Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-04-15

when was fanlllar TO US tnere. Ii Chest-
nut street. young man went into gam
bling saloon, lost all his property. then blew
his brains out, and before the blood was
washed from the @ ,or by the mail the COM
rades vera shutting cards again. You sss
there is more mercy in the highway man for
the belate traveller on wlcss DO ly he heaps
. the stones; there is more mercy in the frost
for the flower that it kills; there Is more
mercy in tne hurricane that shivers the
steamer on tee Long Islam coast than there
is mercy in the heart OF a gambler for his
victim.
In the midnight hour also. drunkenness
does its worst. The drinking will bs re-
spectacle at o'clock 10 tn, evening, a little
flushed at 9. laxative AMI garruloas st IL.
at IL olasp1enoas. at - tne hat falls Off aud
ths man falls TO tia q DE asxin, for IN )re
drink. Ssrewn through tho drinxin,
saloons OF the city -fathers, bro.aers,
husban Is, sons, as goo as YOU are by nature,
perhaps letter.
In the higa circles OF society it is h1shel
up. A merchant prince. if hs gets noisy
an uncomfortable is taken by mis- fellow
jewellers. who try to get him to ball. o. tax,
him hone. where he falls fat in the entry. Do
not wake up the children. They hays had
disgrace enough. Do not let than know it.
Hush it up. BIT sometimes it cannot be
hushe up-when thu ru II tluci IS tls brain
and the man becomes tn )rou shly franzie |.
Oh, if the rum touches tiha brain, you C an
not hush 1t up. You do not sea tae worst.
In the Midnight meetings great multitu lie
have been saved. We want a few hundred
Christian men AMI women to come down
from the highest circles OF society to toll
amid these wandering an destitute ones aai
kiudle up light in TIE dark alley, even the
gadness of heaven.
Do not go from your well fl ls l ia olss with
the idea that GUS talk is going to stop the
craving OF an empty ston lch or to war n
stockingless feet. Take bread, take railnent.
take medicine as we'll as take prayer. Taere
Is great deal of common sense III waat ths
loor woman sail to the city missionary
when he was telling her how she ougat to
love Col and servs Him. "Olp sail she
'.if you were as poor AMI col as | an, AMI
as hungry, you could think OF nothing else."
A great deal OF what is called Chrissian
WORK. goes for nothing for the simple reason
it is not practical, as after the battle OF
Antietaal a m IN got out OF an aniou, ance
with bag of tracts, and he went distfib1t-
ing the tracts, and George Stuart, one of
the best Christian men in this country. said
{, him: What are you distributing tracts
Tor now? There are 800 men biee ling to
death. Bind up their wounds, ami then dis
tribute the tracts"
We want IN ore common sense in Chris.
tan work, taking the brea1 of this life in
ono mana, anu tnt DESda VI tue uSAb ilic III
the other hand. No suci inapt work as
that done by the Christian man who, during
the war; went into hospital With tracts.
and coming to the bed of a man whose legs
had been amputatsd, gave him tract oil
the sin of dancingl | reioios before Col
that never are sympathetic words uttered,
never prayer offered, never a Christian
alnegiving INDUCED in but 1t is blessed.
Tnere Is place In Switzerland, have
hao,, toll yHhaya the rttaTaur3 Of wOr1
viii br. ing bsea score of eehoss an have
te tell volt this morning that sympathetic
word, a kind word generous word, help
full word uttered in the dark piac3 Of the
town will bring back ten THOUSAND echoes
fren all the thrones Of heaven
Are there id this assem- bage this morning
those who know by experience the tragedies
of Midnight In town. 1 am not here to
thrust you back with one hard word. Take
the bandage from your bruised soul md put
on it the soothing salye of Chris5'S gospel
and of Co.'s compassion. Many have come.
| see others co ming to q d this morning,
tired of sinful life. Cry up the news to
heaven. Set all the bells ringing. Spread
tho banquet under the arches. Let tbs
crowned meals come down and sit at the
jubilee.
