第 47 节
作者:谁与争疯      更新:2021-02-19 00:36      字数:9322
  man Weltmer had a large institution in Nevada; Mo。; for humbugging
  the people。 I always like to investigate these things myself; as I did
  Dowie; who I found out to be a false prophet。 This Weltmer's papers
  were a complete treatise on witchcraft; spiritualism and hypnotism。 I
  exposed this in every way I could。 The Bible fully prepares people to
  expect such 〃lying wonders and miracles。〃 The 〃Christian Science〃 is
  a witchcraft but very subtile。 The most dangerous counterfeit bill is
  nearest like the genuine。
  IN JAIL IN PHILADELPHIA。
  The last jail I was in was in Philadelphia。 I went down to lecture
  between the acts of 〃The Heart of a Hero。〃 There was a very vile
  saloon kept by a Mr。 Donoghue。 This man stationed police to arrest
  me if I went in his place。 In going home from the theatre at night I
  would look in and call to the poor victims not to be drugged and robbed。
  This man had five or six bartenders handing out this poisonous drink to
  our boys; our mothers treasures。 This man has amassed a fortune at
  this vile business and tries to pose as respectable; because he has a lot
  of this blood money。 I was passing there on the 14th of January; 1904。
  I just opened the door when a two legged beer keg in the form of a
  policeman grabbed me and almost dragged me over the streets to the
  station。 I was locked in and I spent the night in jail。 Next morning I
  was discharged。
  The next day when I went to the Pennsylvania railway depot to
  take the train a little ragged boy came to me and asked for a hatchet; the
  depot police shook the little fellow and hurled him away。 The little boy
  began to cry and I said to the police: 〃Let that child alone! he is doing
  no harm to any one。〃 He told me in a very angry tone to mind my business;
  and would not let the little boy take the hatchet from me。 After
  this I was sitting on the bench waiting for my train; and a person came
  to me saying: 〃Let me see one of your hatchets。〃 I opened my grip
  to show the little souvenirs; several came up to look at them。 This same
  policeman was watching his chance to arrest me。 He came up and said:
  〃You will have to stop that。〃 I said: 〃I am making no trouble; I have
  a right to meet people and talk to them and show my souvenirs too。 You
  are the only one; making a disturbance here。 Two policemen came up
  and caught me one by each arm; dragging me through the depot and
  down the elevator; and I was carried to the police station in a 〃black
  maria〃。 This was done for spite and to show his authority。 I spent a
  night in prison; and next morning I was fined ten dollars。 I was my own
  lawyer。 The magistrate before whom I was tried would not compel the
  officer to answer the questions I asked him。
  In a few days I returned to Pittsburg and was invited by the Providence
  Mission to go out on the streets。 Quite a crowd gathered and
  while I was speaking; I was arrested again by an officer who refused to
  tell me what I was arrested for。 I was taken to the police headquarters。
  The kind hearted matron wanted to give me a pillow and some bedding
  for I had nothing but a hard board in the cell。 The Chief of Police forbade
  the matron to give me anything to make myself comfortable。 He
  said: 〃That woman is giving us a great deal of trouble and we want
  to get rid of her。〃 The matron came to me when no one was looking
  and advised me to give a bond of thirteen dollars and get out so that I
  might have a bed。 I did this and went to my boarding house。 I secured
  the services of a lawyer; Mr。 Buckley。 I was fined ten dollars which was
  afterwards remitted。 This republican; rum…soaked police force make it
  a point to arrest me on every pretext。 They have told me that if I win
  they will lose their jobs。 Eighteen months before this I had been put in
  jail at Pittsburg; making three times all for doing my duty in that city。
  CHAPTER XX。
  WHY I WENT ON THE STAGE。THE VICE OF TOBACCO。
  I got hundreds of calls to go on the stage before I did。 Gradually
  I got the light。
  This is the largest missionary field in the world。 No one ever got
  a call or was ever allowed to go there with a Bible but Carry Nation。
  That door never was opened to any one but me。 The hatchet opened it。
  God has given it to me。 My managers have said: 〃This is a variety
  house at; Watsons and the Unique; of Brooklyn; or the Boston on the
  Bowery。 You do not wish to go there。〃 Yes; those need me more than
  the rest; never refuse a call even from the lowest。 If Jesus ate with
  publicans and sinners I can talk to them。 Francis Willard said the pulpit
  and stage must be taken for God。
