Democratic messenger., 1893-04-15

| The Vicious and Criminal Flock to the Cit y
From All Sections-Th-y Are Awake
when Other People Sleep-Strcet scenes
ut Midnight.
BROOKLYN, April 9.-Rev. DR. Talmage
chose for his sermon today theme of uni
versal interest-the dark side of social life
in our great cities. The text chosen as the
basis OF a most graphic discourse was Gene
sis /. 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: the one type Of
everything glad and beautiful, the other
used in all languages rs type of sadness
and afiliction 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 bap-
tized il, the dew dripping from his fingers
as he gave it a name, And the darkness
he called night"
My subject is midnight in town. The
thunder of the city has rolled ont Of the
air The slightest sounds cut the night
with such distinctness as to attract your
attention. The tinkiing Of the bell Of the
street car in the distance and the baying of
the dog. The stamp Of korse in the next
street The slamming oe saloon door
The hiccough of the drunkard. The shrieks
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 city missionary
who has been carrying scuttle of coal to
that poor family in that dark place. Here
is nm undertaken going up the steps Of n
building from which there comes u bitter
cry. which indicates that the destroying
angel has smitten the firstborn. Here is a
minister of religion who has been giving
the sacrament to dying Christian. Here
is n physician passing along in great haste
the messenger u few steps ahead hurrying
on to the household Nearly all the lights
have gone ont in the dwellings. That light
in the window il the light Of the watcher.
| for the medicines must he administered
and the fever must he watched. and the
restless tossing Off Of the covcrlid must he
resisted and the ice mast I've kept on The
hot temples. and the perpetual prayer must
20 up from hearts soon To he broken. oh.
the midnight in town. What stupendous
thought-a whole city at rest,
SLEEP oF THE HONEST AND WEARY.
Weary arm preparing for tomorrow 5 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 flakes on
snow already fallen. Childhood with its
dimplesi hands thrown out on the pillow
and with every breath taking in u new store
Of fun and frolic Gods slumbcrless eye
will look. Let one great wave Of refresh
ing slumher roll over the heart Of the great
]
worriment and pain.
| Let the city sleep. But. my friends. he
not deceived There will be thousands to
night who will not sleep at all. Coup that
dark alley and he cautious where you
tread. lest you fall over the prostrate form
Of n drunkari lying an his own doorstep.
Look about you. lest you feel the garroter's
mug Look through the broken window
pane and what you can see. You say,
Nothing Then listen. What is it: God
help u.s. No footlights, hut tragedy
gh;istlicr and mightier than Ristori or Ed
win Booth ever enacted. No light. no fire
no bread. no hope. Shivering in the cold,
they have had no food for ~ hours You
say. why don't they heg:" They do, hut
they get no,hing. You say, why don't
they deliver themselves over to the aims
house," All. you would not ask that il you
ever heard the bitter cry Of u man or child
when told ha must 90 TO the almshouse.
oh" ynu 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 h.uigh the broken window pane
they see the crystals of heaven. but the
vicious poor, they are more to he pitied.
Their last ght 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 ~ prayers for the guilty who are suf
fering,
The fisherman. when lie sees vessel dash
ing into the breakers. comes out from his
hut and wraps the warmcst flannels 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 shipwrccks -shipwreck
of the body, shipwreck Of the sonl-ship
wreck for timc shipwreck for eternity.
Pity by all means, the innocent who are
suffering. bat pity more the guilty
TIE VILE ALLY.
| Pass on through the alley. Open the
door "Oh," You say, lit is locked" No.
it is not locked: it has never been locked.
Noburglar would be- tempted to 90 in there
TO steal anything. Thedoor is never locked.
Only a broken chair stands against the
door Shove it back. Go i'm. Strike a
match Now look Bcastliness and rags.
See those glarng cyclalls. lie careful now
what YOU say DO not utter any insult. do
not utter any suspicion. il you value your
| life.
What is that red mark on the wall, Il is
the mark of II murdcrers hand, Look ut
those two eyes rising up out Of the dark
ness and out from the straw in the corner
coming toward you. and rs they come near
you your light goes out. Strike another
match All. this is n babe; not like the
beautiful children Of your household or the
beautiful children smiling around these al
tars ON bap;isinal day. This little one never
smiled il never will smile. 4 flower flung
Oh an awfIlly barren beach. q Heavenly
Shepherd. fold that little one in thy arms.
Wrap around you your shawl or your coat
tighter, for the cool 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
|
no harsh word No ray Of hope has dawned
on that brow for many u year. No ray of
hope ever will dawn ON that brow. Bnt
the light has gone out. Do not strike an
othsr light. IL would be- a mOckery To kin
die another light in such place rs that.
| Pass out and pass Down the street. Our
cities of Brooklyn and New York and all
our great cities are full of such homes. and
/ the worst time the midnight
do you know il is in the midnight that
criminals do tbci worst work:
| THE III :.;LAI's HOURS.
At half past o'clock you will find th.in
in the drinking saloon, but toward IL
o'clock they 20 tn their garrets. they gc'
out their tools. then they start on the street.
Watching on either side - the police, they
1t Should BE in Every House.
J. u. Wilson, 37l Clay ST.. Sharpsburg,