Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-10
MIDNIGHT IN CITIES.
DR.. TALMAeE BREACHES ON THOSE
WHO ARE AWAKE AT NIGHT.

WV FNhN fNNEfNNG ~ fNl1FI .
Few Indeed Are They who Need he Out
TIN Midnight. but the Criminal and VII
cious Find That Their Bour--practieai
Christian work Needed.
BROOKLYN, April 9.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage chose for his sermon today a theme
Of universal interest-the dark side Of
social life in our great cities. The text
chosen as the basis of most graphic dis
course was Genesis 1, 0. And the dark
ness he called night"
Two grand divisions of time. The one
Of sunlight, the other Of shadow; the one
for work, the othcrfor rest; the one
type of everything glad and beautiful,
the other used in all languages Us type
Of sadness and affection and sin. These
two divisions were made by the Lord
himself. Other 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 1t
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 distinctness as to attract your
attention. The tinkling of the bell Of
the street car in the distance and the
baying of the dog. The stamp of a
horse in the next street. The slamming
of saloon door. The20iccough of the
drunkard The shrieks Of the steam
whistle five miles away. Oh, how sug-
gestive, my friends-midnight in town!
ANGELS OF THE NIGHT.
There are honest men passing up and
down the street. Here is city mission
ary 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 which indicates that
the destroying angel has smitten the
firstborn. Here is minister of religion
who has been giving the sacrament to a
dying Christian. Here is a physician
passing along in great haste, the mes
senger 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 medicines must be ad-
ministered. 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 perpetual prayer must go up from
hearts soon to be broken. Oh, the mid
night in townl What stupendous
thought-a whole city at rest
Weary arm preparing for tomorrow's
toll Hot brain being cooled off. Rigid
muscles relaxed. Excited nerves soothed.
The white hair of the octogenarian in
thin drifts across the pillow. fresh fall
of fakes on snow already fallen. Child
hood with it's dimpled hands thrown out
on the pillow. and with every breath
taking in new store of fun and frolic.
Gods slumberless eye will look. Let
one great wave of refreshing slumber
roll over the heart of the great town,
submerging care and anxiety and %orri-
ment 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 prostrate
form of drunkard lying on his own
doorstep. Look about you lest you feel
the garroter's hug. Look through the
broken window pane and see what you
can see. You say. Nothing" Then
listen. What is it? "God help usr' No
footlights, but tragedy, ghastlier and
mightier than Ristori or Edwin Booth
ever enacted Nolight, 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?" They do,
but they get nothing. You say, why
don't they deliver themselves over to
the almshouseT' All, you would not ask
that if you ever heard the bitter cry
of man or child when told he must
go to the almshouse.
THE HONEST POOR.
"Oh," you say, .'they are the vicious
poor. and therefore they do not demand
our sympathy" Are they vicious7 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 yourself from
helping them by saying they are SO bad
they brought this trouble on themselves.
| reply, where give 10 prayers for the
innocent who are suffering ! will give 20
prayers for the guilty who are suffering.
The fisherman, when he sees vessel
dashing into the breakers, comes ont
from his hut and wraps the warmest
fannels around those who are most
chilled and most bruised and most bat
tered in the wreck. And want you to
know that these vicious poor have had