  Persons often say: 〃Why do you take the money of such?〃 I say
  〃I can do more good with the money than they can。〃 After the battle
  the victor takes the spoils and is entitled to them。 I will take all I can
  get in a good way。 Money is a blessing; if used as such。 I go on the
  stage to do good; I take their money for the same reason。 The curse of
  it is when it is desired above the good of humanity。 I am fishing。 I go
  where the fish are for they do not come to me。 I thank God for this
  unspeakable gift。 I take my Bible before every audience。 I show them
  this hatchet; that destroys or smashes everything bad and builds up everything
  that is good。 I tell them of their loving Deliverer who came to
  break every yoke and set the Captive free。 When I look upon the hundreds
  of faces before me; I say: 〃Oh; these poor aching hearts! God
  give me a loving message。〃 Words can not tell of the love I would like
  to bestow upon them。 I often weep。 〃Oh; Jerusalem; Jerusalem; how oft
  would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
  wings。〃 Then I say: 〃There is one that loves more than you。 He can
  make all things right。〃
  There are but a handful comparatively that try to obey the commands
  of Jesus: 〃A remnant shall be saved。〃 Caleb and Joshua were only two
  in six hundred thousand but they alone of this great multitude lived to
  see and inherit the promised land。 Christ said。 〃Go out into the highways
  and hedges and compel them to come in that my home may be full。〃
  Where are the highways and hedges: They are places where men and
  women are the most lost。 How can they be compelled to come in? Love
  is the only compelling influence。 If no one goes with love; how are these
  lost ones to know they are loved。 Christ brought love down to us; He
  came down to do it。 We must take His love to the low places〃Condescend
  to men of low estate。〃 I praise my God for opening a door to
  me never opened to anyone else。 I find the theatre stocked with boys
  of our country。 They are not found in churches。 I have not sought to
  get into the so…called 〃respectable set〃 but I have told my managers to
  get me into the worst class。 They need me most。 They are as brands
  snatched from the burning。
  I am not only a reformer on the line of the licensed or unlicensed
  saloon; but on other evils。 I believe that; on the whole; tobacco has done
  more harm than intoxicating drinks。 The tobacco habit is followed by
  thirst for drink。 The face of the smoker has lost the scintillations of
  intellect and soul it would have had if not marred by this vice。 The odor
  of his person is vile; his blood is poisoned; his intellect is dulled。
  A smoker is never a healthy man; either in body or mind; for nicotine
  is a poison。 Prussic acid is the only poison that is worse。 Nicotine
  poisons the blood; dulls the brain; and is the cause of disease。 The lungs
  of the tobacco user are black from poison; his heart action is weak; and
  the worst thing to contemplate in the whole matter is that these tobacco
  users transmit nervous diseases; epilepsy; weakened constitutions; depraved
  appetites and deformities of all kinds to their offspring。
  Deterioration of the race is upon us; and unless there is some reform;
  idiocy; imbecility and extinction will be the legacy of the future
  generations。
  A man that uses tobacco cannot have the nice moral perceptions on
  any point that he should have。 I find him to be dulled and sluggish。 The
  Bible says: 〃If thine eye be single; thy whole body is full of light。 If
  thine eye be evil; thy whole body is full of darkness。〃 The use of tobacco
  is a vice; and to the extent of that one vice; it degrades a mail。 It opens
  the gate for other vices; for it is the gratification for one form of lust。
  It is a filthy habit; and I care not how often the smoker changes his
  clothes or washes his person; he is filthy。 The stench from his breath
  indicates that his body repudiates such uncleanliness。
  The tobacco user can never be the father of a healthy child。 Therefore
  he is dangerous for a woman to have as a husband。 If I were a
  young woman; I would say to the men who use tobacco and who would
  wish to converse with me: 〃Use the telephone; come no closer!〃 I
  would as soon kiss a spittoon as to kiss such a mouth。 When a man
  begins to smoke he is taking his first lessons in drink。 The two habits
  travel together。
  A man never can attain his majority and use tobacco。 He never can
  realize his full capabilities or his possibilities。 He can always attain to a
  better standard without nicotine。
  There is one objection that; from a business standpoint; every business
  man ought to make to tobacco。