Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-10-18
EVENING STAR.
The Country Church.Yard.

"Many years ago, an assembly of Chris
tians worshiped in our church, and all were
very old. The officers we're white with age.
The pastor had reached his eighty ninth
yesr-s venerable old father in Israel The
ground whore he rests is watched always by
guardian angels. We have not many like
him in our congregation.
Years passed, and each in its flight could
boast of having seen one or more Of those
good men gathered to his fathers. At length
the great reaper bore away the shock of corn
that stood ripeSt in Heavens haryest-fieId
The good old preacher rested from his labors
The sexton soon followed, and was buried
near the gate. He had long served faithfully,
safely passing one after another of his aged
brethren into the house of death and with
the burial of the pastor his work accomplished
and he laid himself down to sleep at the
door. And now the old church was silent.
The last words of admoniti0n ha been given:
the last song of praise had gone up to Heaven,
and the last prayer had found acceptance at
the mercy seat Silent, all silent!
"At the head of the graveyard was buried
tht pastor, as he was still watching his flock
Directly in front was the chorister and in
seni-oircle around him was the officers The
remaining portion of the ground was occupied
by graves corresponding with the form OBJ
served in the arrangement Of the pews in tho
church
'sThe graveyard was adorned with quiet
beauty. Willows were bending around the
place, and flowers blossomed on every grave
A clear stream, from an unfailing spring, ran
near the graves, gently murmuring; and pinks
and violets bloomed in rich profusion along
the path that led from gate to gate There
was a holy worship there. Choirs of birds
sung praise, and every bud and blossom altar
daily sent up its morning incense. It was the
prayer Of the flowers, breathed silently TO
Heaven, and the answer came in the sunlight
and the dew.
"Well, there slept that congregation, year
after year; and the tomb stones began to lean
forward like old men, and the inscriptions
upon them grew dim, as eye-sight fails The
bier that stood near the gate had silently
rotted down upon the ground, and rank grass
had entwined shroud for it's covering. The
sections spade was rusting beside his grave;
the graveyard had itself grown old; but stiff
there sparkled the brook, emblem of the eter-
nal stream. Tho flowers grew old and died in
the fall, repeating the story of those who
slept beneath them; and they came forth in
new beauty in the spring, silently speaking az
they lifted their buds and blossoms toward
Heaven, of glorious resurrection.
''The graveyard was still growing old, and
30 was the church. All within was left "a
when the last sermon was preached, for the
good villagers feared to disturb the quiet o6 the
old edIhce. Ihe bell was rustIng In the tower;
the pulpit leaned to one side, and 'tortered to
Its fall the pews were decaying. the cushions
| were rotting. Silently as the fall of autumn.
leaves, the glory of the inner temple was de-
parting. The Bible was upon the dusty pull
| pit desk: that was undisturbed by Time. A
| record for Eternity, there was no decay among
Tits precious leaves. 1t was the soul of the old
church; and like him who once taught from
his sacred pages, it remained unimpaired
| amidst the ruin of the tabernacle.
| "Think of this silence for half Q century
Fifty years of dumb time! At msrning-
mid -day-evening; spring, autumn, summer,
winter; silent-all silent!
sI reoolleot it one still moonlight night
about the middle of June, many years ago !;
| very late, when every stir and sound of moving
life was quieted. The still moon bathed the
old church tower and the grave yard in
| food Of dreamy light. Beautiful, very beau
! tlful A kind Of solemn gladness reigned
among the tombs. Every tiny grass blade
had clad itself in moon beam, and stoo
| adorned with diamond. The rays were busy
! IN beautifying the grave. yard and each flower
slept with its closed leaves sealed with dew
drop, Like child slumbering with tear just
| resting on the fringe of its eyelids. The
stream, as it rippled along, was all of gleam-
ing silver. One could plainly read the in
| scriptions on the tomb bstones, the night was 20
bright.
''How much of Sabbath there is among
the graves in still Moonlight night. How
calm-how holy"
The very spirit of solemn silence and re-
pose seems to breathe over this scene, SO
graphically is it depicted.