Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-07-27
ON THE CITY STREETS
The Contrasts of Splendor and Woe
Seen Upon Them.
DIR. TaImage Says They Are Unlike
the Democratic Gospel of Christ
Their Shams, Pretensions and
Temptations.
washIngton


has lived the most of his life in cities
draws practical lessons from his own
observation; text Proverbs 1:2O:
Wisdom crieth without. She uttereth
her voice in the streets"
We are all ready to listen to the
voices of nature-the voices of the
mountain, the voices of the sea, the
voices Of the storm, the voices of the
star. As in some Of the eathedrals in
Europe there is an organ at either end
Of the building and the one instrument
responds unsteady to the other, so in
the great cathedral of nature day re
spends TO day, and night TO night, and
flower 10 flower, and star TO star IN
the great harmonies of the universe.
The springtime is an evangelist in bios
SONS preaching of Gods love, and the
winter is a prophet-white-bearded-
denouncing woe against our sins We
are all ready TO listen to the voices OF
nature. But how few Of US learn any
thing from the voices Of the noisy and
dusty street You 90 TO your mech
anism, and to your work, and to your
merchandise, aud you come back again
and often with how different a heart
YOU pass through the streets. Are
there no things for Us TO learn from
these payements over which We pass
Are there no tufts Of truth growing up
between these cobblestones, beaten
with the feet Of toll and pain and pleas
ure. the slow tread Of old age and the
quick step Of ehildhood2 Aye. there
are great harvests 10 be reaped, and
now thrust in the sickle because the
harvest is ripe. Wisdom crieth with
out. She uttereth her voice in the
streets"
In the first place, the street impresses
me with the fact that this life il a
scene Of toll and struggle. By ten
o'clock every day the city is Earring
with wheels and shutting with feet and
humming with voices aud covered with
the breath of smokestacks and a-rush
with trafiickers Once in awhile you
find a man going along with folded
armsand with leisurely step, asthough
he had nothing to 90, but, for the most
part. as YOU find men going down these
streets on the way to business, thers
IS anxiety on their faces. as though
they had some errand which must b.
executed at the first possible moment
| You are iostled by those who have bar,
gains to make and notes to sell. VI
| this ladder with a hod Of bricks, out
Of this bank with a roll Of bills, on this
dray with a load Of goods, digging q
yellar. or singing a roof, or shoeinl
horse, or building a wall, or mending
A watch. or binding a book. Industry
4 with her thousand arms and Thousand
| eyes and thousand feet, goes on singing
her song OF work. work, work, while
the mills drum il and the stean
whistles fife ii. All this is not because
men love TO toll. Some one remarked
Every man IS as lazy as he can atfort
ia be- But il is because necessity
with stern brow and with uplifted WIFI
stands over You. ready whenever yo'
relax your toll TO make your shoulder
sting with the lash.
Can il be that passing up and dow
these streets on your way 10 work ant
business YOU do not learn anything o
the worlds toll and anxiety and strug
ole? Oh. how many dropping hearts
how many eyes on the watch, hoV
many miles travelled. how many bur
5ens carried. how many losses SUI
fered how many battles fought nov
many victories gained, how many eN
,sneratious endured-what losses,wha
hunger. what Indebtedness, what pa
ior what disease. what agony what dc
sn,iri Sometimes | have stopped a
he corner of the street as the mutt
t,des went hither and yon, and II ma
seemed to be a great pantomimes ana =
looked upon IL my heart broke. I'M
rreat tide of human life that goe
5own the street is a rapid tossed an
,,rned aside and dashed ahead an
s.iyen baek-beautiful in its confuso
antconfused in its beauty In the ca
neted aisles Of the forest. in the WOOD
fror which the eternal shadow IS neNe
lifted. on the shore of the sea owe
a.
,ybose iron coast losses the tangie
foam sprinkIing the cracked ellis VII
a baptism of whirlwind and temPes
: the best place TO study Cod but
p he rushing. swarming. raving stree
Is the best place to study man
Going down to your place Of bushes
!. and coming home again charge 20
80 Iool, about-see these signs Of poVei
~ Of wretchedness. Of hunger, Of sil
~ bereavement = and as you g
: through the streets and come bae
through the streets. gather up IN n
: arms Of your prayer an the sorrow a
Z The losses. all the sufferings. all the D
!" reavemeuts Of those whom you pas
and present them in prayer before a
y an Sympathetic God. In the great IA
o Of eternity there will be thousands
nersons with whom you in this wor.
never exchanged one word who WI
:, rise mn and call you blessed and thel
riu he thousand fingers pointed
- vop in Heaven. saying: That Is u
man. that Is the woman, who heiP'
me when I was hungry and SICK az
-sr5srirr and lost and heartbroke
Il l. N Hn