The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-05

u,bo thought needed helping. loving
word.
"When got up Sunday night. the seats
were irregularly filed, and there were
stray groups ofhaggard and wayward
men and women coming in irreguiarly
from God knows where. i dld not ihinu
this. | had a bucket of water over IN
the corner. with tin dipper in 1t, ana
they walked to and fro to drink. warm
night, and 1 told them not TO be paric-
ular about me. | was not nervous.
should not be disturbed If the roof were
to blow Off. I told them 10 be after their
own manner. TO go out and to come III
when they pleased.
presently there entered a desoate fig
ure. unstraightened by drink, unruly IN
heart and hope. noisy; 1t was all
strange to him; / did not chide him IN
my heart. A policeman put his hand
upon his shoulder and was about TO take
him out.
II spoke to the policeman from the
pulpit-stand "Mr. Policeman l said,
do not deal unkindly with him
but he was taken out. and after the
sermon. meeting the policeman. i inquir-
ed about the man, and asked that he
should be released from the cage I'm
which he had been placed
THE next morning, while 1 was at my
gate bell Somebody wanted TO see me.
lie was the man of the night before: but
he was himself. and came to thank me
for what he called my good turn 10 him.
He came often to hear me after that"
/ watched these Old Market meetings.
They grew, and yet grew.
And every Sunday night. the good man
was there. saying one night. | remember
'Inasmuch as We did It unto the least OF
these, ye have done It unto me-" His
words were those OF consolation. These
people fed on them more and more.
Time came when the good man held
the celebration Of the semi-centenniai
OF his pastorate at his uptown church:
for he has been in one pulpit successfully
for that time. kilograms were there from
John Hall. OF New York from the great
OF England and other countries, from
distinguished Americans OF all classes
and creeds, Cardinal Gibbons among
them; and ten thousand people passed i'm
line TO shake hands with this good man,
and the struggling man Of that Sabbath
night was among them, and the con-
gregation Of Old Market Hall was among
them. They were the warm Gulf stream
Of that great ten thousand, at least TO
the good mans heart.
| stopped the conversation long enough
10 recall the words OF Judge Sam Witt.
Of Richmond, namely, that this was the
growing work Of DR.. Hoge's uife. [
told him how true thought these words
were.
The Old Market Hoge-Memorial church
Is building. IL will soon be finished.
over the cave of st. Giles. a chapel
stands. and the Swiss valleys are sweet
and glad about with its Sabbath bells
Some day the music OF the throb Of
this good mans heart will be heard from
the memorial church along the dim ways
that wind in and out about the district
of Old Market Hall, and the refrain OF
this music may be: "Mr. Policeman. do
not deal unkindly with him."
The Doctor added after a pause OF a
moment or so: And. sir, am told now
that Judge Witt says that whereas the
crime OF the city court practically came
from this district heretofore, II now has
the cleanest record OF any section OF
the city"
one sombre afternoon sitting by my
old grandfather under this good man, I
heard his say: THE saddest lines in
the Bible are these: And the places that
knew him then shall know him no more
forever
And mingled with my boys memories
IL may be that In the after years these
lines may come to me when the twilight
of this good man shall have touched his
fun evening, and may realize then that
sadness more than when, as a boy with
my stern old grandfather ! heard them:
And the places that knew him then
shall know him no more foreverl"-W.
T.. Christian in Raleigh News and OBJ
server.