Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-10-26

er going up the steps Of a building
from which there comes a bitter cry,
which indicates that the destroying
angel has smitten the first born Here
is minister of religion who has been
giving the sacrament to dying
Christian. Here is a physician passing
along in great haste. Nearly all the
lights have gone out in the dwellings,
for it is the third watch of the night.
That light in the window is the light
of the watcher, for the med cines must
be admin stored, and the fever must
be watched, and the e tie toss ng off
CT the coverlid must be resisted. and
the ice must be k pit on the hot tenn
pies and the perpetual prayer must go
up from hearts soon to be broken
Oh, the third watch of the night
What a stupendous thought-a whole
city at res, Weary arm preparing for
tomoIrow's toll. Hot brain being cool
ed off. R gid muscles relaxed. Excit-
ed nerves soothed. The white hair of
the octogenarian in thin drifts across
the pillow, fresh fall of fl kes on snow
already fallen. Childhood, with its
dimpled hands thrown cut on the pill
low, and with every breath taking in
new store of fun and frolic. Third
watch of the night, Gods slumberless
eye will look. Let one great wave of
refreshing slumber roll over the heart
of the great town submerging care and
anxiety and worriment and pain. Let
the city sleep.
Those Who Sleep Not.
But. my fri nds, be not deceived.
There will be tonight thousands who
will not sleep at all Go up that dark
alley, and be cautious where you tread
lest you fall over the prostrate form
of drunkard lying on his own door
step. Look about you. lest you feel the
garroter's hug. Look through the bro
ken window pane AMI see what you can
see. You say, Nothing" Then lis
ten. What is it? God help us!" No
footlights, but tragedy giastier and
mightier than r stori or Edwin Booth
ever enacted. No light, no fire, no
bread, no hope. Shivering in the cold,
they have had no food for twenty-four
hours. You say, Why don't they
| beg?" They do, but they get nothing.
You say, why don't they deliver
themselves over to the almshouse?"
| All, you would net ask that if you ever
heard the -bitter-cry~ ef-d-man orchid
when told he must go to the aims
house! "Oh," you say, they are vici-
Gus poor, and thereto they do not
| deserve our sympathy. Are they vici-
Gus? So much more need they your
pity. The Christian poor, God helps
/ them. Through their night there
| twinkles the round, merry star of
hope and through the broken window
they see the crystals of heaven. but
the vicious poor, they are more to be
pitied. Their last ght has gone out.
You excuse yourself from helping them
by saying that they are so bad they
brought this trouble on themselves. I
reply, Where 1 give ten prayers for
| the innocent who are suffering | will
give twenty for the guilty who are suf-
| fering.
| The Open Door.
| Pass on tLrou h the alley. Open the
door. oh you say, 1T is locked" :"
No. it is not licked. It has never been
locked. No burglar won be tempted
to go in there to steal anything. The
| door is never locked. Only broken
chair stands acainst the door. Shove
| it back Go in. Strike a match. Now,
| look. Beastliness and rags- See those
| glaring eyeba. Is. Be careful now what
you say. Do not utter any insult. do
not utter a~y suspicion. if you value
| your life What is that red mark on
the wall? 1t is the mark of murder
| er's hand, Lock at those two eyes
rising up out of the da. kn SIS and out
from the straw in the corner, coming
| toward you and as they come near you
your light goes out. Strike another
match. All, this is a babe, not Ike
these beautiful childr- N presented in
baptism. This little one never smiled;
it never will smile. A flower flung on
an awfully barren beach o Heavenly
| Shepherd, fold that little one in thy
armsi Wiap around you your shawl
or your coat tighter, for the cod wind
sweeps through
| Strike another match. All, is it pos
sible that the SCARED and bruised face
/ into by maternal tendsrns SIS? Utter
| no scorn. Utter no harsh word. No
ray of hope has dawned on that brow
| for many a year. No ray of hope ever
will dawn on that brow. But the
light has gone out. Do not strike an
| other light 1t would be a mockery
to kindle another light in such a place
as that Pass out and pass down the
street. Our ci,ies are full of such
homes, and the worst time the third
watch of the night.
The Criminals Hour.
! Do you know that it IS in this third
watch of the night that criminals do