The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-10-18


fly or pursue, they are ready. Many OF
these poor creatures were brought up IN
that way. They were born in a thieves
garrett Their childish toy was a bur
glars dark lantern. The first thing they
remember was their mother bandaging
the brow Of their father. struck by the
police club They began by robbing boys'
pockets. and now they have come 70 dig
the underground passage 20 the cellar OF
the bank and are preparing TO blast the
gold vault.
Just so long as there are neglected chill
dren Of the street. just so long we will
have these desperadoes. Some one, wish
ing 10 make a good Christian point and
20 quote a passage OF Scripture, expecting
10 get a ScriDtural passage in answer, said
20 one of these poor lads. east out and
wretched. When your father and your
mother forsake you, who, then, will take
YOU mp" And the boy said, The per-
lice"
In the third watch of the night gam
bling does its worst work. What though
the hours be slipping away and though the
wife be waiting in the cherries home?
Stir up the fire; bring on more drinks:
nut up more stakes That commercial
house that only little while ago put out
sign Of co-partnershiD will this winter
be wrecked on a gamblers table. There
viii be many noney till that will spring
Il Itdk. IN the LHlfu Nhbn OF the NigIL
pass down the streets OF these cities. and
you hear the click OF the dice and the
sharp, keen stroke of the balls on the
billiard table. At these places merchant
princes dismount. and legislators, tired
Of making laws. take a respite in break
ing them. All classes of people are robbed
bv this crime-the importer of foreign
pocket handkerchiefs. The clerks OF the
store take a hand after the shutters are
put up, and the officers of the court while
away their time while the Jury is out.
In the third watch OF the night also
drunkenness does it's worst. The drink
ing will be respectable at o'clock in the
evening little flushed at .. taikative and
Qarrulous at 10, at IL blasphemous. at IL
the hat falls off at ] the man falls TO
the floor. asking sor more drink. Strewn
through the drinking saloons of the city,
fathers. husbands. sons as good as YOU are
bv nature, perhaps better. In the high
circles of society IL is hushed up. A mer
chant prince. If he gets poisv and un.
controllable. is taken by his fellow rev
elers, who try to get him 10 bed or take
him home, where he falls fat III the
entry. Do not wake up the children
/ rejoice before God that never are
sympathetic words uttered, never prayer
offered, never a Christian almsoiving in
dulged in but IL is blessed. There is a
place in Switzerland, / have been told
where the utterance OF one word will
bring back a score of echoes. and I have
70 tell yon that a sympathetic word. a
kind word, a generous word, a helpful
word, uttered in the dark places of the
town will bring back 10000 echoes from
heaven.
could give you the history in minute
of one of the best friends i ever had.
Outside of my own family / never had a
better friend He welcomed me to nv
home at the West. He was of splendid
personal appearance, but be bad an ardor
of soul and a warmth of affection that
made me love him like a brother ! saw
men coming out of the saloons and gamb-
ling hells, and they surrounded my friend,
and they took him at the weak point-his
social nature-and ! saw him going down
and ! had a fair talk with him. for l
never yet saw man YOU could not talk
with on the subject of his habits if you
talked with him in the right way.
said 10 him, "Why don't Won give up your
bad habits and become a Christian"
remember now Just how he looked. leaning
over his counter, as he replied, 81 wish
] could. Oh. sir. / should like to be a
Christian. but | have gone so far astray
/ can't get bacll" So the time went on
After awhile the dav OF sickness came. I
was summoned to his sickbed. | fastened
Ii took me but very few moments to
get there. | was surprised as | went in.
saw him in his ordinary dress fully
dressed, lying on top of the bed. I gave
him nv hand and he seized il convulsive-
ly aud said ooh. how glad I am to see
voul Sit down there" ! sat down, and
he said: "Mr. Taimage, just where YOU
sit now my mother sat last night. She
has been dead twentv years. Now, | don't
want YOU to think / am out of nv mind
that Il but CIV cha
sat there last night, and she said. 'Ros.
well. wish you would do better I wish
YOU would do better I said Mother,
| wish / could do better. / try to do
better. but ] can't Mother you used &c
helm me; why can't you help me now|
And, sir, | got 2.st of bed, for IL was
reality, and | went TO her and threw my
arms around her neck, and / said: Moth
er. | will do better. but you must help
me. | can't do this alone" ] knelt
and prayed. That night his soul went
to the Lord who made it,
Arrangements were made for the ohse-
ouies. The question was raised whether
they should hrin@ him to the church.
Somebody said. "You cannot bring snch
a disso,ute man as that into the church"
I said: you will bring him in church.
He stood bv me when he was alive and j
will stand by him when he is dead Bring
him. As | stood in the pulpit and saw
them CARRYING the body up the aisle
felt as IL ] could weep tears OF blood. On
one side of the pulpit sat his little child
OF eight wears, a sweet, beautiful little
girl. that had seen him bug convulsively
In his better moments. He put on her
all jewels and gave her all pictures and
toys, and then he would 60 away, as il
bounded by an evil spirit, TO his cups and
the house of lnIquity, a fool to the cor
rection of the stocks. She looked up won.
deringly: she knew not what IL all meant:
she was not old enough to understand
the sorrow OF an orphan. On the other
side sat the men who ruined him. They
were the men who had poured the worm
wood into the orphans Gun, they were
the men who had bound him hand and
foot. I knew them. How did thev seem
to feelg Did thev weep? No. Did they
say. What a pity that so generous
man should be destroyed" No. Did they
sigh repenting,y over what they had doneg
No: thew sat there. looking as vultures
look at the carcass of lamb whose heart
thew have ripped out So they sat and
looked at the coffin lid, and / told them
the Judgment OF God upon those who
had destroyed their fellows. Did they
reform? i was told they were IN the
nlaces of inicuity that night after NV
friend was laid in Oakwood cemetery, and
they blasphemed and they drank. Oh,
how merciless men are, especially after
they have destroyed youl DO not look
to men for comfort or help.
But there is man who will not re-
form. He saws. Il won't reform" Well.
then. how many acts are there In
tragedy 7 believe there are five acts IN
a tragedy.
Act the frs, Of the tragedy A young
man starring of from home parents and
sisters weeping 10 have MN 80: wagon
rising over the hill. farewell kiss flung
hack. Ring the bell and let the curtain
fall