The Natchitoches enterprise., 1919-10-02
A Cycle
Christian spirit
Merely an outcast
Do unto others
The humble citizen
Where poppies blush
On a stretcher
Tonight
|. BY w. Alexander Inlay -

| VI VIZ SHt isotiuu SplIIt ana COIlCclN Gu
in kindness.
1t is the breath of graciousness
upon the blighted spots in the social
fabric.
1t is refuge of the hayward;
the redemption of the IA len
1t is the organization that seeks by
human kindness and gentle direction
to arouse in degraded and hopeless
manhood and woma nhood 4 firm be-
lief that that something may live
to their betterment
The hope that mas been scared is
healed; the life that has been
scorched in the melting pot of tho
underworld is revived with til,
| ,ethean balm of better living.
"What am II" gutter bum asksd
the ratt'er Of the tanbourine, "Mere-
! Iy an outcast-drunken ard broken"
"Ycu are wrong,' the ha,b.nscr Of
salvation answered. "You are God's
| clay. You are the thing he evolved
! from chaos to better and bear.ify
the world
"Ha! Hal" answered the outcast.
! "Me better the word? Me hcau.ify
it? am Of the gutter. I am of the
filthy"
"Then you recognize the spark of
divinity. All that you need is grip
on yourself You can be a man.
The saivationist leaned forward in
the attitude Of a master psychologist.
"You can be a man." he said
tense!y. "You will be man."
81 wi!I!' the gutter rat responded,
and new light shore in his eyes.
The outcast CT the gutter was
warmed. He was fed He was given
bed and clean clothing
In the morning he was given light
work
The story Of his ups and downs
belongs to the novelist. It is suffi-
Glen. to say here that he was re.
deemed.
The humble citizen who is worth
more than god to his Community,
steps from the porch of his modest
horne. A wife with shining hair fol-
'ows him into the sunlight of morn
rg.
Ills child prattina in the manner
Of babyhood follows him with out
stretched arms.
In the manner of true father he
hesitatcs on the step. He caresses the
child. He kisses the mother
Love and happiness are radiated
from the simple horne scene. Proudly ~
the wife watches the erect form OF
her husband swing up the street to
his daily work.
II IL the cutcast. !.
Il II in the gray light of nporring.
The ;.rk's song is hushed. Thu ruddy
pops:es palritate with the flush of
blc>I.
A long dun line winds over,a dun
read. There is a flash of stael. a
snatch of song. The mist whips from
over the fields and the line has dis
1t is in trench.
Puffs Of white cloy above the stag
gered streak that marks the front i,
lire. They are shrapnel clouds.
There is iull in the noise. A lark
springs toward heaven, breaks into
song, then settles back
An airplane circles, meets another.
There is burst of flame and it falls.
The victor wheels toward home.
A thin line Of men leap from the
trenches. There is no sound other
than the staccato beat Of machine
gun. Men fail in tiny heaps. A few
convulsive jerks and then-still
The stretcher bearers bring In
their wounded. Here Is boy-no
more. He props himself upon ono
elbow and orins expeetantly and
Jamely.
A lassie in the bonnet Of this Sal.
tation Army hands him doughnut.
With a CLEAN of bright teeth he bites
INTO II.
"Um-mm'' is his only expression.
He 10 the son Of the gutter rat.
Tonight
The rumble of traffic echoes up
through the chasLs of buildings in
me of the great cities-in all Of
hem from Buffalo to Punjab. Hawk
RS cry their wares. Women laugh
md children prattle to their elders.
There is break in the traffic. A
mall group walks to the curb and
axes its stand in the open street,
gnoring the shrill noises of the teem-
ne city.
For minute they kneel in prayer.
The lingering spirit hovers near.
Dove the buzz OF traffic they heari
he voice of Christ ringing clear.
Even as you have done unto OH
RS"
The shrill pitch of voices cleaves
he noise of the city. The beat of G
he tambourines floats through the
arly darkness.
It is the hallelujah song.
Thus they come through the dark.
ess, the fIotsam and jetsam OF hu.e