The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-03-25


tunities for overresching, what temp
tation TO extOrtionl Amid SO much
display, what temptation to vanity
Amid so many saloons Of strong drink.
what allurement 10 dissipationl In the
maelstromsand he'll gates ofthe street,
how many make quick and eternal
shIpwreck! II man-of-war comes
back from a battle and is lowed into
the navy yard, We go down to look at
the spliniered spars and count the bull
let holes and look with patriotic ad-
miration on the flag that foated in Vic
tory from the masthead. But thatman
Is more OF a curiosity who has gone
through 10 years OF the sharpshooting
OF business life and yet sails on, victor
over the temptations OF the street
oh, how many have gone down under
the pressure, leaving not so much as
the patch Of canvas 10 tell where they
persisted! They never had any peace.
Their dishonesties kept tolling in their
ears. II / had an ax and could split
open the beams Of that fine house, per-
haps l would find in the very heart Of
II a skeleton. In his very best wine
there is q smack OF poor mans sweat.
oh, Is 1t strange that when a man has
devoured widows houses no is dis
turbed with indigestion? All the forces
of nature are against him. The foods
are ready 10 drown him and the earth
quake to swallow him and the fires TO
consume him and the lightnings 20
smite him. But the children OF God
are on every street, and In the day
when the crowns OF Heaven are distrib-
uted some Of the brightest Of them will
be given TO those men who were faith
full 10 God and faithful to the souls Of
others amid the marts of business,
proving themselves the heroes Of the
street. Mighty were their temptations,
mighty was their deliverance, and
mighty shall be their triumph.
Again, the street impresses me with
the fact that life Is full Of ~pretension
and sham. What subterfuge, what
double dealing, what two-facednessi
Do all people who wish you good morn
ing really hope for you'a happy dayP
Do all people who shake hands love
each other? Are all those anxious
about your health who inquire con-
corning 1t? Do all WANT to see you who
ask you TO call? Does all the world
know half as much as II pretends 10
know Is there not many q wretched
stock Of goods with q brilliant show
window? Passing up aud down the
streets to your business and your
work, are you not impressed with the
fact that society is hollow and that
there are subterfuges and pretensions?
Oh, how many there are who swagger
and strut and how few people who are
natural and wslkl While fopa impeI
and fools chuckle and simpletons gig
. gle. how few people are natural and
laugh The courtesan and the liber'
! tine 20 down the street in beautiful.
apparel, while within the heart there
! are volcanoes Of passion consuming
their life away. ] say these things mo-
10 create in you i~ncredulity or miSan
thropy, nor do I forget there are thou
sands Of people a great deal better thar
they seem, but / do not think any mar
Is prepared for the conflict Of this III
until he knows this particular peril
Ehud comes pretending TO pay his ia,
q to King Eglon, and while he stands II
front Of the king stabs him through
I with q dagger until the hsft went II
: after tbs blade. Judas Iscariot kisse,
Christ
Again, the street impresses me Wit
the 'fact that II 10 q great field 70
Christian charity. There are hungs
' and suffering and want aud wretched
: nesa in the country, but these evil
! chiefly congregate In u great citiei
On every street crime prowls an
. drunkenness stsggerS and sham
! wlnks and pauperism thrusts out Il
: hand asking for aims, Here want
most squalid and hunger Is most lear
: A Christian man going along a stree
In New York saw q poor lad, ard b
: stopped and said: "My boy, Go 70
q know how 10 read and writer" Tb
0 boy made no answer. The man aSke
D the question twice and thrice: ga
you read and writer" and then the DO
. answered with q tear plsSbing on II
back Of his hand. He said, in def
7 anee: "No, sir; l can't read nor writ
q neither. God, sir. don't want me
b read and write. Didn't He take ava
J. father 80 long ago I never remember I
n have seen him, and haven't ! had 10 Z
u along the streets TO get something
fetch home TO eat for the folks, an
. didn't /, as soon as / could carry
u basket have TO 90 out and pick up eli
r ders and never have no schooling, Lr
D, God don't want me TO read, sir. lean
read nor write neither" oh, the
X poor wanderersl They have no chane
Born in degradation, as they get u
II from their hands and knees TO wal
= they take their first step on the road
despair. Let us 20 forth In the nan
Of the Lord Jesus Christ 10 reset
y them Let us ministers not be afra.
u Of soiling our black clothes while v
d 20 down on that mission. While v
r tying an elaborate knot In 0,
% crayat or while we are In the STUD
II rounding of some period rhetorical
is we might be saving a soul from dsa'
d and hiding a multitude Of sins. o
d Christian laymen, go out on this wor
n. II you are not willing 10 60 forth you
!" self, then give Of your means, and
N you are too StiDgy to help, then get o.
n II the way and hide yourself IN Il