New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1919-11-01
A Cycle
Christian spirit
Merely an outcast
Do unto others
The humble citizen
Where peoples blush
On q stretcher
Tonight

&-ey w. Alexander Inlay -
= The Salvation Army was besotten
of the Christian spirit and conceived
in kindness. suL1ssex1s..~
It is the breath Of graciousness
upon the blighted spots in the social
fabric,
= It il a refuge Of the Maynard;
t&he redemption Of the fallen.
:. It IL the organisation that seeks Dy
human kindness and gentle direction
10 arouse in degraded and hopeless
manhood and womanhood q firm be-
lief that that something" may live
to their betterment.
The hope that has boon scared 70
healed: the life that has been
scorched in the melting pot OF the
underworld is revived with the
lethean balm Of better living.
sANhat am "" . gutter bum asked
ehe rattIer Of the tambourlne, "Mere-
" an outcast-drunken and broken"
"You are wrong" the harbinger OF
salvatIon answered. "You are Gods
clay. You are the. thing he evolved
from ehass 70 better and bsautlfy
: the world"
"Hal Hal" answered the outcase.
sMe better the worid7 Ne bsautify
NJ ! am u the gutter. am Of the
Sllthy."
"Thsn you recognize the spark Of
divinity. Al that you need 10 grip
On yourself. You can b . man."
The salvatIonlst leaned forward In
che attitude Of . master psychologist.
svou can BE- . man." ne sald
Neuesly. "You will be . man."
n wiIIiv the gutter rat responded,
and new light shone In his eyes.
The outcast of the gutter was
warmed. He was fed. He was given
4 bed and clean clothing.
In the morning he was given light
work.
The story Of his ups and downs
Nelongs to the novelist. It ID suffi-
silent to ray here that he was r.
deemed.
The hvMble citizen who 10 worth
msrs than GELD to HE community,
sesps from thS porch Of HE modest
esoms. A wife with shining hair fol-
lows him Into the sunlight Of morn
M.
He child prattllns In the manner
~ bahyheod follows him with out
bkrotehed hrvne.
In tho manner o. . true father he
eAssltatss On the step. Hs carsssss the
child. He kisses the mother.
Love and happinlss are radlatsd
from the simple homo scene. Proudly
4he wife watchee the erect form Of
her husband swing UP the street %
Me daily work.
e 10 The outeast.
Il ID in the gray light Of morning.
The lark's song 10 hushed. The rudy
poppies palpitate with the flush Of
blood.
A long dun line winds over dun
road. There Is Q flash Of steel, Z
snatch Of song. The mist whips from
over the fields and the line has dis
appeared. It 10 In = trench.
Puffs OF white cloy above the stag
eered streak that marks the from
blns. They are shrapnel clouds
There 10 = lull in the noise. A larl
springs toward heaven. breaks fntt
song. then settles back.
An airDlane circles, meets another
There u . burst Of flame and It }Alls
The victor wheels toward homel
A thin line Of men leap from IL
ersnchos. There 10 no sound othel
xhan The staccato beat Of = machine
nun. Men iall "a tiny heaps. 4 fey
oonvulsive jerlEs and then-still. !.
rhe serstehsr bearers bring Il
1Aelf vvsunded. Herr 10 . bsy-n'
seors. He prepe hlnsssN upon ON
elbow and Orsns expsetaatly en-
0aWely.
a lasels In ths bonnet u the oal
Natlen Army hands him douohNut
with . oleam q bright testh he Bite
enNo T.
sUm-mm~ % ME enly expr4oolon.
~ u the sen q he gutter rat.
Tonight
The rumble Of traffic echoes u
through the chAsm Of buildings 4
one Of the great cities--in al .
nhem from Buffalo to Punjab. Haw1
.ors cry their wares. Women laug
and children prattle to their eldert
There Is . break In the traffic.
small group walks TO the curb IN
takes it, stand In the open stree
hgnoring the shrill noises Of the teen
ing city.