The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-01

! end of the hall. We want you to feel
| that we are your friends, and we would
| be glad 20 have those present who are
SO disposed offer a few remarks on any
| line of thought the services Of this even
ing may have suggested"
There was an uneasy shutting Of
feet. few curious glances, a laugh or
| two. then silence. Mr.. Wylie waited.
A stir in the back part Of the room
+, caused the people TO turn their heads
a young man was going forward He
was athletic in build and dark of COM
plexion. a stubble of black beard COW
cred his face. His garments were new
but ill-htting. As he reached the plat
form Mr.. Wylie stretched forth welcon-
ing hand. The young man refused It
Not yet. sir he said. Wait till you
have heard me talk. Then if you re-
new your offer l will thankfully accept
it." He turned 20 the now eypectant
audience My friends" he began, 4
want 70 tell you story. 1t is of a
young man, about my age, let
US say, and in looks very much
like me. Three years ago he held
position of trust. He had friends
and opportunities The future was
bright before him. He got into bad
company and began to go down hill.
He used money that was not his. He
could not replace it. Detection became
only a matter of time. so he stole
another and larger sum and fed the
country. He escaped those he had
wronged, but he could not escape con-
science. He grew to dread the face of
his fellow man, and to fear an officer of
justice in every visitor from his native
country. Finally-,he was IN South
America-he determined to hide him
self among the wilds of the Andes and
engaged guides to direct his progress
toward an obscure inland village. They
started on the journey at night. In
that far-off land a constellation shines
which is known as the southern cross,
and which marks the hours so well for
the hum bic peon by its steady progress
through the heavens that he rev.
erently calls it Gods clock in
the sky Well, they plodded on
silently through the darkness of the
forest. They reached small opening
and stopped TO rest. The guides threw
down their burdens, and one, looking
upward, cried: 'Ha, senior! midnight
is past, the cross begins to bend A
great light flashed on the fugitive's
soul. A voice seemed softly urging:
Look up, oh, sin-scarred wandercr,
and view the symbol of the Christians
faith. See how It's treading down the
zenith and beaming in kindly mercy
DER t Y path. Let thy midnight also
pass away beneath the bending cross.
Return, atone, be free The criminal
obeyed the voice. He did return, he did
atone. He is free
My friends, it is not two weeks since
the great gates opened for him at Joliet
and he went forth a free man. Free:
free from the haunting fear of police
mans second look, free from the bur
den of an unpublished sin, flee to fight
his way up again to a name and place
among his fellow men. | am as poor
as the poorest among you tonight. l
haven't cent in my pocket and don't
know where ] shall sleep. But if by
the reaching out of my hand l could
revel in ill-gotten wealth l would scorn
the opportunity. I stand here a free
man. ! Will be slave to evil no more.
THAT is the little story I wanted to
tell you. If it has any moral it is,
starve rather than steal. Be good men
and women, and remember that hon