The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1898-01-05
TIE DRUNKARD's SERMON.
II was Addressed TO Two Gilded Youths
Before a saloon bar.


New Orleans Picayune: 1t was
growing late The tide of humanity
that earlier in the evening had ebbed
and flowed through the streets of the
great city had swept onward, leaving
the strange and almost appalling
sense Of desolation that comes when
the noises of the town are hushed.
The electric lights fiared unnoticed
on the corners, the street cars passed
at farther intervals, now and then a
night worker hurried by, his foot
steps ringing out loud and clear in the
stiffness. In front of saloon whose
lights shone out bright and rudy
across the pavement stood tramp,
unshorn, ragged, dirty, disgusting.
He watched with envious eyes the
men who passed in and out through
the swinging doors, and then he
turned his eyes toward two young fell
lows in evening dress, who were CON-
They had been drinking deeply, and
looked curiously at him. sBy jove, "
said one, "think of having thirst
like that and not the price of an ex-
tinguisher in your packet! Beats old
Tantalus all to pieces, Ell? Liquor,
liquor everywhere and not drop to
|drinkln He ran his hand In his
pocked and proffered the trampa dime,
but before it could be accepted the
other young fellow interposed. 'tSay, "
he said, slet's do the good Samaritan
and set hobo up to good drink. F"
The other hilariously consented, and
the tramp slouched into the saloon at
the heels of the two gilded youths.
The barkeeper set before them glasses
and liquors, and, with hand that
shook, the tramp poured out brim-
ing glass and raised it to his lips.
" Stop" cried one of the young men;
''make us a speech. 1t is poor liquor
that don't unloosen mans tongue"
The tramp hastily swallowed down
the drink, and as the rich liquor
coursed through his blood he straight
ened himself and stood before them
with grace and dignity that all his
rags and dirt could not obscure. Seen
tlemen," he said, 81 look tonight at
you and myself, and it seems to me
/ look upon the picture Of my lost
manhood. This L|oated face was
once as young and handsome as yours.
This stumbling figure once walked
as proudly as yours, man in a world
OF men; / too, once had home, and
friends, and position; | had wife
as beautiful as an artists dream, and
/ dropped the priceless pearl of her
honor and respect in the wine cup,
and, Cleopatra-like, saw it dissolve,
and quaffed it down in the Drumming
draught. I had children as sweet
and lovely as the flowers of spring,
and | saw them blight and die under
the blighting curse of drunkard
father. / had home where love lit
the flame upon the altar and minis
tered before it, and / put out the holy
fire, and darkness and desolation
reigned in its stead. | had aspira-
tions and ambitions that scared as
high as the morning star, and | broke
and bruised their beautiful wings,
and, at last, strangled them, that |
might be tortured with their cries no
more. To-day am a husband with
out a wife, a father without child,
a tramp with no home to call his own,
a man in whom every good impulse is
dead All, all, swallowed up in the
of drink.
The tramp ceased speaking. The
glass fell from his nerveless fingers
and shivered into thousand frag-
ments on the floor The swinging
doors pushed open, shut again, and
when the little group about the bar
looked up the tramp was gone.