The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-01-27
LAST OPPORI UNrTleS.
Foreefui sermon nv "a Newspaper Writer
with n Novel for Its 1@rL

bdyF ENaiD nDDObL Dh LLt 6iisN0k
Herald, The Build ng Of the City
Beautiful" the author introduces d
feature new even 10 the reformers
who have written similar books by
which 10 advance their theories. Ia
The city. " d far a. il had progressed,
were W hospitals, n for physical,
the other for moral diseases This
sounds TO our practical, modern,
'Commo sense" notions absurd Al
most 70 hio;,; but we are not as
common sense "a we thing: and our
penny. wise-and pound foolish. shut
the stable door after the.horse-is j..
stolen policy rs quite A. idiotic a. any
uLopian measure we may dispose OF
with a flourish Of the hand.
The ase Of the wretch Prender.
CAST prove e. perfectly III Indifference
aud iaAity with which we treat in
cipIent criminals.
IL we trace the histories Of our great
crimes, we shall tind few OF them as
sudden or unexpected as on the face
OF them they appear. They are led
up u by a long series OF smaller and
more venial SINS, pointing like finger
posts, the road which ends N the
gallows or the prison. Nobody he
comes @ desperate, cod blood d crimi.
nal ia "a night; IL j. a. gradual "A pro-
Tess as growing Cd, or becoming a
saint
Now, the question IL, whose bust
ness II u 10 watch these embryo sn-
ners, 10 guide them, bring them. II
possible, into welI-dOing otherwise
20 warn the community and see that
they are kept apart from those they
might u do cOntaminate: Why,
nobody, clearly, OF course "a so they
are unmatched, an uded, unled,
and unseparated. They are allowed,
so long as they do not affect par
tIcular personal lives, menace our
owl safety, or encroach on our prop
erty, 10 go on leading wretched, sin
iul ~eYistenccs, because there is no
specific charge against them. There
is no hosp Ia! for diseased minds ia
the world. The ure is heroic, II. in
deed, II cOmes In time, and only stall
wart natures are purged by il.
What is ones duty in relation [,
those whose moral sense is lacking,
or partially obliterated? 1t is folly
10 plead the eXcuse OF not wanting 10
hurt either the feelings OF the sus-
pect or his f..mily. since sooner or
later with the lneYorable %inevita-
bility OF Dom, a greater hurt and
shame awaits them ALA shame
which III ght have been averted ny
Comm tpnn.Pt supvin.a ut .Ap,f D.
a loyal friend in the beginning. This
one step at the start, howe er, is the
U1e no one IA he found 10 take. Ii
may Involve rudeness, lying, rage, we
say, and after all no one can prove
anything. Yet. when the climax
comes, W. know that We never had a
moments doubt as TO the crooked
ness OF the wrongdoers all these
weeks, months, even years ago.
We 90 farther than indifference,
TOO, in our irresponsibilit". We pre-
tend TO believe the made-up tales OF
the guilty one, and II we are asked
about his standing by some suspicious
outsider we say, 'Oh, | don't believe
there's anything wrong; he'll come
out all right" when we are satisfied
that there j. and that ne won't IL
is almost as cked u pretend 10 be-
lieve in wicked people AS IL is TO com
nit wlckedncss oneself. Ii Is also
criminal not 10 try 10 help them out;
and Mr.. Stead, when he brought
upon himself the obloquy OF WON
ans clubkind recently. meant proha-
bly, nothing more seyer than this
only he war unfortunate in his selec-
ton OF words.
1t is a crime TO be negligent OF To
shut o;e's eyes 10 opportunities TO do
good which do not add TO our "
enjoyment When a man is shiftv,
tricky. wild, sneaking, talks scorn-
fully O, honor and conscience, h, Is
known 10 Oe on the wrong pat :,
Then give him q warning note, and
make IL a certain sound, too You
"A bear his wrath now better than
his curse later. loL saw him
thoughtlessly gliding down and did
not put ont a hand 10 ave him; now
that he Is in the tolls, your friend
ship is the most impotent kind OF
comfort
The fayorite sop TO conscience is
the well worn phrase, Its none OF
my business" That covers a large
and more Heterogeneous multitude Of
sins than charit,. You have watched
a boy grow up, know that morally he
is obliQue, worthless. that he cannot
stand temptation, will be worse of
in a position or trust than he has
ever been before, yet you see him Of
fered and taking a situation. and Of
fer no suggestion TO keep him from
IT, because lit Is a thanklcss task 10
NEEDLE The rash comes, the young
man d~efalcates, and then YOU calmly,
even proudly, athrm that you knew
he would come 10 nothing but harm.
but that lit was not your business TO
spoil his chances" 1t was your bust
ness, however, 10 let his life tie
wrecked and the confidence OF his em-
ployer be betrayed. SUMS of money
lost, and a family disyra"ed forever.
'rkts &c ynur nnsplnrhpaS