Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-08-24

.
clothed re. Twas si,S and in prison
and ye visited me; iaasmuch AZ ye did
it 10 these poor waits OF the streets.
yc did IL unto me"
brotherhood OF Man.
Again. in all cities asn Impressed
with the fact that all classes and con
ditions OF society must commingle.
We sometimes cultivate a wicked eX-
clusiyeneSs Intellect dcSpises igno-
rance. Refinement viii have nothing
TO 10 With boorishness. Gloves hate
the sunburned hand. and the high
forehead deSpises the Hat head. and
the trim hedSerow win have nothiG-
10 DO with the Wild copscwood. and
Athens hates Nazareth. This ought
not SO TO be. | like this democratic
| principle of the gospel Of Jesus Christ
which recognizes 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 nothing but a man.
| born OF the same Parent. regcncrated
| by the same Spirit. cleanSed in he
same blood. to lie down in the same
| dust. TO get up in the same reSurrec-
| ton. II is high time that we all ac-
Lnowlcdgcd not only the Fatherhood
| of God. but the brotherhood of man.
Again. in all cities | am impressed
with the fact that 1t is very hard
thing for man 10 keep his heart
| right and 10 get to heaven. Infinite
temptations spring upon us from
| places of public concourse. Amid SO
| much afliuence. how much temptation
to covetousness and to be discontinued
with our humble lot. Amid so many
| opportunities for overreaching. what
| temptation to eNtortion, Amid so
/ much display, what temptation TO van
| ity, Amid SO many saloons OF strong
| drink. what alluremeut to dissipation
In the maelstroms and hell gates of the
street. how many make quick and
eternal shipwreck, If man-of-war
| comes back from battle. and is towed
into the navy yard. we go down TO look
ut the splintered spars and count the
bullet holes. and look with patriotic
admiration on the flag that floated in
victory from the masthead. But that
man is more of curiosity who has
! gone through 80 years of the sharp
shooting 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 n patch OF canvas TO tell
where they persisted. They never had
any peace Their dishonesties kept
tolling in their ears. If had an ak.
and could split open the beams OF that
/ l,,N \ ~. E,,.l l.,
the very heart of IL n skeleton. In
his very best wine there is smack
Of poor mans sweat. oh, is II strange
that when n man has devoured
widows houses he is disturbed with
Indigestion? An the forces of nature
are against him. The floods are ready
to drown him. and the earthquake TO
swallow him. and the fires TO consume
him, and the lightning to smite him.
Aye. the angels OF God are on the
street. and In the day when the crowns
OF heaven are distributed some of the
brightest Of them will bc given to
those men who We're faithful TO 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.
Prctcnsiou and sham.
Again. in all these cities am I'm.
| pressed with the fact that life is full
OF pretension and sham. What subtcr
fuge. what double dealing. what two
faccdncss! DO ali people who wish you
|
happy day? DO all the people who
shake hands love each other? Arc all
those anxious about your health who
inquire concerning IT, DO all want 10
see You who ask you 10 call? Does all
the world know half rs much as Il
pretends To know? Is there not many
n wretched stock OF goods with bril-
| liant store Window Passing up and
down the streets TO your business and
| your work. are YOU not impressed with
the fact that society is hollow and that
there are subterfugcs and pretensions?
Oh, how many there are who swagger
ana strut and how few people who are
natural and walk While tops shipper
and fools smoker and simplctons gig
gle. how few people are natural and
lnughi 1 say these things not to create
In you incredullty or misanthropy. nor
do forget there are thousands OF peo-
pie great deal better than they seem.
but ! do not think any man is prepared
Tor the conflict OF this life until he
knows this particular peril
Again. in all cities | am impressed
with the fact that there is n great field
for Christian charity. There are hun
ger and suffering and want and wretch
edness in the country, but these evils
chiefly consregate in our great cities.
On every street crime prowls. and
drunkenness staggers, and shame
winks, and pauperism thrusts out its
hand asking for aims. Here want is
most squalid, and hunger is most lean.
A Christian man going along street
IN New York saw a poor lad, and he
stopped and said: my boy, do you
know how 10 read aud writer" The
boy made no answer. The man asked
the question twice and thrice: Can
you read and writer" and then the
boy answered, with tear FLASHING on
the back of his hand. He said In
write neither. God, sir. don't want me
TO read and write. Didn't he take
away my father so long ago never
remember TO have seen him? And
haven't had TO go along the streets
10 get something 10 fetch home TO eat
for the folks? And didn't |, as soon
as l could carry basket, have TO go
out and pick up cinders, and never
have no schooling. sir? God don't want
me to read. sir can't read nor write
neither"
Oh! these poor wanderers They
have no chance. Born in degradation,
as they get up from their hands and
knees TO walk. they take their first
step on the road to despair. Let us go
forth, in the name OF the Lord Jesus
Christ, to rescue them. Let us min.
listers not be afraid OF soiling our black
clothes while we go down on that mis-
sion. While we are tying an elaborate