Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-04-28


will have nothing to do with the wild
copsewood, and Athens hates Naz-
areth This ought not so TO be. The
astronomer must come down from his
starry revelry and help us in our navi-
cation. The surgeon must come away
from his study of the human organ
ism and set our broken bones. The
chemist must come away from his ab-
oratory. where he has been studying
analysis and synthesis, JcaG help us %
understand the nature Of the soils.
bless God that all classes of people are
compelled TO meet on the street, The
glitteriug coach wheel ciasNHs against
the scavenger's cart. Fire robes run
against the peddler's pacf Robust
health meets wan sickness. Honesty
confronts fraud. Every class of people
meets every other class, lmpudence
and modesty, pride and humility, puri-
ty and beastliness, franknees and
hypocrisy, meeting on the same block,
in the same street, in the same city
Oh, that is what Solomon meant when
he said: "The rich and the poor meet
together. The Lord is the Maker Of
them ALL"
/ like this democratic principle of the
gospel of Jesus Christ which recog-
nizes the fact that we stand before God
on one and the same platform. Do not
take on any airs, whatever position you
have gained in society; you are moth
ing but man, born of the same parent.
regenerated by the same Spirit,
cleansed in the same blood to lie down
in the same dust, TO get up in the same
resurrection. II is high time that we
all acknowledge not only the Father
hood of God, but the brotherhood Of
man.
Again, the street impresses me with
the fact that II is very hard thing for
a man 10 keep his heart right and TO
get TO Heaven. Infinite temptations
spring upon us from these places OF
public concourse. Amid such afflu-
ence, how much temptation to cove;-
BUSINESS and TO be discontented with
our humble lot. Amid so many oppor-
tunities for overreaching, what temp,
tation to extortion! Amid so much
display, what temptation TO vanity!
Amid so many saloons Of strong drink
what allurement TO dissipationl In the
maelstroms and hell gates of the street
how many make quick and eternal
shipwreck! If man-of-war comes
| back from a battle and is towed into
the navy yard, we go down TO look at
the splintered spars and count the bull
let holes and look with patriotic adj
miration on the flag. tgt Aoated in vic
tory from the masthead. But that man
is more of a curiosity who has gone
through 30 years ofthe sharpshootine
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 to tell where they
perished. They never had any peace
Their dishonesties kept tolling in thciI
ears. II | had an aX and could spill
open the beams of that fine house, per
haps would find in the very heart o.
it skeleton. In his very best wine
there is n smack Of poor mans sweat
Oh. is it strange that when man ha!
devoured widows houses ho is dis
turbed with Indigestion? All the forces
of nature are against him. The floods
are ready to drown him and the earth
quake to swallow him and The fires t'
consume him and the lightnings tt
smite him. But the children Of Goo
are on every street. and in the day
when the crowns Of Heaven are distrib
uted some Of the brightest of them vii
be given 10 those men who were faith
| ful to God and faithful 10 the souls o
others amid the marts Of business
| proving themselves the heroes of th,
street. Mighty were their temptations
mighty was their deliverance, AM
mighty shall be their triumph.
Again, the street impresses me will
the fact that life is full of pretensioI
and sham. What subterfuge, wha
double dealing, what two-facedness
DO all people who wish you good morn
ing really hope for you'a happy day
Do all people who shake hands low
each other? Arc all those anNiou
about your health who inquire con
ccruing IL? Do all want TO see you VIII,
ask you TO call? Does all the worl,
know half as much as it pretends t.
know? is there not many wretchet
stock of goods with a brilliant shoy
window? Passing up and down th
streets TO your business and you
work are you not impressed with tn
fact that society is hollow and tha
there are subterfuges and pretensions
Oh, how many there are who swagge
and strut and how few people who ar
natural and walk! While fops simpe
and fools chuckle and simpletons gig
gle, how few people are natural an
laugh! The courtesan and the liber
tine go down the street in beautiful
apparel, while within the heart ther
are volcanoes Of passion consumin
their life away. say these things nc
to create in you incredulity or misar
thropy, nor do forget there are thou
sands of people great deal better tha
they seem, but do not think any ma
is prepared for the conflict Of this lif
until he knows this particular peri
Ehud comes pretending TO pay his ia
10 King Eglon, and while he stands i
front of the king stabs him throug
with a dagger until the haft went i
after the blade. Judas Iscariot kisse
Christ.
Again, the street impresses me wit
the fact that It is great field 70
Christian charity. There are hunge
and suffering and want and wretchet
ness in the country, but these evil
chiefly congregate in our great cite
On every street crime prowls an
drunkenness staggers and sham
winks and pauperism thrusts out il