Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-10-24
A FIVE ACT DRAMA
DR.. TAI IMAGES SUNDAY SERMON.
Subject, The Way of Destruction-A
Plea For Higher and Better and No
bier Living
Irnnrriph+. 1au1.1

perils; text, Isaiah xxi, Il, "Watchnan'
When night came down on Babylon;
Nineveh and Jerusalem, they needed
careful watching, otherwise tne lnceh.
diary's torch might have been thrust INTO
the very heart OF the n ~tropoltan sp:en-
dor. or enemies, marching from the hllis,
might have forced the gates. All night
long. on TOD Of the wall and in front OF
the gates. might be heard the measured
step of the Waterman on his solitary beat;
silence hung IN air, save as some pas7ei
by raised the question: =" atchm@h' what
of the night"
1t is to ne a deeply suggestive and sol;
emn thing to see a man standing gnard
by night. It thrilled through me as at
the gate OF an arsenal in Char,eston the
question once smote me. WHO comes
there" followed by the sharp command;
advance and give the counter8lgn.
Every moral teacher stands on I RIcket , or
patrols the wall as Waterman. HIS Work
is to sound the alarm, and whether 1t be
in the first watch, in the second watch
in the third watch or in the fourth watch
TO BE- vigilant until the davbTeat filings lts
morning glories'' Of blooming cloud
across the treilis Of the sky.
The ancients divided their night into
the second from 9 to y, the third from
u to 3 and the fourth from 3 to T. i
speak now Of the city IN the third watch
or from y to 3 o'clock. -.
never weary Of looking upon the life
of the city in the first watch. / hat ls the
hour when the stores are closing. The
laboring men. having quilted the scat
folding and the shop, are on their way
home It rejoices me to give them my
seat in the city car They have stood
and hammered away all day. Their feet
are weary. Thew are exhausted with the
tug Of work. They are mostly cheerfnl
With appetites sharpencd on the swift
turner's wheel and the carpenters WhGt-
stone they seek the evening meal The
clerks, too. have broken away from the
counter and with brain weary of the ,iong
line Of figures and the whims Of those
who 90 a-shoDping seek the face Of moth
er or wife and child. The streets are
thronged with young men setting ont
from the great centres Of bargain max
ing. Let oilers clear the street and give
right of way to the hnswcated artisans
and merchants They have earned their
bread and are now on tht. way home
to get it. The lights in fu'! jet hang
over 10000 evening repasts-thc parents
at either end OF the table, the children
between. Thank God, '<who setteth the
solitary in families"
A few hours later and all the places Of
amusement, good and bad, are in full tide:
4 L.
through the galleries and discuss the PIC
lures The ballroom IS resp'endent with
the rich apparel Of those who on either
side Of the white, gIistening boards await
the signal from the orchestra. Concert
halls are lifted into enchantment with
the MARBLE Of one son@stresS or swept out
on sea of tunuituous feeling by the
blast of bra7cn irstruments. Drawing
rooms are filed with all gracefnlness Of
apparel. with all sweetness Fl sound,
with all splendor of manner. Mirrors are
catching up and multiplying the scene m
til it seems as if IN infinite corridors
there were garlarded troops advancing
and retrcating. The outdoor air. rings
with laughter and with the moving to
and fro Of thousands on the great prom
enades. The dashing span, adrip with
the foam OF the long country ride, PUSHES
past as you halt at the curbstone. Nljrth
revelry, beauty, fashion, magniiccnce,
mingle in the great metropolitan picture
until the thinking man GOES home to
think more seriously and TIE praying
man to Drav more earnestly. A beautiful
and overwhelming thing is the city in
the first and second watches Of the night.
But the clock strikes 70. and the third
watch has begun. The thunder of the
city has rolled ont of the air. The slight
est sounds cut the night with such dis
tinctness as to attract your attention.
q
in the distance and the having of the dog.
! The stamp of a horse in the next street.
The slamming of saloon door. The HE
cough of the druuEard. The shrieEs OF
the steam whistle FIVE miles away. Oh,
how suggestive my friends, the third
watch Of the NIGHT!
What a stune0dous thou@ht-a whale
city at rest! Weary arm preparing for
to,morrow's toll. Hot brain being cooled
off. Rigid muscles relaxed. Excited
nerves soothed TIE white hair of the
octogenarian II thin drifts across the
pillow, fresh fall Of fakes on snoW a.
, ready fallen. CHILDHOOD with its dim
pied hands thrown ont on the pillow and
with every breath toking in a new store
Of fun and fro,ic. Third watch OF the
night! Gods s'umOer'esE eve will look.
Let one great wave Of refreshing slumbnr
roll over the heart OF the great town, sub
merging care and anxiety and worriment
and pain Let the city seeD.
But, my friends. be not deceived There
sleep at all. Go uD that dark alley, and
be cautious where you tread lest you fall
over the PROSTATE form of a drunkard
lying on his own doorstep. Look about
YOU, lest YOU feel the garroter's hug. Look
through the broken window pane and
see what You can see You say, Moth
ing. Then listen. What IS 1t? cod
ny lp Us 80 io'LiiSIIH' W. Ii"-SNH
ghastlier and nightier than Ristori or
Edwin Booth ever enacted. No light,
no fire no bread, no hope. Shivering in
the cold, they have had no food for TWEEN
ty-four hours. You say, "NVhy don't they
beg?" They do. but they Get nothing.
You say, "Whv don't they deliver them
selves over to the almshoilsc?" All. you
would not ask that if Won ever heard the
bitter crv of a man or a child when told
he must 90 to the aImshouse. cob, Won
saw "they are vicious noor, and therefore
thev do not deserve our symnathyI" Are
they vicious? So much more need they
your pity. The Christian poor God helps
them.
Pass on through the alley. Omen the
door. oh" YOU saw, "it is Iockcd," No,
it is not locked. It has never been locked
No burglar would be temDfad to 60 in
there to steal anything. The c door or is is
never locked On,v broIynn chair
stands aGainst the door shove # hanI-
Go in. Strike match. Now look. Beast.
illness and rags. See those cIarinq eve
balls, Be careful now what YOU say. D.
NOT utter anv insult do not ,i,tter arI, eIIs,
n;o;o- g ~, $50 ,Co,,n ~ W.
P,,N'oAi' - HO', '"'"S NSN'i I,iC' w !ItC -