Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-05-25

sonal appearance he added generosity
frankness and ardor of nature that made
me love him like a brother. Rut | saw
evil people gathering around him They
came up from the saloons, from the gam
/ Ding hells. They piled him with a thou
sand arts. They seized upon his socia,
nature, and he could not stand The
charm. They drove him on the rocks
like ship, full winged, shivering on the
breakers. l used to admonish him. ]
would say, Now, | wish you would quit
those bad habits and become a Chris
tian.' Oh he would reply. Il would
like to, | would like TO. but | have gone
so far l don't think there is any way
back" In his moments of repentance
he would 90 home and take his little girl
of years and embrace her cOnvulsiyely
and cover her with adornments and strew
around her pictures and toys and every.
thing that could make her happy. and
then, as though bounded by an evil spirit,
he would go out to the iniaming cup and
the house Of shame. like a fool TO the cor
rection of the stocks.
The Final Scene.
| was summoned to his deathbed. ]
fastened. | entered the room. | found
him, to my surprise, lying in full every
day dress on the top Of the couch. | put
out my hand. He grasped it excitedly
and said, Sit down, Mr.. Talmage, right
th"re." sat down. He said: Last
night l saw my mother. who has been
dead twenty years, and she sat just
where You sit now. 1t was no dream. |
was wide awake. There was no delusion
in the matter. | saw her just as plainly
as | see you. Wife. | wish You would
take these strings off me. There are
strings spun all around my body. | wish
you would take them off me-. | saw it
was deiirium. oh" replied his wife,
my dear, there is nothing there, there is
nothing there" He went on and said:
Just whore you sit, Mr.. Talmage, my
mother sat. She said to me. Henry, do
wish you would do better. | got out of
bed, put my arms around her and said:
Mother. | want TO do better l have
been trying to do better Won't you help
me to do better? You used to help me
No mistake about il, no deluSion. | saw
her-the cap and the apron and the spec
tacles just as she used to look twenty
years ago. But | do wish you would
take these strings away. They annoy
me so! / can hardly talk. Won't YOU
take them awayY' I knelt down and
prayed. conscious of the fact that he did
not realize what | was saying got up.
said: "Good-by | hope you will be
better soon. lie said, Good by, good
by"
That night his soul went up to the God
who gave it. Arrangements were made
for the obsequies Some said, Don't
bring him in the church; he is too disco
Lutte oh" / said bring him. He
was good friend of mine while he was
alive, and l shall stand by him now that
he is dead. Bring him to the church"
AS | sal in the pulpit aud saw his body
coming up through the aisle felt as if
could weep tears of blood. told the
people that day; This man had his vir-
tues, and good many OF them. lie had
his faults, and good many Of them.
But II there is any man in this audience
who is without sin, let him cast the first
stone at this coffin lid" On one side the
pulpit sat that little child, rosy, sweet
faced, as beautiful as any little child thar
sat at your table this morning, | warrant
you. She looked up wistfu!ly, not know
ing the full sorrows of an orphan child.
oh, her Countcnance haunts me to-day,
like some sweet face looking upo4 us
through n horrid dream. On the other
side of the pulpit were the men who had
destroyed him. There they sat. hard Wis.,
aged, some of them pale from exhausting
disease, some of them flushed until it
seemed as if the fires of niquity famed
through the cheek and cracked the lips
They were the men who had done the
work tph buI
bound him hand and foot. They had kin
died the fires. They had poured the
NORWOOD and gall into that orphans
cup. Did they weep No. Did they
sigh repentingyT No. Did they say,
What a pity that such a brave man
should be slain No. no; not one bloat-
ed hand was lifted to wipe away II tear
from a bloatcd cheek They sat and
looked at the coffin like yultures gazing
ut the carcass of a lamb whose heart
hey had ripped out cried in their ears
rs plainly as | could. There are a God
md judgment day" Did they tremble?
Oh, no, no. They went back from the
house of God, and that night. though
heir victim lay in lakewood cemetery, |
vas told that they blasphcmed, and they
frank, aud they gambied, and there was
lot one Less customer IN all the houses of
niquity. This destroyed man was
samson in physical strength hut Delilah
hearcd him. and the Philistines of evil
'ompanionship dug his eyes out and
hrcw him into the prison Of evil habits.
But in the hour Of his death he rose up
md took hold of the two pilared curses
# God against drunkenness and unclean-
Tess and threw himself forward until
own upon him and his companions there
anne the thunders of an eternal catas-
rophc.
Delight in the Home Life.
Again, any amusement that gives Won n
staste for domestic life is bad! How
many bright domestic circles have been
rOken up by sinful amusements! The
ather went off, the mother went off, the
hid went off There are to-day the
fragments before me OF blasted house
olds. Oh, if you have wandered away,
would like TO charm you back by the
ound OF that one word, home" Do
on not know that you have but little