The Penn's Grove record., 1901-10-18

lily or pursue, they are reduS' ni"ny =
these poor creatures were brought up IN
that way. They were born in a thieves
garrett. Their childish toy was a pur.
glars dark lantern. The first thing they
remember was their mother ~bandaglng
the brow of their father, struck BY, we
police club. They began by robbing boys
pockets. and now they have come 20 dif
the underground passage to the cellar OF
the bank and are preparing TO pias1 'ho
gold vault. -,
Just so long as there are neglected chill,
dren of the street, just so long We VIII
have these desperadoes. Some one, wish,
ing to make a good Christian point ana
to quote a passage OF scripture, eApecennS
to get a ScriDtural passage in answer, sald
to one of these poor lads, cast out ana
wretched. "When your father and your
mother forsake YOU, who, then, Will take
you up?' And the boy said, The per-
iicel"
In the third watch of the night, gam
bling does its worst work. What though
the hours be slipping away and though the
wife be waiting in the cherries home!
Stir up the fire; bring on more drinks;
put up more stakesl That commercial
house that only a little while ago put out
a sign of c~o-partnership viii this winter
be wrecked on a gamblers table. There
will be many a money till that will spring
a leak. In the third watch of the night
pass down the streets OF lhese cite' ~
you hear the click of the dice and the
sharp, keen stroke of the balls on the
billiard table. At these places merchant
princes dismount. and legislators, tired
of making laws, take a respite IN breaS,,
| ing them. All classes Of people are robbed
by this crime-the importer OF torelgn
silks and the dealer in Chatham street
| store take a hand after the shutters are
put up, and the officers of the court while
away their time while the Jury is out;
In the third watch Of the night also
drunkenness does its worst. The drink
ing will be respectable at 8 o'clock lp tine
evening, a little flushed at 9. talkative and
garrulous at 10, at IL blasphemous, at II
the hat falls of. at / the man falls to
the floor, asking for more drink. .Strewn
| through the drinking saloons of the city,
fathers. husbands, sons as. good as you are
bv nature, perhaps better. In the high
circles of societv it is hushed up. A mer'
chant prince, if he gets noisy and UNI
co1ntroll3ble, is taken by his fellow rev g.
%elers, who try to get him to bed or take
him home, where he falls fiat in the
entry. Do not wake up the children
l rejoice before God that never are
| sympathetic words uttered, never a prayer
offered, never a Christian .almsgiving. IN
dulged in but it is blessed. There is a
place in Switzerland, l have been told.
WHERE tiit utltldlltt VI wiz VI "H'
bring back a score of echoes, and / have
to tell You that a sympathetic word, a
kind word, a generous word. a helpful
word, uttered in the dark places OF the
town will bring back 10000 echoes from
heaven.
I could give you the history in a minute
Of one of the best friends | ever had.
Outside of my own family / never had a
better friend. He welcomed me to my
home at the West. He was OF splendid
personal appearance, hut he had an ardoI
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
social nature-and I saw him going down,
and l had a fair talk with him, for J
never yet saw a man vou could MT t'sC
\ with on the subject OF his habits E.S.h
talked with him in the right way. ]
said to him. "Why don't You give up youI
bad habits and become a Christian ]
remember now Just how he looked, leaning
over his counter, as he replieafT Il wish
I could. Oh, sir. 1 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 dav of sickness came.
was summoned to his sickbed. l fastened
1t took me but a very few moments te
get there. 7 was surprised as / went in
/ 1 saw MN Ill his Oiuih"ly hitss. 'uty
dressed, lying on top of the bed. gave
him my hand. and he seized it convulsive-
" and said: ooh. how glad | am to see
youi Sit down there" I sat down, and
he said; "Mr. Talmage, just where yor
sit now my mother sat last night; She
has been dead twenty years. Now, | don't
want YOU to think | am out of my mind
c. that l am superstitious. but, sir, she
sat there last night, and she said. 'Ros.
well, | wish YOU would do better. / wish
YOU would do better / said: Mother,
I wish | could do better. / try to dc
better, but | can't. Mother. you used to
helm me; why can't You help me now?
reality, and | went to her and threw my
arms around her neck, and l said: Moth.
er, / will do better. but you must help
me. / can't do this Alone" / knelt
and prayed. That night his soul went
to the Lord who made it.
Arrangements were made for the obse.
ouies. 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 me when he was alive, and ]
will stand by him when he is dead. Bring
him" As I stood in the pulpit and saw
them carrying the body up the aisle |
felt as if / could weep tears of blood. On
one side of the pulpit sat his little child
of eight wears. a sweet, beautiful little
girl. that l had seen him hug convulsiyely
in his better moments. He put on her
all Jewels and gave her all pictures and
toys. and then he would go away. as if
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 ruineu him. They
were the men who had poured the worm
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, "NVhat a 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 v~ultures
look at the carcass of a 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 fellows. Did they
reform? | was told they were in the
friend was laid in lakewood cemetery, and
they blasphemed and they drank, Oh,
how merciless men are, especially after
they have destroyed youi Do not look
to men for comfort or help.
But there is a man who will not re-
| form. lie says, L won Z reform. wen,
| then. how many acts are there in a
tragedy? l believe there are five acts in
a 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 ron.
graduation and exclamation of How well
she looks!"
Act the third: A woman waiting for
staggering steps: old garments struck into
the broken window pane; marks of hard
ship 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 a dark
~place-grave of the child that died for
lack Of medicine, grave OF the wife that
died of a broken heart, grave of the
man that die Of destination. Oh. what