The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-10-07
BY W. Alexander Inlay

l- BY w. Alexander Inlay
weaving eternal figure eights
through the streets Of a great Guy
i'm the southwest a Saturday evening
crowd shifted in human phahtas-
magora under brilliant arc lights IL
was early winter. In the fashionaDle
district we'll clad men wore new oV-
ercoats and silken muiflers. In the
lower end OF the city men pulled
thin summer coats tightly about
their necks.
Women beating their way along
the thoroughfares felt the chilling
wind on sleazy silk clad ankles
Children of the slums hoped swiftly
along. homeward bound from er-
rands seeking the warmth OF tene'
ments. for their chilled bare feet.
A gutter rat stood in the door
way of cheap restaurant. The
odor of frying onions and steak
tantalized his nostriIs. 1t was
for the warm air that came
through the open door that he
tarried.
"Git, you bum" he heard. a
second later the toe of tall
mans boot had forced him into
the street.
"No one wants a down and
outer" the sniffIing thing moan
ed as he slunk away.
Women of the street passed him
with a leer. A down and outer
was the last thing on earth they
sought. What they wanted was
money for food and warm quarters.
The rat could supply neither.
A swinging light in the street
ahead drew his attention. Upon com
ing close to it he spelled out WELL
COME"
"Ha! Hal" he laughed cynicaliy'
but he entered
Next morning The "rat" was
no longer rat. He had been
fed and clothed. He had been
bathed and given a bed. Hope
burned high in his heart.
Through the offices of his new
friends re was given work. 1t Is
useless to follow him for, of
course, as. in. all articles Of this
kind, the s'rat" made good.
Beaten and curfed; scorned and
unwanted he had at last come
to his own
Five years later we find the rat
without a semblance Of the thing OF
the gutter which had been clinging
about him.
In a pleasant room, with flower
IN the window, we find him reading
the daily paper A woman speakins
IN soft tones is lulling a child tC
rest.
| Outside the wind howls, A COW
bawls in he stable at the rear O
the lot which the cozy home il
built
The one time down and outer il
moving up He has wife ant
child. He owns home. He has
COW
"We must make some steps
10 issue our child the surround
inqs of Christianity" the wife
/ tells the one time thing Of the
gutter, after the child is sound
! asleep in its crib.
"WeH, what shall we do about
tn" he replies.
The woman places her cheek
+ next to his and whispers. The
{ honest citizen is at peace. He
d mods his head in acquiescence.
q Sunday comes with bright sparl
!, ling morning light The honest cit
zen and his wife dress in their bes
and start for church.
l. 1t is a church of brick and ston
Glazed windows break early mornin
s. light into thousands of prysmati
r crystals.
The minister takes his text
"EVen as you do unto Others"
His sonorous voice rings out
/ full periods. The one time child {
e the slums in entranced.
l. A great organ peels its message
r life and love
/. The honest citizen and his vii
p walk forward.
They join the church.
No one knows he has been a
thing of the streets and the Gin
derpath. That has been forgot
ten. But
= Many are brought to American
churches each year who took
their first upward step with the
e Salvation Army backing their ef-
Il fort.
n