The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-10-30
DIR, TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
subject: The Way OF Destruction-Pitthhs
For the Unwary in the Great Ctses
The Third Watch of tho Night N
Drama in Five Acts.
(Copyright, 1Si1.l


Drama in Five Acts.
Copyright. 1sc1.l
WASHINGTON, D. C.-In this discourse
Or. Talmage describes some OF the scehes
to be witnessed late at night IN the ereas
cities and warns the rnwaTTy Tyvs ot tcbman mar'
,oerils; text, Isaiah xxi, II, Watcnllan'
what of the night?"
When night came down on Babylon;
Nineyeh and Jerusalem, they needed
careful watching, otherwise the 1ncen-
3iary's torch might have been thrust into
The yery heart Of the metropolitan spien-
dor. or enemies, marching from the hills,
might have forced the gates. All nisnse
long, on top of the wall and IN front OF Of
the gates, might be heard the measured
step of the watchman on his solitary oeat'
s;Ience hung in air, save as some passer-
,bv raised the question, "Watchman, what
Of the night?"
s,nn thing TO see a man standing guard
bv night. It thrilled through me as at
the gate of an arsenal in Charleston the
question once smote me. "Who comes
there" followed by the sharp command; !;
'"Advance and give the, counteTslGn.
Every moral teacher stands on PICKET or
natrols the wall as watchman. His work
Is to sound the alarm, and whether 1t ne
in the first watch, in the second watch,
in the third watch or in the fourth watch
to he vigilant until the daybreak filings ITS
.@morning clories" of blooming Cloud
across the trellis Of the sky.
The ancents divided their night INTO
four parts-the first watch. from TO ~
the second from to T.. the third from
y to and the fourth from 3 to .; L
speak now Of the city in the third "atch'
or from IL to 8 o'clock. rs-
7 never weary Of looking upon the lie
of the city in the first watch. That Is IN the
bour when the stores are closing. Ihe
iaboring men. having Quilted the scat
folding and the shop, are on their way
home. It reioices me to give them M,
seat in the city car. They have stood
and hammered away all day. Their feet
are weary. Thev are exhausted with the
tug OF work They are mostly eheerfu.t:
With appetites sharpened on the swu'
stone they seek the evening meal. Inc
clerks, too. have broken away from the
counter and with brain weary of the long
line OF figures, and the whims of those
who 90 a.shoppiug seek the face of moth
er or wife and child. The streets are
thronged with young men, setting out
from the great centres OF bargain max
ing. Let idlers clear the street and give
right of way to the besweated artisans
and merchants! They have. earned thelr
bread and are now on their way home
to Get it. The lights in full jet hang
over 10000 evening repasts-the parents
at either end of the table, the children
between. Thank God, "who setteth the
solitary in families!"
A few hours later and all The places of
amusement, good and bad, are in full tide;
Lovers Of art, catalogue in hand, stroll
through the galleries and discuss the PIC
lures. The ballroom is resp.endent with
the rich apparel of those who on either
the signal from the orchestra. Concert
halls are lifted into enchantment with
the warble of one songstrcss OF swept out
on a sea of tumultuous feeling by the
blast of brazen instruments. Drawing
rooms are filled with all gracefulness of
apparel. with all sweetness Of sound,
with all splendor of manner. Mirrors are
catching up and multiplying the scene un-
til it seems as if in infinite corridors
there were garlarded troops advancing
and retreating. The outd door air, rings
with laughter and with the moving to
and fro of thousands on the great prom
enades. The dashing span. adrip with
the foam of the long country ride, rlshes
past as you halt at the curbstore. Mirth
reveiry, beauty, fashion, magnifcence,
minSle in the great metropolitan picture
until the thinking man goes home to
think more seriously and the praying
man to prav more earnestly. A beautiful
and overwhelming thing is the city in
the first and second watches OF the night;
But the clock strikes -. and the third
watch has begun. TIE thunder of the
city has rolled out of the air. The slight
est sounds cut the night with such dis
tinctness as to attract yonr attention.
The tinkling of the bell of the street car
in the distance and the baving of the dog.
The stamp of horse in the next street.
The slamming of saloon door. The hic.
cough of the drunkard. The shrieks OF
the steam whistle five miles away. Oh.
how suggestive. my friends, the third
watch of the night!
What a stupendous thought-a whole
city at rest Weary arm preparing fo-
to-morrow's toll. Hot brain being cooled
off. Rigid muscles relaxed. Excited
nerves soothed. The white hair of the
octogenarian in thin drifts across the
pillow, fresh fall Of fakes on snow al
ready fallen. Childhood. with its dim.
pied hands thrown out on the pillow and
with every breath taking in a new store
of fun and frolic. Third watch of the
night! Gods slumberless eye will look.
roll over the heart Of the great town. sub
and pain. Let the city sleeD.
But, my friends 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 Won fall
over the prostrate form of drunkard
you, lest you feel the garroter's hug. Look
through the broken window pane and
see what you can see. You say. "Noth:
ing" Then listen. What is It? "God
help u.s." No footlights. but tragedy
ghastlier and mightier than Ristori or
Edwin Booth ever enacted. No light,
no FIRE, no bread, no hope. Shivering in
the. cold, they have had TO food for twen-
ty-tour hours. You say, "Why don't they
You say, "Why don't they deliver them
selves over to the almshouse?" All. you
would not ask that if you ever heard the
bitter cry Of man or a child when, told
he must 60 to the almshouse. "Oh," YOU
say. "they are vicious poor, and therefore
they do not deserve our sympathy" Are
they vicious? So much more need they
your pity. The Christian poor. God helps
them.
Pass on through the alley. Open the
door. "Oh." you say, "it is locked" No,
No burglar would be tempted to- go in
there to steal anything. The door is
never locked. Only broken chair
stands against the door. shove it back.
Go in. Strike match. Now look. Beast
liness and rags. See those glaring eve
balls. Be careful now what YOU say. Do
not utter any insult. do not utter any sus-
picion. if You value your life. What is
that red mark on the wall? Il is the
mark of a murderer's hand! Look at
those two eyes rising up out Of the dark
and out from the straw snS in v the e0rnes
near You your light goes out. Strike an.
other match. Ah this is a babe, not like