The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-10-25
yoas yysil-hllea cables Win The iaes
thai thar 95ious talk {is going TO stop tho,

thai ts lrious talk {is going TO stop tho
gnaSmnE OF an empty stomach or to
warm msstookingless feet Take hread
sako raimcnt. taAe ME edicins, rs we'll as
take prayer. There is q great deal Of
common sense In what the poor wom-
an said to the city mis- sionary whom ho
Was telling her how she ought to love
dod and serve Him. "Oh," she said. "if
you were rs poor and cold as r am and
az hurxlJ' you could think Of noth-
Ing else"
Icould give you the history IN a min.
ute OF one Of tho best friends I ever
had. Outside Of my own ia amily / never
had o better friend. Ho Welcomed me-
to my homo at the west. Ho was of
splendid personal appearance, but he
had nm ardor Of soul and warmth Of
affection that made me love him like
brother. saw men coming out Of
tho saloons and gambling hclls, and
they surrounded my friend, and they
TOOK him ut tho weak point-his social
nature-and saw him going down,
and had fair talk with him, for
never yet saw q man you could not
talk with on the subject Of his habits
II you talked with him in the right
way. said to him: "Why don't you
give up your bad habits and become
Christian?" remember now lust
how he looked, leaning over his coun-
ter, as he replied: II wish could. Oh,
sir, should like to be Christian, but
| have gone so far astray can't get
baokl" So tho time went on. After
awhile the day Of sickness came. I
was summoned to his sickbed. has
toned. It took but few moments to
get there. l was surprised as went
an. saw him in his ordinary dress,
fully dressed, lying on top Of the bed.
l gave him my hand, and he seized It
convulsiyely, and said: "Oh, how glad
am to see you'll Git down there."
sat down, and he said: "Mr. Talmago,
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 am supersti-
tious; but, sir, she sat there las night
and she said: Roswell, I wish you
would do bctter----I wish you would
do better. I said: Mother, wish T
could do betetr; try to do better, but
I can't Mother, you used to help me.
91Thy cant you heip me now7' And, sir,
l got out of bed, for 1t was a ronlity,
and l went to her and threw my arms
around her Nook, and 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
tho Lord who made 1t.
Arrangements were made for the
obsequias. Tho question was raised
whether they should bring him to tho
church. Somebody said: you cannot
bring such dissolute man rs that into
the church" I said "You will bring
him in church; ho stood by mo when
he was alive, and I will stand by him
whom ho Is dead. Bring him." As I
stoed in tho pulpit and saw them car
rying the body up the aisle I felt a. {
could weep tears of blood. On ono
side Of tho pulpit sat his little ohild Of
eight years, sweet, beautiful little
girl, that had seen him hug oopyul-
siyely In his better moments. Flo put
on her all jewels and gave her all pic-
lures and toys, and then he would go
away, as IL bounded by an evil spirit,
to his cups and the house Of iniquity-
fool to the correction Of tho stocks.
She looked up wonderingly. She knew
not what It meant. She was not old
enough to understand tho sorrow Of
an orphan. On the other side sat the
mon who had ruined him; thoy were
tho men who had poured tho worm
wood into tho orphans cup; they were
the men who had bound him hand and
foot. I knew them. How did they
seom to feel? Did they weep? No.
Did they say: what pity that SO
generous man should be dcstroyed?'
No. Did they sigh rope tingly over
what they had done? No. They sat
there, looking as rultures look at the
carcass Of lamb whose heart they
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 fellow. Did they
reform? was told they were in the
places OF iniquity that night after n y
friend was laid In Oakwood cemetery,
and they blasphe med 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 man who will not re-
form. He says: II won't REFORM
Well, then, how many aots aro there
in tragedy believe there are fiyo
acts In tragedy.
Act the first Of the trapedy: A
young man starting Off from homo;
parents and sisters weeping to have
him 60; wagon rising over the hill;
farewell kiss flung back. Ring the bell,
and let the curtain fall.
Aot the second: The marriage altar:
full organ; bright lights; long white
veil trailing through the aisle; prayer
and congratulations and exclamation
Of "How well she looks!"
Aot tho third: A woman waiting
for staggering steps; old garmonts $
stuck into tho 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 tho curtain drop.
Act the fourth: Three graves in q
dark place-grave OF the child that
died for lack Of medicine, grave OF the
wife that died Of broken heart, grave
Of tho man that died OF dissipation. Oh,
what q blasted heath with three
gravesl Plenty Of weeds, but no fiow.
ers. Ring the bell, and let the curtain
drop.
Act the fifth: A destroyed sours
eternityi no light, no music; blackness
Of darkness forever. But I cannot
look any longer. Woe, woel | close
my eyes to this last act OF the trag-
edy. Quick, quick! Ring the bell, and
let the curtain drop. Rejoice, Q young
iraH !, I Ia u y