no foo for "a hours You say, why don't
they beg!i They DO but they get nothing
You say, "Why don't they delive. them
selves over TO the almshouse| All, you
/ would not ask that il YOU ever heard the
bitter cry of a man or a child when told he
must 60 to the almshouse.
Or you say, they are the vicious POOR
and therefore they 90 not dem1n our sym
pathv." Are they viciouss So much more
| need they your pity. The Christian poor,
| God helps them. Through their nigdt there
wrinkles the round, merry star OF hope, AMI
through the broken window pane they see
the CRYSTALS of heaven, but the vicious pooc,
they are more to he pitieJ. Their last light
has gone out. You excuse yourself from
helping them by saying they are so BAL they
brought this trouble on themselves. re-
ply, where | give ID prayers FOR the lnno-
cent who are Suffering I viii give p prayers
for the guilty who are SUIT erlng.
The fisherman, When he sees a vessel das1-
ing into the breakers, comes out from his
hut and wraps the warmest flnuss around
those who are most chillel ant most brulsel
ana most battered in the wreck. AMI /
want YOU TO know that these vicious 20 +
have mad two slipwr, C IS -siipwrec.S or the
30 ". shipwreca Of The soui-shipwrecS for
time, shipwreck for eternity. Pity by all
means, the innocent who are suffering, but
pity more the guilty
Pass on through the alley. OPEN the ioor.
! "Oh," YOU say, 1T is locSei.' No, iC is not
Locked: it mas never been locked. No burglar
would be tempted to 20 in there 70 seal
anything. The door is never IocSel. Only
broken chair stands against the door.
Shove it back Go in. Strike a match.
Now look. Beastliness and rags. See those
giaring eyebals, Be careful now what you
| say. Do not utter any insult, do not inter
any suspicion, il you value your life.
WHAT is that red marx on the wall? It is
the mark of a murderei's hand Look az
those two eyes rising up out of the darkness
and out from the straw in the corner con-
ing towar you, and as the7 come near you
| yCur light goes oIt. Strike another match.
An. this is a babe, not like the beautiful
children OF your household, OF the beautiful
children smiling around these affairs Oh hap
tisma! day. This little on3 never smiled; It
never will smile. A flower fung on an
awlully barren beach. o Heavenly SheD
nerd Iold that little one in Tano arms
Wrap around you your SHAWL or coat
tighter, for tbs cod night wind sweep.
through.
Strike another match An. is it possible
that that young woman's Scared au1
bruise face was ever looked into by ma
ternal tenderness; Utter NJ scorn. Utter
no harsh word. No ray OF hope has dawne
on that brow for many year. No ray OF
hope ever will dawn on that brow. But tn,
light has gone out Do not strike another
light 1t would be mocSery to kindle an.
other light in sucl pace as that Pass out
and pass down the street. Our cities oil
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'c,ocx you will find them
in the drinking saloon, but toward II
o'c'oek 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 a light gu the
sky and cry Of "Fire. Firew This is an as
sassin, and tomorrow morning there will be
dead body in on of the vacant lots. Dur
ing the daytime these villains in our cities
lounge about, some asleep and some awake,
but when the third watch Of the night ar
rives, their eye keen, their brain cool, their
arm strong, their foot feet to fly or pursue,
they are ready.
Many of these poor creatures were brought
UP in that way. They were born in thieves
garnet. Their childish toy was burglar )
dark lantern. The first thing they remem
Der was their mother bandaging the brow Of
their father, struck by the police club. They
began by robbinE boys pockets, and no"
they have come to dig the underground pas
sage to the cellar OF the bank AMI are pre-
pairing to blast the COLL vault
just 50 long as there are neglected chill
dren of the street, just so long we will have
these desperadoeS. Some one, wishing tC
make COOL Christian point and TO quote q
passage OF Scripture expecting to get
Scriptlral passage in answer, said to one Of
these poor lads, cast out and wretched
when your father and mother forsak'
you, who then will take you upY and thu
boy said, Toe perlice the perlice."
In the midnight gambling does its wors
work What though the hours be slioDinc
away au1 though the VIE b5 whiting in tn
cherries hone2 Str II the FIRE. Bring o
more drinks. Put up more stakes. Tha
commercial house that only little vail
ago nut out a sign Of copartnership wi
this season be wrecked on a gamblers table
There will be many a money till that vii
spring n leak. A Member of Congress
| Sl20C01. The old way OF getting living /
/ II 4 % 10.