The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-10-17

cool, thelr arm strong, their loot fleet TO
fly or pursue, they are ready. Many Of
these poor creatures were brought up in
that way. They were born in thieves
parret. Their childish toy was 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 bows
pockets. and now they have come to dig
the underground passage to 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 to make a good Christian point and
to quote passage OF Scripture, expecting
to get Scriptural passage in answer, said
to one OF these poor lads, cast out and
wretched. When your father and your
mother forseke you, who, then, will take
you upT And the boy said, "The per-
lice!"
] rejoice before God that never are
sympathetic words uttered, never prayer
offered, never Christian .almsgivine in
dulged in but it is blessed There is a
place in Switzerland, I have been told.
where the utterance of one word will
bring back score OF echoes, and | have
TO tell you that a sympathetic word, a
kind word, generous word. q helpful
word, uttered in the dark places of the
town will bring back 10000 echoes from
heaven.
I could give you the history in a minute
Of one of the best friends I ever had.
Outside of my own family I never had a
better friend. He welcomed me to nv
home at the West. He was of splendid
personal appearance, hut he had an ardor
OF soul and warmth of affection that
made me. love him like 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 j saw him going down,
and / had fair talk with him, for I
never yet saw man you could not talk
with on the subject Of his habits if you
talked with him in the right way. I
said to him, "Why don't you 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 baclI!" So the time went on.
After awhile the day of sickness came. /
was summoned to his sicl;bed. l hastened.
1t 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. / gave
him my hand, and he seized it convulsive-
ly and said "Oh, how glad 1 am to see
you! Sit down there" sat down, and
he said: Mr.. Talmage, just where YOU
sit now my mother sat last night. She
has been dead twenty years Now, | don't
want you to think | am out of my mind
or that | am superstitious, but, sir, she
sat there last night, and she said. 'Ros-
well. | wish you would do better. I wish
you would do better l said: Mother,
| wish | could do better. l try to do
better. but can't. Mother, you used to
help me; why can't YOU help me now?'
And. sir, / got out of bed, for it was a
reality and ! went to her and threw my
arms around her neck, and l said Moth
er, will do better. but you must help
me: can't do this alone" l knelt
and prayed. That night his soul went
to the Lord who made it,
arrangements were made for the obse-
quies. The question was raised whether
they should bring him to the church.
Somebody said, "You cannot bring such
dlssolute man as that into the church."
| said you will bring him i'll church.
He stood by me when he was alive, and
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 if could weep tears of blood. On
one side of the pulpit sat his little child
OF eight years, II sweet, beautiful little
girl. that / had seen him hug convulsively
In his better moments. He put on her
all jewels and gave her ell pictures and
toys, and then he would go away, as if
bounded by an evil spirit, to his cups and
the house of iniquity, a fool to the cor
rection of the stocks. She looked up Won
deringly she knew not what it 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 cup; they were
the men who had bound him hand and
foot | know tben How did thnv caar,,
to feel? Did they weep? No. Did they
say, What a pity that SO generous a
man should be destroyed" No. Did they
sigh repentingly over what they had done?
No; they sat there, looking as vultures
look at the carcass of lamb whose heart
looked at the coffin lid, and told them
the judgment of God upon those who
had destroyed their fellows. Did they
reform? l was told they were in the
places of iniquity that night after my
friend was laid in Oakwood cemetery, and
they blasphemed and they drank, Oh,
how merciless men are, especially after
they have destroyed you! Do not look
to men for comfort or help.
But there is a man who will not re-
form. He says, II won't reform" Well,
then, how many acts are there in
tragedy? / believe there are five acts in
a tragedy.
ACT the nrst or the tragedy: a young
man starting off from home; parents and
sisters weeping to have him go; wagon
rising over the hill farewell kiss flung
back. Ring the bell and let the curtain
fall.
Act the second: The marriage altar;
full organ, bright lights; long white veil
trailing through the aisle; prayer and con.
graduation and exclamation of How well
she loolls!"
ACT tha third, woman WAITING for
staggering steps; old garments struck into
the broken window pane; marks of hard
ship on the face; the biting of the nails
of bloodless fingers; neglect and cruelty
and despair. Ring the bell and let the
curtain drop.
Act the fourth: Three graves in dark
place-grave of the child that died for
lack of medicine, grave of the wife that
died of a broken heart, grave OF the
man that died of dissipation. Oh, what
blasted heath with three graves! Plenty
of weeds, but no flowers. Ring the bell
and let the curtain drop.
Act the fifth; A destroyed souls etern-
ity; no light, no music; blckness of dark
ness forever. But l cannot look any long
er. Woe woei / close my eyes TO this
last act of the tragedy. Quick, quickl
Ring the bell and let the curtain drop.
Rejoice, o young man, in thy youth. and
let thy heart rejoice in the days OF thy
youth but know thou that for all these
things God will bring you into judgment"
'"rhere is way that seemeth right to
man, but the end thereof is DEATH"
water valuable as Drink.
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