Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-04-10


Tragedy IN Fiys A'.s.
BROOKLYN, April 9.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage chose for his sermon today
theme Of universal interest-the dark
side Of social life in our great cities.
The text chosen as the basis OF most
graphic discourse Was Genesis /, .,
"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 a type Of everything glad and
beautiful, the other used in ali Ian
Ruages as q type Of sadness, and allie
tion. and sin. These two divisions
were made by the Lord himself. Other
divisions Of time may have nOmenca-
ture OF human invention, but the dark
ness held up its dusky brow to the
Lord and he baptized IL, the dew drip
ping from His fingers as lie gave II
name-''and the darkness He called
ni0bt.n NV subject Is midnight in
town. The thunder OF the city has
rolled out Of the air. The slightest
sounds cut the night with such dis
tinctness as 10 attract your attention.
The tinkling Of the bell OF the street
car in che distance, and the baying OF
the dog. The stamp Of horse IN the
next street. The Slamming OF 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 mis-
slonary who has been carrying q scUttle
Of coal 70 that poor family in that dark
place. Here is an undertaken going up
the steps OF a building from which
there comes a bitter cry which indi-
Gates that the destroying angel has
smitten the first born. Here is a min
lister Of religion who has been giving
the sacrament 70 dying Christian.
HERE Is A PHYSICIAN
passing aloug in great haste, the mes
seuger few steps ahead hurrying on
TO the household. Nearly all the lights
have gone out in the dwellings. The
light in the window is the light Of a
watcher, for the medicines must be ad-
ministered, and the fever must be
watched, and the restless tossing OF the
coverlid must be resisted, and the Ice
must be kept on the hot temples, and
the perpetual prayer must 60 up from
hearts soon 20 be broken. Oh. the mid
night In town! What a stupendOuS
thought whole city at rest.
Weary arm preparing for tO-morroW'S
Ntoil. Hot brain being cooled Of. Rigid
sscles relaxed. Excited nerves soCth-
Hhe white hair OF the OctOgena-
tbln drifts across the pillow,
81 fakes on snow already
ldhood with its dimpled
rn,on the pillow, and
H2g o new store
S SlumberleSs
pIe great wave OF
roll over the heart
(, snbmerging care,
GOrriment and pain.
eep But, my friends,
fec II. There will be thou
-nigW who will not sleep at ALL
That dark alley, and be cautious
nero you tread, lest you fall over the
1 PROSTATE form Of a drunkard lying on
his own doorstep. Look about you lest
ou feel the garrOter's hug. Look
IthrOugh the broken window pane and
see what you can see. You say, Moth
hing" Then listen. What is il? God
help us!' No footlights, but tragedy
ghastlier and migbtier than Ristori or
Edwin Booth ever enacted. Shivering
In the cold, they have had no fOcd for
, twenty-fOur hours. You say, "Why
don't they beg?" They do, but they
get nothing. You say, "Why don't
they deliver themselves over to the
almshOuSe?" Alb! you would not ask
that if you ever heard the bitter cry Of
a man or child when told
re MUST co TO THE ALNIsHOUsE.
"O..?" you say. "they are the vicious
poor. and, therefore, they do not de-
mand our sympathy" Are they vic
ious? 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 through the broken windOw-pane
they see the crystals of heaven; but the
vicious poor, they are more to be pitied.
Their last light has gone out. You ex-
cuse yourself from helping them by say
ing they are so bad, they brought this
trouble on themselves. reply, where l
give ten prayers for the innocent who
sre suffering / will give twenty prayers
for the guilty who are suffering. The
fisherman, when he sees vessel dash
ing intY the breakers, comes out from
his hut and wraps the warmeSt iannelS
around those who are most chilled aud
most bruised and most battered In the
wreck; and / want you to know these
vicious poor have bad two shipwrecks-
shipwreck Of the body, Shipwreck OF the
soul-shipwreck for time, Shipwreck for
eternity. Pity, by all means, the limo
cent who ara suffering, but pity more
the guilty.
Pass on through the alley. open the
door. "Oh," you say, 'it is locked"
No, it is not locked; il has never been
locked. No burglar would be attempt
ed to 60 in there 10 steal anything.
The door is never locked. Only bro
ken chair stands against the door
Shove it back. Go In. Strike match.
Now look. Beastliness and rags. See
those glarIng eyeballS. BE careful now
what you say. Do not utter any insult,
lido not utter any suspicion, If you value
your life. What is that red mark on
n the wall? Ii is the mark Of q MUIR
Aerer's hand, Look at those two eyes
hing up out of the darkness and out
NJ the straw in the corner, coming
ard you, and as they come near you,
hA light goes out.
STRIKE ANOTHER MATCH.
Ah! this is a babe, not like the beauti-
ul children Of your household, or the
Aeautifll children smiling around these |