The Banner-Democrat., 1893-06-03


brothers, husbands, sons, as good as
you are by nature. perhaps better.
IN the high circles of society it is
hushed up. A merchant prince, if he
gets noisy and uncomfortable, is taken
by his fellow.revelers, who try to get |
him to bed, or take him home, where |
he falls fat in the entry. Do not wake |
up the children. They have had dis
grace enough. Do not let them know
it. Hush it up. But sometimes it can
not be hushed mp, when the rum
touches the brain and the man becomes
thoroughly frenzied.
Do not go from your well-filled table
with the idea that pious talk is going
to stop the gnawing of an empty
stomach or TO warm stockingless feet
Take bread. take raiment, take medi-
cine as well as take prayers. There Is
a great deal of common sense in what
the poor woman said to the city mis-
sionary when he was telling her how
she ought to love God and serve Him.
"Ohr" said she, ''if you were IS poor
and cold as am. and as hungry, you
could think Of nothing else"
Are there in this assemblage this
morning those who know by expert
ence the tragedies of midnight in town?
l am not here to thrust you back with
one hard word. Take the bandage
from your bruised soul, and put on it
the soothing salve Of Christ's gospel
and of Gods compassion. Many have
come. I see others coming to God this
morning tired of the sinful life. Cry
up the news to Heaven. Set all the
bells ringing. Spread the banquet
| under the arches. Let the crowned
heads come down and sit at the jubilee.
| l tell you there is more delight In
Heaven over one man that gets re-
formed by the grace of God than over
ninety and nine that never got of the
track. 1 could give you the history in
a minute of one of the best friends
ever had. Outside of my own family
never had q better friend. He well
coined me to nv home at the west He
was of splendid personal appearance,
and he had an ardor of soul and a
warmth of affection that made me love
him as brother. Isaw men coming out
of the saloons and gambling hells, and
they surrounded my friend. and they
took him at the weak point, his social
nature, and saw him going down. and
1 had a fair talk with him--for / never
vet saw man you could not talk with
on the subject of his habits, ii you
talked with him in the right way. !
said to him: "Why don't you give up
your bad habits and become Chris
tiari?' / remember now just how he
looked, leaning over his counter, as he
replied: II wish l could. Oh! 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 sum-
moned to his sick-bed. ] hastened. II
took me but few moments to gel
there. / was surprised as went in.
saw him in his ordinary sclothes. fully
dressed, lying on the top OF the bed.
gave him INV hand, and he seized it con
vulsively and said: ''Oh! how GLAD
III am to see you. Sit dowr
, there" I sat down and he said
|, "Mr. Talmage, just where you si
!. now my mother sat last night She
has been dead twenty years. Now,
don't want you to think 1 am out O
nv mind, or that 1 am superstitious
but, sir, she sat there last night just a
,. certainly as you sit there now-th
: same cap, and apron, and spec
!. tacles. 1t was my old mother
: she sat there" Then he turne'
. to his wife and said: 81 wish yo1
: would take these strings off the bed
!. somebody is wrapping strings aroun'
: me all the time / wish you woul
:. stop that annoyance" She said
= There is nothing here" Then 1 say
!. it was delirium. He said: "Just wher
= you sit now my mother sat, and sh
? said, Roswell, wish You woul
: do betterlI wish you woul
= do better said, Mothe
wish / could do better. try d
. better, but can't. Mother, you ase
= to help me, why can't you help 7
now? And, sir, got out of bed, fol-
was reality, and / went to her, All
= threw nv arms around her neck, and
= said: Mother, / will do better, b'
:, you must help me; l can't do tn
= aIoner" l knelt down and praye
That night his soul went to the l.ol
that made it.
re Arrangements were made for Il
~ obseouies. The question was raise
Oh whether they should bring him
rs church. Somebody said: "You car
IN bring such dissolute man as that in
be the church" said: 'You bring hi
lg in the church; he stood by me when
DIX was alive. and l will stand by hi
no when he is dead. Bring him" AS
'k stood IN the pulpit, and saw the
r carrying the body up the aisle, felt
n If could weep tears OF blood.
he On one side of the pulpit sat his 1T
on child of eight years, a sweet, beautif
he little girl that I had seen him hug &C
ng vulsively in his better moments
or put on her all jewels, all diamonds, q
he gave her all pictures and toys, and tn
i'll he would go away as if bounded by
Tor evil spirit, to his cups and house
To- shame a fool to the correction OF
elk stocks. She looked up wondering
ac- She knew not what it all meant
ire was not old enough to understand
If sorrow of an orphan child.
int On the other side the pulpit sat
ill men who had ruined him; they w
,at the men who had poured wormws
vas into the orphans cup; they were
nut men who had bound him hand 9
M foot. / knew them. How did tt
zen seem to feel? Did they weep? No.