The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-10
THE DRUNKARD'S SERMON.
Response to n Request That He Paw
For His Drink With a Speech.

i
For His Drink With q Speech.
II was growing late The tide Of
humanity that earlier in the evening had
eDbed and flowed through the streets
Of ths great city had swept onward, lshv-
ing the strange and almost appalling
sense OF dssolation that comes when the
noises OF the town are hushsd. The cleo
trio lights hared unnoticed on tho cor.
ners; the street cars passed at further
Intervals; nov and then night worker
hurried by. his footsteps ringing out loud
and clear in the stiffness In front of a
saloon whose lights shone out bright and
rudy across the pavement stood a tramp.
unshorn, ragged, dirty, disgusting. lie
watched with snyious eyes the men who
passed in ana out through the swinging
doors and then he turned his eyes toward
two young fellows IN evening dress who
were coming down the street toward him.
They had been drinking dCeply, and thev
stopped before the saloon door and looked
curiously at him.
by Jove, said one, think OF having
thirst like that, AM not the price of III
extingulsher in your pocket Beats old
Tantalusa oil 10 pieces, eh? Liquor,
liquor, everywhere. and not a drop to
drink. "
He ran his hand in his pocket and
proffered the tramp dime, but before IL
could be accepted the other young fellow
interposed.
Say" he said, "lets' do the good
Samaritan and set Hobo up to good
drink"
The other hilariously consented, and
the tramp slouched into the saloon at the
heels of the two eilded youths. The bar
keeper set before them glasses and
liquors. and with hand that shook ths
tramp poured out Drumming glass and
raised it TO his lips.
"Stop," cried one Of tho young men
drunkenly, make US speech. Ii is
poor liquor that doesn unloosen mans
tongue"
The tramp hastily swallowed down the
drink, and rs the rich liquor coursed
through his blood he Strengthened himssl,
and stood before them with u grace and
diguity that all his rags and dirt could
not obscure
Gentlemen" he said, 81 look tonight
at you and at myself, and it seems to me
look upon the picture OF my lost man
hood. This bloated face was once as
young and handsome as yours. This
shambling figure once walked as proudly
as yours, a man in world of men. ].
too, once had friends. and home and
position. had fife as beautiful as an
artists dream, and dropped the price,
less pearl of her henor and respect in the
wine cup. and Cleopatra-lik saw IL dis.
solve, and quaffed il down in the brim-
ming draught. 1 had children as sweet
and lovely as the flowers of spring, and
| saw them fade and die under the
blighting curse Of drunkard fathsr. /
had "A home where love lit the flame upon
the altar and piinistered before ii. ana
put out the holy fire, ana darkness and
desolation reigned in it's stead. l had
| aspirations and ambitions that scared as
high as the morning star, and / broke
and bruised their beautiful wings, and,
at last, stranRled them that might be
tortured with their cries no more. Today
l am husband without wife. father
without child, a tramp without home
to call his ow1, man in whom every
good impulse Is dead. All, all swallowed
up in the maelstrom of drink"
| The tramp ceased speaking. The glass
| fell from his nerveless fingers and shiver
ed into thousand fragments on the floor
| Tno swinging doors pushed open and
| shut to again. and when the little group
| about the bnr looked up tho tramp was
| gone.-New Orleans Picsyune.