The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-04-11
THE DARK SIDE.
IN ELEGANT DISCUORSE BY DIR.
TALMAGE LAST SUNDAY.
Scenes Of Life In Great Clties-The Striving
Poor With Not Crust Of Bread to Eat.
The Drunlkard in the Alley, Etc.


theme of universal interest-the dark side
of social life i'll our great cities. The text
chosen as the basis of most graphic dis
course was Genesis /: s. "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; the one type OF
everything glad and beautiful, the other
used in all languages as a type OF sadness
and alfiicton and sin. These two DIVISIONS
were made by the Lord himself. Other d.
visions 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 dripring from his fingers as ne
gave it a name land the darkpess he called
night" NV s.bject is midnight in town.
The thunder OF the city has rolled out of the
air. The slightest sounds cut the night with
such distincticss as to attract your atten-
ton. The tnking of the bell of the street
car in the distance and the bayirg of the
dog. The stinp of a horse in the next street
The slamning of Il saloon door. The hic-
cough of tie drunkard. The shrieks of the
steam wl,stle five miles away. Oh! how
suggestive my friends, midnight in town.
There re honest men passing up and down
the STREET Here is a city missionary who
.Sa bed carrying scuttle Of coal to that
poor f:,nily III that dark place Here is an
underpker going Up the steps of a building
from kbich there comes a bitter cry which
indiotes that the destroying angel has smit-
ten ,he first born. Here is minister of re-
lic5n who has been giving the sacrament 10
q Elng Christian. Here is Il physician pass
IL along III great haste, the messenger a
ew stops ahead hurrying on to the house
hOld. 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 he administered. and the fever must
be watched, and the restless tossing off of
the coyerIid must be resisted, and the ice
must be kept on the hot temples, and the
perpetual prayer must go UP from hearts
soon 70 be broken, Oh. the midnight in
town, What stupcndous thought-a whole
city at rest!
Weary arm preparing for tomorrow's roil.
Itot brain being cooled off. Rigid muscles
relaxed Excited nerves soothed The
white HAIR OF the octOgcnarian in thin drifts
across the pillow, fresh fall of flakes on snow
5lFe9dy fallen. Childhood with its dimpled
hands thrown out on the pillow, and with
every breath taking in n now store of fun
aAd fToiic. Gods sumberless eve will look
Let one great wave of refreshing slumber
roll over the heart of the great town sub
and pain.
Let the city sleep. But my friends, he
not deceived: There will be thousands to-
nlght who Will not sleep at all. Go up that
dark alley and be cautious where you tread
iesf you fall over the PROSTATE form of
drunkard lying On his own door step, Look
2bout you. lest You feel the garfoter's hug
LOOK LOO through the broken window pane and
Then listen. What is it? God help usi'
NO footlights, but tragedy ghastlier and
mighner than RistOri or Edwin Booth ever
enacted, No light, no fire, no bread no
nope ShiyernS in the cold, they have had
why don't they beg? They do. but they
GET nothing. You say Why don't they de-
liver themselves over to the almshonse?"
An! you would not ask that if you ever
heard the oltter cry of a man or q child
when told he must so to the almshouse.
Oh !? You say, they are the vicious moor.
and, therefore, they do not demand our SYM
pathy Are they vicious? So much more
God helps them. Through their night there
tWlhkifS the round merry star of hope. and
tnFou&h the broken window pane they see
IT, e i Of asaye 9-l h9t s vicious poor
D.. cso.ss. Out You excuse JodrseiT ffT =
helping them by saying they are 50 bad
they brought this trouble on themselves. |
reply, where | give ten prayers for the inno-
cent VINO are suffering | will give twenty
prayers for the guilty who are suffering.
The fisherman. when he sees Il vessel dash
ing into the breakers comes out from his
hut and wraps the warmest tiannels around
those who are most chilled and most bruised
and most battered in the wreck; and ] want
you to know that these vicious poor have had
two -Shipwreck of the body,
shipwrecll Of the soul-shipwreck for time,
shipwreci 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, 1T is locked" No, it is not
locked; II has never been locked. No burg
lars would be tempted to go in there TO
steal anything The door is never locked
Only Il broken chair stands against the
door. Shove it back. Go i'll; Strike match
Now, look. Beastliness and rags. See those
glazing eyeballs. Be careful now what you
say. Do not utter any insult, do not utter
any suspicion. II you value your life, What
Is that red mark on the wall 1t is the mark
Of Il murderer'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 out. Strike another match All this
is Il babe, not like the beautiful children of
your household, or the beautiful children
smiling around these affairs on baptiSmal
day. This little one never smiled; it never
Will smile. A flower flung on an uwfuly
barren beach. Oh! Heavenly Shepherd, fold
that little one in thy arms. Wrap around
you your shawl or your coat tightcr, for the
cold night wind sweeps through.
Strike another match. All, is it possible
that that young woman's SCARED and
bruised face was ever looked into by ma
ternal tenderness? Utter no scOrn. Utter no
harsh word. No ray of hope has daUned on
that brow for many year. No ray of hope
ever will dawn on that brow. But the light
has gone out. DO not strike another light
ii would be Il mockery to kndle another
light in such a place that. Pass out and
pass down the street Our cities of Brook
Ign and New York and all our great cities
are fun Of such homes, and the worst time
the midnight
DO you know it is in the midnight that
criminals DO their worst work?
Al half-past O'Clock You will find them
III the drinking saloon, but toward II
o clock they 20 10 their garretS, they get out
their tools. then they start on the street
Watching on either side for the police,
tEey 20 IL their work OF darkness This is
burglar, and the false key will soon touch
the store lock. This is an inccndiary. and
before morning there will be light on the
So. an! cry ot 'Eire. fire. This is an
assassin, and tomorrow morning there will
be- 4 dead body in one of the vacant lots.
During the daytime these villains in our
cities lounge about, some asleep and some
awake but when the third watch of the
night arrives, their eye keen, their brain
cool. their 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 n thieves garnet
Their childish toy was Il burglars dark
lantern. The first thing They remember
was their mother handaging The brow of