Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1901-10-31
NEW SERIES--VOL XX No a.

baptism. This little one never smiled. It
never will smile A flower flung on an
awfully barren beach. O Heavenly Shep-
herd, fold that little one in Thy arms!
Wrap around you your shawl or your coat
tighter, for the cold wind sweeps through.
Strike another match. All, is it posi-
bic that the SCARED and bruised face Of
that young woman ever was looked into
by maternal tenderness? Utter no scorn;
Utter no harsh word. No ray of hope
has dawned on that brow for many
year. No ray of hope ever will dawn on
Do not strike another light. It would be
mockery to kindle another light in such
place as that. Pass out and pass down
the street. "a
Do you know it is in this third watch
Of the night that criminals do their worst
work? It is the criminals watch. At
half past 8 o'clock you will find them in
the drinking saloon, but toward II o'clock
they 60 to their garrets, they. get out
their tools, then they start on the street.
Watching on either side for the police,
they so to their work of darkness. This
is burglar, and the false key will soon
touch the store lock; this is an incendi-
arv, and before morning there viii be
light on the sky and cry of Fire! Fire!"
This is an assassin, and tomorrow morn
ing there will be dead body in one Of
the vacant lots.
could give you the history in a minute
of one of the best friends ever had.
| Outside of my own family I never had
better friend. He welcomed me to my
home at the West. He was of splendid
| personal appearance, but he had 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
| 81 II L
| and / had 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, I
said to him, why don't you give up your
bad habits and become Christian"
remember now just how he looked, leaning
over his counter, as he replied, II wish
I could. Oh, sir, should like to be a
| Christian, but I have gone SO far astray
I can't get back!' So the time went on.
| After awhile the day of sickness came I
was summoned to his sickbed. I hastened.
1t took me but a very few moments to
| get there. I was surprised as I 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 I am to see
you! Sit down there" I sat down, and
he said: Mr.. Talmage, just where you
sit now my mother sat last night. She
| N
want you to think [ am out OF my mind
CT that [ am sunerstitious, but, sir, she
sat there last night, and she said. 'Ros-
well, 1 wish you would do better, I wish
you would do better said: Mother,
| wish I could do better / try to do
better, but I can't. Mother, you used to
help me; why can't you help me now@
And, sir, I got out Of bed, for it was a
reality, and [ went to her and threw my
arms around her neck, and [ said: Moth
er, will do better, but you must help
me. I can't do this alone" I kne1t
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
. a dissolute man as that into the church -
[ said: 'You will bring him in church.
He stood by ne when he was alive, and I
, will stand by him when he is dead. Bring
him. As l stood in the pulpit and saw
felt as if l could weep tears of blood. On
one side of the pulpit sat his little child
| of eight years, a sweet, beautiful little
girl, that I had seen him hug convulsively
in his better moments. He put ON her
, all jewels and gave her all pictures and
. 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
r the men who had bound him hand and
foot. I knew them. How did they seem
to feel? Did they weep? No. Did they
say, What pity that SO generous a
f man should be destroyed?" No. Did they
sigh repentingly over what they had done:
/ No; they sat there, looking as vu.turef
look at the carcass Of lamb whose heart
they have ripped out. So they sat anc
!, looked at the coffin lid, and I told then
j the judgment Of God upon those whe
] had destroyed their fellows. Did the,
. reform? I was told they were in the
E places of iniquity that night after my
J. friend was laid in Oakwood cemetery, ano
) they blasphemed and they drank. Oh
i how merciless men are, especially afte1
q they have destroyed you! Do not lool
E to men for comfort or help.
But there is a man who will not re
= form. He says, Il won't reform. Well
:. then, how many acts are there in ,
;. tragedy? I believe there are FIVE acts il
tragedy.
> Act the first of the tragedy: A youni
: man starting off from home; parents ant
\ sisters weeping to have him 60; wago1
II | rising over the NIL, 1aTeEeil KISS Huul
4 back Ring the bell and let the curtain
: Act the second: The marriage altar
J full organ, bright lights: long white vel
= trailing through the aisle; PRAYER and con
4 graduation and exclamation of "How wei
" she looks!"
r Act the third: A woman waiting fo
t, staggering steps; old garments struck int.
n the broken window pane; marks OF hard
l. ship on the face; the biting of the nail
v of bloodless fingers; eg'ect and cruelt,
J. and despair. Ring the bell and let tn
l. curtain drop.
u Act the fourth: Three graves in a darl
e place-grave Of the child that died TO
d lack of medicine, grave of the wife tha
II died of a broken heart, grave Of tn
e man that died of dissipation. Oh, wha
e a blasted heath with three graves! Plent.
" of weeds. but no flowers. Ring the bel
IS and let the curtain drop.
Act the fifth: A destroyed souls etern
le ity; no light, no music; blackness * dark
D. ness forever But cannot look any long
L er Woe! woe! I c.ose my eyes to thi
n last act of the tragedy. Quick. quick
is Ring the bell and let the curtain drop
ir Rejoice, o young man, in thy youth. an
< let thy heart rejoice in the days OF tn
t. youth, but know thou that for all thes
e. things God win bring you into judgment.
10 "There is q way that seeneth right to