Woodruff County news., 1901-10-19

splendid personal appearance, but he had an ardor of soul and a warmth of affection that made me love him like brother. l saw men coming out of the saloons and gambling helis, and they surrounded my friend, and they took him a the weak point-his social nature-and l saw him going down, and l 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. l said to him: "Why don't you give up your bad habits and become Christian?" I remember now just how he looked, leaning over his coun- ter, as he replied: 'I wish I could Oh, sir, l should like to be a Christian, but l have gone so far astray I can't get back!" So the time went on. After awhile the day of sickness came. was summoned to his sickbed. I has tened. It took but a few moments to get there. 1 was surprised as I went in. l saw him in his ordinary dress, fully dressed, lying on top of the bed. l gave him my hand, and he seized it convulsively, and said: "Oh, how glad l am to see you! Sit down there." l sat down, and he said: "Mr. Talmage, just where you sit now my mother sat last night. She has been dead 20 years. Now, l don't want you to think am out of my mind or that I am supersti- t1ous; but, sir, she sat there last night and she said: Roswell, I wish you would do better-I wish you would do better. I said: Mother, I wish I could do betetr; I try to do better, but l 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 I went to her and threw my arms | around her neck, and I said: Mother, l will do better, but you must help. I can't do this alone.' I knelt and prayed. That night his soul went to the Lord who made it.
 Arrangements were made for the obsequies. The question was raised whether they should bring him to the church. Somebody said: "You cannot bring such absolute man as that into the church." I said: "You will bring him in church.; he stood by me when he was alive, and I will stand by him when he is dead Bring him." As I stood in the pulpit and saw them car rying the body up the aisle l felt as if I could weep tears of blood On one side of the pulpit sat his little child of l eight years, a sweet, beautiful little | girl, that I had seen him hug convul- ! sively in his better moments. He put on her all jewels and gave her all pie lures and toys, and then he would go away, as if bounded by an evil spirit, to his cups and the house of iniquity- fool to the correction of the stocks. She looked up wonderingly. She knew not what it meant. She was not old enough to understand the sorrow of an orphan. On the other side sat the men who had 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. I knew them. How did they seem to feel? Did they weep? No. Did they say: t"What 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 they have ripped out. So they sat and looked at the coffin lid, and l told them the judgment of God upon those who had destroyed their fellow. 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 b1asphemed 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: q won't reform" We'll then, how many acts are there in tragedy? I believe there are five acts in tragedy.
 Act the first of 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 congratulations and excla mation of ''How we'll she looks!"
 Act the third: A woman waiting for staggering steps; old garments stuck into the broken window pane: marks of hardship 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 l 1nife that died of broken heart orave