The Washington times., 1927-02-19

And az / look back on my ex.
periences ] am all the more con.
WINGED Of the terrible shallowness,
the ghastly emptiness OF the lives
OF those Whos chase the butterfly
o. happiness the bright lights"
: never In my life saw people
try 80 desperately to have q good
time. Their efforts were pitifuI,
pathetic, sat and watched them
with tears in my eyes. Pity was
In my heart.
They were men and women fol-
lowing a wiil'o-the-wisp and falling
into the boys and Quicksands Of
destruction.
For years have been urged to
see at first hand the life / knew
by description to be the devils
own 7, invention to gather souls
which should 60 to Gods kingdom.
SO, last night, accompanied by
members Of my party here from
Angelus Temple, Ventured out TO
view the dance halls and night
clubs which have fought so
strenuously for the past Is years.
Path to Sure Ruin
The newspaper writer's insisted
that had no just grounds for
criticism until ! had at least seen
''the enemy"
They finally convinced me they
were right.
And Tn glad l saw the tinselled
brightness of the path which leads
to sure ruin, unhappiness and
finally to the dropping into The
pits of hell.
feel that now can preach
more convincingly about the 'prin-
rose PATH
But my heart is sad, oh, so sad.
Il never saw such empty faces,
empty eyes; such disillusionment.
The wall Of the saxophone
seemed to drown out the means
and the cries of those who have
gone too far; who have dropped
over the brink, some By the suicide
route, others by the way that is
worse than death-the barter of
souls and bodies.
The newspaper people saw the
risque paintings, the flashing jew
els, the fast-moving revues, the
nearly nude forms of the enter
tanners and they heard the cllnlxing
Of beads over powdered, white
powdered bodies as they swayed to
syncopated poundings.
Empty Bottles
Here and there they saw empty
bottles which they said had con.
tanned liquor and they saw the
fights, hugging and kissing of
drunken couples. and the uncon-
scious forms of poor, misguided
boys and girls, who, God help them.
were striving SO for joy but found
utter desoIation.
They saw the juggling musicians,
pounding, blaring, moaning and
set feet to moving and nerves to
tingling-feet to moving to the
brink over which yawns the jaws
Of hell.
They saw the brilliant lights over
the entrances to these so-called
palaces Of joy;'' an alluring invi.
tation to come and partake Of the
devils own sweetmeats.
They saw mere boys and girls
q room full of them-hArdly one
more than II years of age, fighting.
hugging. kissing, swaying about in
close embraces and even dancing
and kicking on the tables.
saw all this, too.
Through Ven Of Tears
But l saw it through mist OF
smoke which half-blinded my eyes,
so unused to tobacco.laden air,
and through & veil Of tears.
And through the mist and the veil
saw q super-imposed picture-the
future; the raven wing Of tomor-
rows sorrow obscuring the scintil.
lating globules Of tonight.
The picture Of tomorrow crowded
out the picture Of today.
Today moved over and made room
for tomorrow and looked down
the road to
Jails hospitals, blind babies,
crippled children, withered little
forms with aged faces.
: Again I was back in the life Of
the ministry, holding broken, sob.
bling, trembling little figures and
listening to their heart-rending
stories-stories only a woman
minister would hear.
The newspaper writer's were
watching me; they would laugh and
Jest with the crowd and then turn
to me.
What do you think Of III" they
vyOtYlH aak