Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-03-30

the last hour of the last day Of the
worlds existence and without any
avail.
We want this institution indepepd-
ent of the church and independent of
the theater The church tries to COM
promise this matter, and In many |
churches there are dramatic exhibit |
tions. Sometimes they call them
charades, sometimes they call them
magic lantern xhibitions-entertain-
ments for which you pay 90 cents. the
30 cents to go for the support of some
charitable institution. An extemporiz-
ed stage is put UP in the church or in
the lecture room, and there you go and
see David and the giant and Joseph
sold into Egypt and little Samuel
awoke, the chief difference between
the exhibition in the church and the
exhibition in the theater being that
the exhibition in the theater is more
skillful.
Now let ns have new institution
with expurgated drama and with the
surroundings l have spoken of, an in
stitution which we can without sophis-
Try uul WltuOut Stll utGCptiOh ouPPOit
and patronize. an institution so uncom-
promisingly good that we can attend 1t
without any shock to our religious
sensibilities, though the Sabbath be-
fore we sat at the holy sacrament.
Beware of Contamination.
The amusements of life are beauti-
full, and they are valuable, but they
cannot pay you for the loss of your
soul. could not tell your character:
could not tell your prospects for this
world or the next by the particular
church you attend, but If you will tell
me where you were last night and
where you were the night before and
where you have been the nights of
the last month I think could guess
where you will spend eternity.
AS TO the drama of your life and
! mine It will soon end. There will bc
no encore to bring us back. At the be-
! ginning of that drama Of life stood a
! cradle; at the end Of 1t will stand a
grave. The first act, welcome. The
last act, farewell. The intermediate
acts, banquet and battle, professions
bridal and funeral. songs and tears,
laughter and gronns.
1t was not original with Shake
speare when he said, "All the worlds
stage and all the men and women
merely players" He got it from st.
Paul, who A5 centuries before that had
written. 1--WE are made spectacle un-
to the world and to angels and to
men," spectacle In a coliseum
fighting with wild beasts in an am
phitheater, the galleries full looking
down. Here we destroy lion. Here
we grapple with gladiator. When
we fall, devils shout. When we rise
angels sing. A spectacle before gallery
above gallery. gallery above gallery
Gallery of our departed kindred look
ing down to see If we are faithful ant
worthy of our Christian ancestry, hop
ing for our victory, wanting to throw
us garland. glorified children anC
parents with cheer on cheer urging III
on. Gallery of the martyrs looking
down-the Polycarps, and the Ridleys
and the McKails, and the Theban lie
gion, and the Scotch Covenanters, ant
they of the Brussels market place. an,
Of Piedmont-crying down from th
galleries, God gave us the victory
and he will give 1t you."o Gallery o
: angels looking down-cherubic, sc
raphic. archangelic clapp.ng thei
: wings at every advantage we gair
Gallery of the King from which ther
waves SCARED hand and from whic
there comes n sympathetic voice, say
. ing, "Be thou faithful unto death, an
/ will give thee crown Of life" Oh
! the spectacle in which you and ar
the actors! Oh, the piled UP gallerie
3 looking down! Et
: Scene: The last day. Stage: Th
: rocking earth. Enter: Dukes, lord
kings, beggars. clowns. No swor'
No tinsel. No crown. For footllght
o The kindling flames of n world. FC
o orchestra: The trumpets that wake IL
i dead For applause: The clappir
t floods of the sea. For curtain: I'll
C heavens rolled together as scro
e For tragedy: "The Doom of Il
t Profiigate." For the last scene of Il
II fifth act: The tramp Of nations acro
II the stage-some to the right, others
J. the left Then the bell Of the Ia
" thunder will ring and the curtain W
s. drop.
o ,copsriGht. 1900 by louis Klopsch I
IL