Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-04-20
IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR.
THE DARK SIDE OF LIFE IN THE
GREAT CITIES.
The Wickedness of the Midnight
Hour in ToWn--The Sorrows
of the Vicious Poor--The
Thieves. the Drunkards
and the Gamblers.

| ana the IdrnDlefS.
Brooklyn, N. Y, Special.-Rev. DR..
Talmage chose for his sermon to-day
a theme of universal intereSt-thc dark
side of social life in our great cities.
The text chosen us the lines of Il most
graphic discourse was Gen. i, 5: 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 !;
beautiful the other used in all lam
guages as Il type of sadness and attlic-
ton in sin. These two divisions were
made by the Lord himself Other di-
visions Of time may have nomencla-
ture of human invention. but the dark
ness held up it's dusky brow to the
Lord and he baptized it, the dew drip
ping from it's fingers as he gave it Il
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 diStinctivenesS as to
attract your attention. The tinkling
of the bell Of the street car in the dis
lance, and the baying of the dog. The
stamp of Il horse in the next street.
The Slamming of a saloon door. The
hiccough of the drunkartl. The shrieks
Of the steam whistle five miles away.
Oh! how suggestive, my friends; mid
night in town.
There are honest men passing up and
down the street. Here is Il city mis-
sionary who has been to carry Il scut-
tie Of coal to that poor family i'll that
dark place. Here is an undertaken
going up the steps Of Il building from
which there comes Il bitter cry which
indicates that the destroying angel has
smitten the first born. Here is Il minis
ter of religion who has been giving the
sacrament to a dying Christian. Here
is physician passing along in great
haste. the messenger Il few steps ahead
hurrying 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 mcdi-
cincs must be administered. and the
fever must be watched. and the rest
less tossing off of the coverlid must be
resisted. and the ice must be kept on
| the hot temples. and the perpetual
prayer must so up from hearts soon to
| be broken. Oh. the midnight in town!
What a StupendOuS thOught-l whole
city ut rest
Weary arm preparing for to-mor-
rows toll Hot brain being cooled off.
| Rigid muscles relaxed. Excited nerves
soothed. The white hair of the octo-
genarian in thin drifts across the pill
low. fresh fall of flakes on snow al
ready fallen. Childhood with its dim
| pied hands thrown out on the pillow.
| and with every breath taking in Il new
store of fun and frolic. Gods slumbcr-
| less eye will look. Let one great wave
| of refreshing slumber roll over the
| heart Of the great town, submcrging
care. and anxiety, and worriment, and
pain.
Let the city sleep But my friends,
be not deceived. There will be thou
sands 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 Il drunkard 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. Moth
| ing" Then listen What is it? God
help u.s." No footlights, but tragedy
ghastlier and mightier 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
twenty-four hours. You say, why
don't they bcg?' They do, but they
get nothing. You say, why don't they
deliver themselves over to the aims
house," All! you would not ask that if
you ever heard the bitter cry Of a man
or Il child when told he must 80 to the
almShOuse.
oh" you say, they are the vicious
poor. and therefore they do not demand
our sympathy 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 pitied. Their last
light has gone out. You excuse your
self from helping them, saying they are
so bad they brought this trouble on
| themselves. l reply, where l give ten
| prayers for the innocent who are Suf
| fering l will give twenty prayers for
| the guilty who are suffering. The fish
| ernan, when he sees a vessel daShing
| into the breakers. comes out of his hut
and wraps the W;rmeSt fannels around
| those who are the most chilled and
most bruised and most battered in the
wreck, and l want you to know that
these vicious poor have had two ship
Observation-Disclosures of tie body, ship
wreck of the soul-shipwreck 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
door. Oh you say, lit is locked No,
it is not locked; it has never been
locked. No burglar would be tempted
to 90 in there to steal anything The
door is never locked. Only broken
chair stands against the door Shove
it back. Go in. Strike match. Now
look. Beastliness and rags. See those
glaring eyeballs. Be careful now what
you say. Do not utter any insult; do
not utter any suspicion if you value
your life. What Is that red mark on
the wall? 1t is the mark OF murder
er's hand! Look at those two eyes
rising up out of the darkness and out
from the straw in the corner, coming
toward you, and as they come near you
your light goes cut. Strike another
| oto1, Ut &c, hal,