The Irish standard., 1906-08-11

often escape whipping, for there is no
cure for their pleasures of flesh but
a good horsewhip. Would that I
could give it," declared FIR. Vaughan.
He admitted he might be blamed for
uttering those thoughts, but how could
he dare to hold his peace when he
knew OF the girl ruin that was being
actually wrought in the midst Of that
fashionable quarter Of this mammoth
city?
Not long ago he was sent for by
frail and beautiful girl lying on her
deathbed. broken with misery-pas-
sion's victim rather than passions
slave. She had not sent for him with
view to her reception into the church
but, as she told him, to let him see
with his own eyes to what loath-
some thing man might bring down
woman.
She had heard his first sermon ON
the sins Of the smart set.
You are right" she told him, ITO
speak out as you do. For Gods sake
raise UP your voice, make yourself
heard. and if you save but one girl
from the state l am in you will have
done much. for am in the misery and
agony OF hell"
1t was this cursed gambling which
was the milestone about societys neck.
Would that the practice were confined
to the smart set. Unfortunately it
had spread all over the land. If there
We're men and women high up the So
cial ladder signing away with the gold
pencils hanging by their sides in
comes and properties to pay gambling
debts, ON Il lower rung were others
getting rid OF their goods with the
same object, while on the lowest rung
working men and women pawned their
bits of things to pay debts not to
the grocer or baker but to the tipster.
He had been told through the press,
he commented that he wanted to st,p
everything that gave merriment to life
elegance in dress, dainties in food,
all diversions in the week and all
recreation on Sunday. He emphatical-
iy stated that he wanted nothing of
the sort. He liked elegance in dress,
but. not, extravaganza: he liked deli
cacies in food, but not dainties only:
he liked amusement in the week, but
not till work had earned it. and he
liked recreation on Sunday, but n.t
till God was worshipped.
In fact, so strongly did he feel about
Sunday recreation that as soon as his
sermon was over he was going to tpke
some 200 costers with others to spend
the afternoon in the country But they
had all been to communion that morn
ing.
You can no more live q human life
on mere pleasure than you can on
whipped cream. and the so-called
wealth trying only to pick pleasure
out of it would. i'll my Judgment, be
better employed in picking oakum."
added the preacher. They We're the
worst class Of tramps we had to deal
with. He urged his hearers to tear
out of their being, at whatever cost,
that special evil thing-betting, drugs
or sensuality-which was spelling if
not running life. He said with the
poet:
Am l mad that l should cherish that
which bears but bitter fruit:
I will pluck it from my bosom though
my heart be at the root.
Let them consider the time and
money wasted on gambling, the pas
sions and vices called forth by it, the
miseries it entailed and the bad ex-
ample it set, and after that tell him
If he was wrong when he said the
gambler was a prodigal who wasted
his substance living riotously." If so
he charged them seriously. to caese
their riots before the end came. before
1.-The mighty famine set in. before
they "began to be in want" and all
they had was gone.
Let them not wait, he urged. till
they were in such straits that they
would fain fill themselves with the
husks the swine did eat, but arise and
come home to their Father. confessing
their sin against heaven and before
him. Let no man or woman cry out,
TOO late! Too late!" With God it
was never too late. With life there
was hope. He urged them to come
back. like the prodigal, from the far-off
country where they had wandered and
squandered already too much, and he
promised that they should know a
Fathers forgiveness and hear a
Fathers voice exclaiming:
"Alas! you were dead and are come
to life again; were lost and are found
The severity Of the charges made
and the public manner in which Father
Vaughan made his arraignment caused
his fashionable audience to gasp. Be-
yond the Catholic audience which
heard the sermon a great deal OF
cn,ornont hoe 1,oor hand fro,,o E,13coo-