Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-09-16

to Catholic priest some time ago.
Because" was the answer. "in the
confessional we priests are able TO
trace the source OF almost every sin.
We have found out by the admission OF
ruined men and women that most of
the immoralities of great city or n
country town can be traced directly
to the dance hall" The dance hall Is
the beginning, not the end, OF the down
ward path. Some good people-ayc.
many good and respectable people
dance. But IL is the place where many
good people are spiritually destroyed
or spiritually depleted. II is the place
where we have the spiritual ''slaugh-
ter of the iunocents." Therefore to-
night rs Christian Waterman 1t Is
my duty TO warn YOU OF the danger of
entering il. Some there are who es-
cape as by fire. but u ali the ordeal
IS fierce and per:louS. II is the place
I'm which the enemy of souls finds his
most numerous victims and exercises
his most insidiOus pJve~. You who
pray. Lead us not into temptation.
but deliver US from evil" beware OF
entering the dance ball Beau Brum-
mel WAS tie rncrowned King Of the
English dance i.all. lie was the Ward
McAnister OF his day. But that Is all
the history most people know about
Beau Brummel. ] will tell you his
end. Beau Brus:mel died in the insane
asylum OF lie Bon SauvcIT. Many
young mel and women who ,ncc wore
a royal crown In dance hall have nj
last. like Beau Brumnel had II take
off that crown and pass not only the
end of tLeir earthly but all of their
eternal days In spiritual lie Bon
Sauveur, I'm a spiritual madhouse.
what OF the Night
But standing I'm the watch tower to-
night l see more than the cleaning
lights OF the evil resorts Turing the
victims 10 their fascinating but fatal
haunts. I see dark shadows in the
streets where no lights are. see these
dark shadows following the burglar
ana the "heid lIp'' map and the muir
dercr with ris pistol aRd knife. l see
the dark and tightly closed houses
from which no ray of light is coming
These houses look deserted. but they
are not deserted. They are Outposts Of
perditlon, silent but haunted with out
casts and gamblers and conspIrntora
who are fiagrantly breaking the laws
or the land. ! see the low dives of q
great city reeking with human vermin.
see also where the counterfeiters are
silently doing their work in the still
ness of the night Night Is symbol
of social calamity, sin and death. So
we find that most of the lowest out
casts Of society try TO conceal their
evil actions IN the darkness of the
night. IL is tho time when the dey-
otees OF sin hold their high carnival,
1t is when the death dealers ara
able TO deliver their hardest blows with
the least chance of detection. But with
God the night il not only the emblem
of calamity; 1t is also the harbinger Of
the day, for as Isaiah travelled forth
into the darkness as Il divine prophet
he saw the CLEAN of the sunrise COM
ing over the eastern hills" Yes. he
saw the time when righteousness
would claim its disciples as well rs the
time when tbs enemies of God SHOULD
be hurried away TO their eternal incap-
ceration. what of the night. Isaiahq
What OF the nlghtT' cries the officer OF
the guard. Then the prophetic watch
man calls, Il see the morning cometh
and also the night" That means: II
see the righteous triumph through God.
] see also the enemies of God scattered
~ complete defeat" What of che
night? What ~ the night" You call
To me. ] answer. The morning comstl,
for the disciples Of Jesus Christ. ! see
also the eternal night coming for those
who Will not yield themselves To
Christ's love"
The night, the symbol of calamity?
oh, yes. But the night is also here
the symbol of gospel triumph, for
in the quiet OF thu night ] see fathers
and mothers and children gather
around the family affairs for evening
prayer. see great audiences gather
in churches To learn of Christ and his
love. l see Christian nurses and Sal
vation Army girls going forth through
the dark alleys and through the still
streets on their missions OF mercy.
see ministers and Christian laymen
kneeling beside the beds OF THO sick
and the dying. ] hesr everywhere
prayers and hymns arising for the
salvation OF NIL men and women and
children. Everywhere arises the song
OF Moses and the Lamb" as well as
The songs or death and eternal de-
sphiY, Oh. my friends. In the silence
OF this night. 90 WHICH great army
DO you give youF ailegiaaee2 Are your
lips spenking words Of prayer. OF are
they utterinR words OF bIasphemy?
speak you words pleading for eternal
salvation or Indifferent and careless
words. sinful words. which are griev-
Ing the Holy Spirit Of God? VIII you
not, with Chrlst's help. take Isaiah's
night as the harbinger OF an eternal
DAY! Shall not the night OF calamity
AND or earthly struggle and earthly
sin for all Of US be followed by the
heavenly sunrise ard the coming
hiori9l4iS or perpetual JOY and peace?
The Storm Past.
That these words of NY text san tru-
y be changed into the lIgbtness or an
eternal and peaceful day was never
more impressed upon me than some
years ago whea was going around
The world. AS found the opening do
seription OF this text not among Syrian
hills. hRt among the Wilderness OF |
rock In the London metropolis. so / |
VIII find my closing scene not Ia Jeru- |
salem, but upon the troubled waters of |
~ aRgFy Pacific. For days and weeks |
we had been treading the nuiet paths |
ot the "traekiess deep" The ocean |
hnd heretofore been very kind to us.
IL was truly pacific IN every way that
rs name signified. But then, like some |
Oh our old friends. II changed. It's
heart or Kindness became a heart OF
nate. 1t seemed TO have not the mr.
pose to be loving. but only the desire |
20 destroy. Day In and day ont we
Dattled with the tempest. THE worst
storm | ever knew" said the captoin
ataRy good ships have been fonnd-
'fed ~ less storms than this" Tho
surface OF TIE sea was a raging mob
d demons. The wind, shriekIne
orr riQO5uc, x.,a., ,s,..