Evening star., 1924-12-03

, Take down your Samuel Pepys and
| turn to that passage In his truth-teil-
| ing diary In which he recounts a
mornings entertainment in London
cannot recall the exact words, but
| they run very much like this:
Then i did go out to the gallows 20
see the hanging of Lord Newburn.
and there saw them hang and quarter
him, which he did take with as much
composure as was possible under the
circumstances, and when the huge
crowd did see this, it gave a great
shout of Joy"
Yes, hurrying with unfeigned JOY
and right good merriment to see a
man hanged, and then torn limb from
limb! Just little everyday morn
ing's entertainment in merry old
England.
Can you imagine such a scene as
that on the Monument grounds? And,
If you could imagine 1t, would it be
possible to imagine a Washington
crowd shouting with joy" over the
spectacle?
No; we know that the very thought
OF such thing is sickening to US, but
we do not stop to realize that the
decency in us. if not the ultimate
decency, Is at least a huge step for
ward in the right direction, as shown
us by Jesus Christ.
hasten to say that modern London
would as Ill brook such a scene. Bull
batting, In which bulldogs were set at
the huge animals. was stopped in
England by public sentiment
Today pit fights-bulldogs trained
for battle in a pit-are held only
clandestinely in this country. Any
normal man will thrill to an i'm
promptu dog fight on the street, but
he shrinks from the cruelty of beasts
trained to hurl themselves at each
others throats.
/ knew a rough customer who gave
up this sorry sport" after 10 years
participation, because he finally came
to love his bulldog Nellie better than
he did money or excitement.
Yes, we must believe in an ultimate
decency of things; and II we awake
in hell, we shall still believe in it.
y ! X X
Automobile murders, slayings of
various kinds. Ill treatment of chill
dren, these and many other ills are
disconcerting. to say the least. Ju-
venile delinquency, including petting
parties, TASKS. cigarettes, these things
disquiet us, as well they may.
Yet behind them all stands a ram
part of character and decency which
y
down on the street car every morn
ing with a high school girl, and to
see her sweet face is benediction-
She is the old-fashioned girl you
read about, yet ever new and the
best part OF it is that there are thou
sands like her going to Western and
Central and Eastern and Business
and Technical and the other high
schools of this city.
Bless your soul. there are thousands
of men. women and children, in this
as in every other city. who have not
bowed the knee to Baal
Their leader is quiet man in the
White House, who thinks more of
the dignity of the presidency than
he does of impressing others with be-
ing a good fellow.
The ultimate decency OF things
shines from 100000 church spires and
bathes the glorious colors of our flag
in an immortal light.
1t sparkles on the clean hair of
millions Of little children, it dances
in the dimples of their pink cheeks.
1t wags from the tail Of every de-
cent American dog.
Wherever a household gathers to-
gether in peace and quiet, there an
ultimate decency prevails. 1t is with
US awake and asleep. and whether we
realize II or not, for we are the heirs
of all the past. and the prophets of
the future goodness.