The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-25
THE DEUNKARU,s SERMON.
An Unexpected Response to n Request
That lie ray tor Ills DriAk with a


From the New Orleans Ifcayun1.
1t was growing late. The tide OF
humanity that earlier in the evening
had cbbed and flowed through the
streets Of the great city had swept on
ward. leaving the strange and almost
appalling sense of desOiation that
comes when the noises of the town are
hushed. The electric lights flashed un-
noticed on the corners: the street cars
passed al further intervals; now and
then a 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
ruddy across the pavement stood
tramp. unshOrn, ragged. dirty, disgust
ing. He watched with enviOus eyes
the men who passed i'm and out through
the swinging doors, and then he turned
mis- ewes toward two young fellows in
evening dress who were coming down
the street toward him. They had been
drinking deeply, and they stopped be-
fore the saloon door and looked curl
uusly at him.
"Bv Joyc," said one. think Of hav
ing a thirst like that, and not the price
Of an extinSuisher i'm your pocket!
Beats old Tantalus all to pieces. ch?
Liquor liquor. everywhere. and not 4
drop to drink
He ran his hand in his pocket and
proffercd the tramp a dime, but he
fore it 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 giIded youths
The barkeeper set before them glasses
and liquors, and with a hand that
shook the tramp poured out a brim-
ming glass and raised it tn his lips.
stop" cried one of the young men
drunkenly, make us speech. 1t is
poor liquor that doesn't unlOOsen a
mans tongue"
The tramp hastily swallowed down
the drink, and as the rich liquor
coursed through his blood he straight
cned himself and stood before them
with a grace and dignity that all his
rags and dire could not obscure.
"Gcntlemen," he said, Il look to-
night at you and at myself and it
seems to me / look upon the picture
uf my lost manhood This bluated face
was once as young and handsome as
yours This shambling figure once
walked as proudly as yours. a man in
a world of men. |, too, once had home,
aud friends and position. | had a wife
rs beautiful as an artists dream, and
drouued the priceless pearl Of her
honor and respect in the wide cup, and
Cleopatra-like saw it dissolve, and
GuaNcd it down in the brmminG
draught | had children as sweet and
lovely as the flowers of spring, and I
saw them fade and die under the
bliGhting curse of a drunkard father.
] had a home where love IL the fame
upon the altar and ministered before
il. and ! put out the holy fire, and
darkness and desolatiOn reigned in It's
stead. ! had aspirations and ambitions
that SCARED as high as the morning
star, ana ! broke and bruised their
beautiful wings, and at last, stranGled
them that ! might be tortured with
their cries no more. Today l am a
husband without a wife, a father with
out q child, a tramp with no home 10
Call his own. a man in whom every
good impulse is dead. All. all Swal-
lowed up in the maelstrom of drink"
The tramp ceased speaking. The
glass fell from his nerveless fingers
and shivered into a thousand frag-
mcnts on the floor. The swinging
doors pushed open and shut again. and
when the little group about the bar
looked IN the tramp was gone.