The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-11-17

ON w INV cso - ssss ~ q
down . steep, winding path-ths CID mill.
It i surrounded with beautiful shade
trees and flowers growing al around. =
When the water. il Lei on, The great wheel
turns around, The spray Arises and shines
on it and rainbow oftsn over it. The
N Il was new, and it seemed a. lift would
20 Of itself. The water seemed to shout
with gladness ~ it rushed upon the wheel
and the birds sang in the trees, and every
thing vac fair and good. Day after day
and year after year the mill WAS in mo-
ton. Children who grew up near it felt
as if they had always been there. always
would be there.
But after the mill had stood about sew
enty years, and had received the name OF
the "Old MIL" the timbers became
weak. II seemed to tremble under its la
bors. When the water was let on the
wheel, the joints creakel and groaned.
and it seemed to take great while to get
the wheels in motion. 1t ground slower
and slower. l. crack, in every part. II
was very plain that tho old mill was really
worn out. Every year it grew feebler
and did less work
One day the owner came that way to
talk with the tenant or the man that lived
in it.
well Mr.. Willard the old mill is al
most worn GU, y
Eyes, sir but you see have set up
poles against IL to prop it up, and mean
to get more and so hope to keep il 60
ing"
s'It will do no good. The poor old
thing is worn ont. 1t was bnilt of frsil
material and No propplng can now save
it,
"But, sir, what do you propose to do ?"
ITO take il down.
"What ! the mill have lived in so
long, cannot have it done, sir claim
it as"
.'But Mr.. Willard have you been care
full and faithful to pay me the rent on the
old mill p
Mr.. Willard hung down his head, for
he knew be bad paid but very poor rent.
"Must it GENE down and | be turned
out of my honee'
"Yes it must come down or fall down -
said the owner .Sut will tell you what
| will do, | will take it down carefuily
myself, and will save everything it it that
is worth saving, And then propose TO
erect a new mill higher up the stream,
near the great lake. have selected q
beautiful spot-O. far more beautiful
than this, where the sun always ehinee,
and the birds always sing, aud The flowers
are always fresh. 1t is place SO beau
tifui that the angels come there and trine
their hsrps aEasing and there l pro
pose to erect anew mill--not of such
frail timbers as this was built Of, but dn.
rable materials, such as will last ages and
ages. And / am going to make it in
such way that the very moving of the
wheels will make music, as if the build
ing was one great organ to praise God
with. 1t will never grow old, or need re-.
pairing. Wcn't that be glorious ?"
.'When shall you take this down ?''
ooh, very soon !"
"Bu. whoshall live 10 this Lew mill p,
"You shall'
"But what will do while il is build
ing"
"Oh, will take care of you. l have a
summer house on the hill that they csll
Zion, among the trees, where you will he
sale ard ready to enter the mill. Don't
have any fears y
Does my little reader understand nv
story?
The human body is the mill /; the earth
IS tue place where il stands; the life that
God pours into us every day is the water
let on the wheel; the Trees -ound us are
the bless ngs that God gives to US; the
RAINBOW over the wheel is the bright
hopes that hang over Us every DIV.
But we grow DID, The poor old man
lives IN en- old mill. Life seems hardly
to move the wheels now. He canno,
straighten up as be once did. He must
dle. The owner--Gcd himself-will
come and carefully take down the old
mill. But be will build up a new one.
higher up the stream. nearer the lake
hlmself-and make it of materials ,ba,
never decay. Good old man .Disciple
OF Christ Come out from the mill
while it is being rebuilt, and as you come
sing, 81 know that if this earthly taberoa
Gle be Dissolved, have building Of God.
house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens"