Pike County Democrat, Volume 28, Number 9, Petersburg, Pike County, 9 July 1897 — Page 7

*- .*- tlufiktCottntgJwofrat M. M«C. STOOPS, Editor mmd Ptoprlolor. -MPETERSBURG, - - INDIANA. -* Octavios and Sabrina. * ♦ _ 4 ^ n ELVIRA Flora FOOENECXL 4 X4*4*s|b4fc4fc4fc4fc4t4fc4fc4^ THEY had been having an uphill pull overoneof life's roadways. The top ■was In sight, and over the summit they thought they saw a glimmer of prosperity’s sun. This was hopeful, though it did not relax their struggle, nor did it bring them rest. Octavius accepted things more cheerfully than Sabrina, and rejoiced with magnificent philosophy over the small things of earth. To Sabrina a self-de-nial was a trial, and not an opportunity for “triumph over temper.** A backache was a real tangible pain and not **a slight cold with twinges.” « Their very variety of temperament equalized troubles and pleasures, which made them appear an average couple to the big outside world. The spring was getting middle-aged. Octavius came home to noon dinner bringing' the news that they were to have a long afternoon drive. For a moment Sabrina was delighted; then she demurred: “The expense will be too great.** Octavius laughed his great open laugh. Expense was not attached to this trip. “I met a man," he explained, •Sr ho has loaned me his horse and trap.” Oh, there never was such luck; and the tuneless man essayed to hum the wedding march from Lohengrin. “Who is to drive!” persevered Sabrina.

“To drive? Why I am.” “You know nothing' of horse*,” sneered Sabrina. “I will remain at home.” “Madam,” said Octavius, ‘Td hare you know that I -understand horses perfectly. I drove hundred* of them—before I met you—” “Then—you tried to drive a mule and eould not,” laughed Sabrina. “Well, we will go, but I doubt whether we shall return with whole necks.” May weather in Canada does not often offer such pure clear air as did this particular day and Sabrina grew happy with its softening influence. She donned her prettiest attire and tripped gleefully after Octavius. The horse and trap were waiting at the door. A number of urchins stood about smiling, and making remarks. Sabrina's enthusiasm died out when she looked at the conveyance—an indescribable vehicle on four wheels—with no top and one narrow seat, very slight springs and low dashboard. .She mentally pronounced *t shabby and rickety. It seemed so small behind the big positive looking bay horse that her heart grew heavy, -and she stepped in with reluctance. f Octavius picked up the reins and down the little street they dashed at a break-neck pace; Sabrina jolting up and down and frantically clutching her hat. while her wrap worked its way wrong side before in a way that threatened to choke her. Octavius had a method of driving that was original. He pulled the reins tightly; leading Sabrina to expect that the horse would rear up and paw the air in remonstrance. Occasionally he woukl pull one rein in such a way as gave the horse a stiff pecked appearance that was ludicrous. His theory for corners was to get round them as speedily as possible. Four times, while within the confines of Montreal, he rushed the horse around a corner running wheels partially on the curb, nearly overturning the trap and giving Sabrina a pictured horror of two mangled iorms being carried to the hospital. Laehine. their destination, is a little town that lies nine miles above Montreal. Out on the upj*er road the way was smoother and easier. No trolley cars disturbed the quiet air. They were soon among green fields and poor farmhouses of the French Canadians. Many of these wretched abodes were deserted. Some bore at a gate post s' sign: “Ferme a loner*’ (farm to let). The loneliness of these dwellings, the paucity, of conveniences and utensils, and the dearth of neighbors, made one shudder to consider what a winter would be in such a home, with such

Dare summmungs. Trees were just putting forth their tender young leaves, wild flowers to show their fair delicate faces. Birds were singing and nature's smile was sweet. Sabrina began to enjoy the drive and to be charitable about Octavius* driving when they reached L&chlne, The town was a disappointment. Its shabby houses, mean narrow streets, poor little shops, had no attractive characteristic. Beyond the signs, which were distinctly French; the swsrthy, dark-eyed people; an occasional Inti ian.lookinghampe red and sullen under the restraint of- store dstkei; there was nothing to distinguish it from a poor littie town in our United States. The horse began to show spirit here, and in a resolve to pass everything on wheels thumped and rattled the vehicle over cobbles and ruts in a most trying way; keeping up the keen run until be reached the open country road. This thoroughfare was bordered on either aide with trees. Beyond to the left, the great placid blur St. Lawrence, and to the right pretty little white cottages. Sabrima begged Octavius to stop the horse and rest awhile. This the beast acceded to with a lamb-like grace, tjrnt was perhaps doe to the nine miles he had covered. Sabrina straightened her hat. rearranged her shook «M and ad

t-r--- . ■■■ . justed the laprobe, and prepared to faos the return trip cheerfully. Yet aha made the fatal error of onoe caution* iag Octavius-. “We hare had a fine drive,” she art* fully began, “and If you will be careful not to turn too short or drive too rapidly we shall be quite safe.” “Safe!” snorted Octavius, “safe! As if you were not safe with me.” With this he snapped the horse smartly on the back with the reins, and thus pulled on them with unnecessary rigor. The beast reared slightly, then plunged. Up went Sabrina’s feet. She clutched the scat and recovered herself by a spasmodic effort that nearly dislocated her neck. The horse wheeled around. Bang! Under the trap went the lefthand fore wheel, pitching the carriage and occupants to an angle of 45 degrees and threatening worse things. A young passer rushed forward and seized and held the horse so that Octavius and Sabrina sprang ont safely. They expected to see the creature bolt. Instead, he stood quite still and looked pleased. He had avenged the insults perpetrated upon him by the driver. They tugged at the refractory wheel. It was wedged tightly and could not be dislodged. Octavius’ calm deserted bim; he begian to lament. Then the adaptable female mind rose in Sabrina. She went in search of assistance. Down the road she hurried, and, meeting a traveling baker, asked if he would help them. He eyed her a second critically, as if revolving the matter, then doffed his cap and answered: “Ow wull, the noo,” betraying the Scot with each letter. Two old gentlemen who sat in «®»y chairs on their respective veranda*, came down to their gates and inquired the cause of the excitement. - They were all sympathy, and soon came to offer their unsolicited help.' One laboriously carrying a huge wrench, the other laden with a large hammer. They wanted to know how the accident happened. Whether the lady was alarmed, where they were going to and when they were from? Between their curiosity and exceeding deafness explanations were difficult and tedious. Still they appeared satisfied with the responses, and stooped to examine the trouble, bumping their dear old inquisitive heads in doing so. One hammered and the other unscrewed, but the wheel stayed where ft was. They unharnessed the horse, who looked down on' their labors and the wreck in smiling satisfaction, picking a few new leaves from an adjacent bush with a picturesque indifference that was admirable. Sabrina gave Octavius a cloudy look, and Octavius “thought hard things ol Dora.” The afternoon was waning The old men began to look weary; their first helper stood by the horse and consulted his watch. The Scotch baket alone kept energetic. Along the road came a melodious whistle. A French drinking song could be traced in the high shrill notes. Then followed a neat French workman in overhalls and blouse, with his basket of tools in hand, his cap setting sideways above his piquant bronze face. His whistling ceased. He ran to the road r l

THEY WERE SOON AMONG GREEN FIEJLDS. end was under the trap in a twinkle. He could not speak English, but he could mend the break. Off came the wheel. A lew smart strokes of the hammer—a | few screws of the wrench, and all was in place once more. The old gentlemen straightenedtheir stiff backs, helped Sabrina into the vehide, and accepted all the thanks. On | went the young man. who had acted aa I groom, touching bis hat and murmur | ing something about the “peculiar accident.” The Scotchman had disappeared as by magic, and was sever seen again. While the Frenchman vigorously said: “Non. non. monsieur!” to Octavius’ proffered tip: but finally accepted it j with his left hand and a “Merei noonI sieur.” disappearing with his tools and I his whistle, like the useful Brownie he I was. A silent journey back along the Hvet road, with a thankfulness at heart that their accident was not serious, and an awed admiration for the wonderful picture that lay before them the entire way. Here, the great river, blue almost to violet in the early evening light. There, Islands, shadowy, grim and mysterious, dotting its pure surface, the wonderful Lachine rapids, churning and fretting their silver fras-work through the river*» azure. Over and beyond the vast stream, grand stately mountains,in majestic coloring of purple and gold. Giants of promise for the great world far from these valleys that flow with “milk and honey.”—-New England Grocer. The young woman who rakes musk lessons and practices scales aMMMd to her friends that she was going away. “Isn't it a rather sudden determination?” “Ten. It’s the doctor's orders." “Why. you don’t look n bit UL" “Q, I’m perfectly well. Auntie is tk one who is UL”—Philadelphia Pent.

TALMAGE’S SERMON. TaOa Bow to Secure Safety for Our Citiea Mulelyal Government from a Moral u4 Reltstoai Studfotat — Goauel to Tkoae HoMtag Public Positions. Dr. Talmage, in the following sermon, discusses from a moral and religious standpoint the welfare of aH the towns and cities of oifr country. His text is Exektel xrvii, 3: “O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea!" This is a part of an impassioned apostrophe to the city of Tyre. It was a beautiful city—a majestic city. At the east end of the Mediterranean it sat with one hand beckoning the inland trade and with the other the commerce of for

eign nations. It swung a monstrous boom across its harbor to shut out foreign enemies, and then swung back that boom to let in its friends. The air of the desert was fragrant with the spices brought by caravans to her fairs, and all seas were eleft into foam by the keels of her laden merchantmen. Her markets were rich with horses and mules and camels from Togannah; with upholstery and ebony and ivory from Dedan; with emeralds and agate and coral from Syria; with wine from Helbon; with finest needlework from Ashur and Chilmad. Talk about the ^>lendid staterooms of your Cunard and Inman and White Star lines of international steamers — why, the benches of the staterooms in those Tyrian ships were all ivory, and instead of our coarse canvas on the mast of the shipping, they had the finest linen, quilted together and inwrought with embroideries almost miraculous for beauty. .* Its columns overshadowed all nations. Distant empires felt its heartbeat. Majestic city, “situate .it the entry of the sea.’* But where now is the gleam of her towers, the roar of her chariots, the masts of her shipping? Let the fishermen who dry their nets on the place where she once stood, let the sea that rushes upon Die barrenness where she once challenged the admiration of all nations, let the barbarians who build their hats on the place where her palaces glittered, answer the question. Blotted out forever! She forgot God, and God forgot her. And while our modern cities admire her glory let them take warning at her awful doom. At this season of the year I have thought it might be useful to talk a little while about the moral responsibility resting upon the office bearers in ail our cities, a theme as appropriate to those who are governed as to the governors!. The moral character of those who rule a city has much to do with the character of the city itself. Men, women and ehildren are all interested' in national politics. When the great presidential election comes, every* patriot wants to be found at the ballot box. We are all interested in the discussion of national finance, national debt, and we read the laws of congress, and we are wondering who will sit next in the presidential chair. Now, that may be all very well —is very well. But it is high time that we took some of the attention which we •have been devoting to national affairs and brought it to the study of municipal government. This it seems to me now is the chief point to be taken. Make the cities right and the nation will be right. I have noticed that, according to their opportunities, there has really been more corruption in muoicipol governments in this country than fn the state and national legislatures. Now.is there no hope? With the mightiest agent in our hand, the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, shall not all our cities be reformed and purified and red e*med? I believe the duy will come. I «un in full sympathy with those who are opposed to carrying politics into religion, but our cities will never be reformed and purified until we carry religion into politics. I look over our cities and I see that all great interests are to be affected in the future, as they have been affected in the past, by the character of those who in the different departments rule over up, and I propose to classify some of those in

lertsu In the first place. I remark commercial ethics are always affected bv the moral or immoral character of those who hare municipal supremacy. Officials that wink at fraud and that hare neither censure nor arraignment for ^Uttering dishonesties always weaken the pulse of commercial honor. Every shop, every store, every bazar, every factory in the cities feels the moral character of the city hall. If in any city there be a dishonest mayor. ,ty, or an unprincipled common council, or a court susceptible to bribes, in that city there wHl be unlimited license for all kinds of trickery and»sin, while, on the other hand, if officials are faithful to their oath of office, if the laws are promptly executed, if there is vigilance in regard to the outbmnchings of crime, there is the highest protection for all bargain making. A merchant may stand in his store and say: “Now, ITU have nothing to do with city politics. I will not soil my hands with the slush." Nevertheless the most insign ificant trial in the police court will affect that merchant directly or indirectly. What style of clerk issues the writ? What style of constable makes the arrest? What style of attorney issues the plea? What style of judge charges the jury? What style of sheriff executes the sentence? These are questions that strike your counting rooms to the center. You may not Harass It off. Ia the city of New York Christian merchants for a great while said: “We’ll ham nothing to do with the management of pabfic affairs,” and they allowed everything to go at loose ends until there rolled up in that city a debt of nearly $120,000,000. The mu

nicipal government became a hissing and a byword in the whole earth, and then the Christian merchants saw their folly, and they went and took possession of the ballot boxes. I wish all commercial men to understand that they are not independent of the moral character of the men who rule over them, but must be thoroughly, mightily affected by them. So also of the educational interests of a city, be you know that there are in this country about 70,000 common schools, and that there are ewer 8,000,000 pupils, and that the majority of those schools and the majority of those pupils are in our cities? Kow this great multitude of children will be affected by the intelligence or ignorance, the virtue or the vice of boards of education and boards of control. There are cities where educational affairs are settled in the low caucus iu the abandoned parts of the cities by men full of ignorance and rum. It ought not to be so, but in many cities it is so. I hear the tramp of coming generations. What that great multitude of youth shall be for this world and the nest will be affected very much by the character of your public schools. You had better multiply the moral and religious influences about the common schools than to subtract from them. Instead of driving the Bible out, you had better drive the Bible further in. May God defend our glorious common school system and send into rout and confusion all its sworn enemies. I have also to say that the character of officials in a city affects the domestic circle. In a city where grogshops have their own way and gambling hells are not interfered with, and for fear of losing political influence officials close their eyes to festering abominations— in all those cities the home interests need to make imploration. The family circles of the city must inevitably be affected by the moral character or the immoral character of those who rule over them.

I will go further and say that the religious interests of a city are thus affected." The church to-day has to contend with evils that the civil law ought to smite, and, while I would not have the civil government in any wise relax its energy in the arrest and punishment of crime, I would have a thousandfold more energy put forth in the dryingup of the fountains of iniquity. The church of God asks no pemmniary aid from political power, but does ask that ia addition to all the evils we must necessarily contend against we shall not have to fight also municipal negligence. Oh, that in all our cities Christian people would rise up, and that they would put their hand on the helm before piratical demagogues have swamped the ship! Instead of giving so much time to national politics, give some of your attention to municipal government. I demand that the Christian people who have been standing aloof from public affairs come back, and in the might of God try to save our cities. If things are or have been bad, it is because good people have let them be bad. That Christian man who merely goes to the polls and casts his vote does not do his duty. It ij hot the ballot box that decides the erection; it is the political caucus, and if at the primary meetings of the two political parties unfit and bad men are nominated), then the ballot box has nothing to do save to take its choice between two thieves. In our churches, by reformatory organization, in every way let us try to tone up the moral sentiment in these cities. The rulers are those whom the people choose, and depend upon it that in all the cities, as long as pure hearted men stand aloof from politics because they depise hot partisanship, just so long in many of our cities will rum make the nominations, and rum control the ballot box, and rum inaugurate the officials. I take a step further in this subject and ask ail those who believe in the omnipotence of prayer, dny by day and every day, present your eity officials before God for a blessing. If you live in a eity presided over by a mayor, pray for him. The chief magistrate of a city is in a position of great responsibility. Many of the kings and queens and emperors of otherdavs had no such dominion. With the scratch of a pen he may advance a beneficent instit ution or

Dalle a railway confiscation. By appointments he may bless or curse every hearthstone in thecity. If in the Episcopal churches, by the authority of the litany, and in our nonepiscopate churches we every Sabbath pray for the president of the United States, why not, then, be just as hearty in our supplications for the chief magistrates of cities, for their guidance, for their health, for their present and their everlasting morality? But go further, and pray for your common council, if your city has a common council. They hold in their hands a power splendid for good or terrible for evil. They have many temptations. In many of the cities whole boards of common council men have gone down in the maelstrom of political corruption. They could not stand the power of the bribe. Corruption came in and sat beside them, and sat behind them, and sat before them. They recklessly voted away the hardearned moneys of the people. They were bought out, body, mind and soul, so that at the end of their term of office they bad not enough of moral remains left to make a decent funeral. They went into office with the huzza of the multitude. They came out with the anathema of all decent people. There is not one man nut of 100 that can endure the temptations of the common council men in our great cities. If a man in that; position have the courage of a Cromwell and the independence of an Andrew Jackson, and the publicspiritedness of a John Frederick Ofoerltn, and the piety of an Edward Fayson, be will have no surplus to throw away. Pray for these men. Every man likes to be prayed few. Do you know bow Dr. Korman McLeod became the queen’s chaplain? It was by a warm-hearted prayer in the

Scotch kirk in behalf of the royal family, one Sabbath when the queen and ho* son were present incognito. Yes, go further, my friends, and g>ray for your police. Their perils and temptations sure best known to themselves. They hold the order and peace of your cities in their grasp. Hut for their intervention you would not be safe for an hour. They must face the storm. They must rush in where it seems to them almost instant death. They must put the? hand of arrest on the armed maniac and corner the murderer’. They must refuse large rewards for withdrawing complaints. They must unravel intricate plots and trace dark labyrinths of crime and develop suspicions into certainties. They must be cool while others are frantic. They must be vigilant while others are somnolent, impersonating the very villainy they want to seize. In the police forces of our great cities are to-day men of as thorough character as that of the old detective of New York, addressed to whom there came letters from London asking for help ten years after he was dead—letters addressed to “Jacob Hayes, High Constable of New York.** Your police need your appreciation, your sympathy, your gratitude, and, above all, your prayers. Yea, I want you to go further and pray every day for prison inspectors and jail keepers, work awful and (beneficent. Hough men, cruel men, impatient men, are not fit for these places. They have under their care men who were once as good as you, but they got tripped up. Bad company or strong drink or strange conjunction of circumstances flung them headlong. Go down that prison corridor and ask them how they got in and about their families and what their early prospects in life were, and you will find that they are very much like yourself, except in this, that God kept you while He did not restrain them. Just one false step made the difference between them and you. They want more than prison bars, more than jail fare, more than handcuffs and hop

piCKSUiuir uiau a »nuuu-vv»tit«vv«v4* to reform them. Pray God day by day that the rften who have these unfortunates in charge may be merciful, Christianity strategic and the means of reformation and rescue. My word now is to all who may come to hold any public position of trust in any city: You are God's representatives. God, the King and Ruler and Judge, sets you in llis place. Oh, be faithful%in the discharge of all your duties, so that when all our cities are in ashes and the world itself is a red scroll of flame, you may be in the mercy and grace of Christ rewarded for your faithfulness It was that feeling which gave such eminent qualifications for office go Xeal Dow, mayor of Portland, and to Judge McLean, of OhiQ, and to Benjamin F. Butler, attorney-general of New York, and to George Briggs, governor of Massachusetts, and to Theodore FTelinghuysen, senator of the United States, and to William Wilberforce, member of the British parliament. You may make the rewards of eternity the emoluments of your office. What care you for adverse political criticism if you have God on your side? The one, or the two, or the three years Of your public trust will pass away, and all the years of your earthly service, and then the tribunal will be lifted before which you and I must appear. May God make you so faithful now that the last scene shall be to your exhilaration and rapture! I wish to exhort all good people, whether they arc the governors or the governed, to make one grand effort for the salvation, the purification, the redemption of our American, cities. Do you not know that there are multitudes going down to ruin, temporal and eternal, dropping quicker than words drop from my lips? Grogshops swallow them up. Gambling hells devour them. Houses of shame are damning them. Oh, let us toil and pray and preach and vote until all these wrongs are righted! What we do we must do quickly. With our rulers, and on the same platform, we most at last come before the throne of God to answer for what we have done for the bettering of our great towns. Alas, if on that day it be found that your hand has been idle and my pulpit has been silent! O, ye who are pure and honest and Christian, go to work and help to make the cities pure and honest and Christian!

Lest it may have been thought that I j am addressing only what are called the better classes, my final word is to some dissolute soul to whom these words j may come. Though you may be covered with all crimes, though you may be smitten with all leprosies, though you may have gone through the whole catalogue of iniquity and may not have been in church for 20 years, you may have your nature entirely reconstructed, and upon your brow, hot with infamous practices and besweated with exhausting indulgences, God will place the flashing coronet of a Saviour’s forgiveness. “Oh, no!” you say. “If you knew who I am and where I came from, you wouldn’t say that to me. I don’t believe the Gospel you are preaching speaks in my case.” Yes, it docs, my brother. And then, when you tell me that, I think of what St.' Teresa said when reduced to utter destitution. Having only two pieces of money left, she jingled the two pieces of money in her hand and said: “St. Teresa and two pieces of money are nothing, but St. Teresa and two pieces of money and 6od are all things.” And I tell you now that while a ala and n sinner are nothing, a sin and a sinner and an all forgiving and all compassionate God are everything. Who is that that I aee coming? 1 know his step. I know Us rags. Who Is it? A prodigal. Come, people of God; let us go out and meet him. Get the best robe you can find inj all tjhe wardrobe. Let the angels of God fill their chalices end drink to his eternal rescue. Come, people of God; let ns go out to meet him. The prodigal is coming home. The deed is alive again, and the lost In tend.

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