tell you there is mora delight in haven
over one man that gets reformed by the
grace of God than over ninety and nine that
never got off the track 1 could give you
the history in a minute OF one of the best
friends / ever had. Outside OF my oSl
family never had batter friend. He
welcomed me to my home at the west. He
was of splendid person,l appearance, and
he had an ardor of soul and a warmth of af-
lection that made me- love him like a
brother.
saw men coming out of the saloons and
gambling bells. and they surrounded my
friend, and they took him at thu weak point
his social nature, and | saw him going down.
and | had fair talk with him, for l never
yet saw. q man you could not talk with on
the subject of his habits il you talked with
him in the right way. l said to HIM, why
don't you give up yoar bad habits AMI be-
come ChristianT' | remember now just
how he looksa, leaning over his counter, as
he replied: 81 wish l could. On, sir,
should like to be Christian, but have
gone so far astray can't get back"
So the time went on. After awhile the
day of sickness came. was summoned to
his sickbei. FASTENED. It took ME but a
very few moments to get there. l was sur
| prisei as | went in. [ saw him in his
/ ordinary clothes, fully dressei, lying on the
4 top of the bed. L gave him my hand, and
/ he seized it convuisiveiy and said: ~ }
/ how glad l am to see you! Sit down there
! l sat down, and he said; "Mr. Talmage
! Just where you sit now my mother sat last
night. She has been dead 30 years. Now,
/ don't want you to tt'nF L ao> Gilt OF my
c,.a,, or that 1 am superstiticus. but, SIT
! she sat there last nigh. just as certainly d
! yon sit there now--the same cap, and aprol
/ and spectacles. 1t was my cd nother@sh
| sat there"
Then he turned to his wife an sail. st
| wish you would take these strings OFF tn
bed. Somebody is wrapping strings aroun
| me all the time. / wish you would stop tina
ANNOYANCE She said, "There is nothin
here" Then l saw it was delirium. He said
Just where you SIT tio# my mother sat
/ and she said; Roswell, / wish you would d.
betteI--I wish you would do better | said
Mother, wish could do better. try t,
do better, but can't. Mother, you used Il
help me. Why can't you help me now;
/ And, sir, got out of bed, for it was reality
and went TO her and threw my ar ms aroln,
her necG, and | sail: Mother will do bet
ter. but you must help. can't do thi
ouern | knelt down and prayed. Tha
night his soul went to the Lord that made it
Arrangements were made for the o5se
/ quies. The question was raised whether
they should bring him to church. Some
body said, You can't bring suca dissoluts
man as that into the ciurcA." said: ''You
/ will bring him in the church, He stool by
me when he was alive and will stand BY
him when he is dead. Bring him." As
/ stood in the pulpit and saw than carrying
the boly up the aisle, felt as if coulC
weep tears of bod
! On one side Of the pulpit sat his little CHI ID
OF eight years, sweet, BEAUTIFUL little g.r
that hai seen him hug convuisively in mis-
better moments. He put on her ali jewels
all diamonds. aad gave her all pictures anC
toys, and then he would go away as i
houn led by an evil spirit to his cup. ant
house of shame, a fool to the corr ection o.
the stocas She looked up won deringly
She knew not what it all meant. Shs wa
not old enough to I'M ierstani tho sorrow o
an orphan child,
On the other side the pulpit sat the mer
who had ruined him. They wers the me,
who had pours NORWOOD into the or
phan's cup; they were the men who hac
/ bound him hand and foot. | knew them
1 How did they seem to feel, Did they wee3
( No. Did they say, "What pity that sue;
/ a generous man should be Destroyer No
! DID they sigh repentingly over what they
| had dones No; they sat there, looking g:
/ vultures look al the carcass OF the lamt
/ whose heart thsy have rfppet 01t. SO they
sat and looked at tho coffin lid, sns
toll them the judgmsut OF God upon TOM
( who had destroyed their faINows. Did etas1
reforms was told shsy Yrs in TIA r1acel
OF iniquity that nigis alter my friend wa'
| lait in Oikwood Cemetery, and they bias
hemed. and they drank. Ola, how merciles
men are, especially after they have de
stroyed you'll Do not look TO men for com
| fort or help. Look to God.
But there is man VINO will not reform
/ He says; II won't REFORM" Well, then
how many acts are there To tragedy