Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-08-10

Then he fixed his eye on the shining track,
But his gown was heavy, and he'd him back,
And the poor old father tried in vain
A single step 10 the food to gain.
I saw him again on the other side,
But his silk gown foated on the tide,
And no one asked in that blissful spot,
Whether he belonged to the Church or not.
Then down the river Quaker strayed,
His dress of sober hue was made;
Ny coat and hat must be all Of gray,
J. eannot 90 any other way
Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his
chin,
And steadily solemnly, waded in, -
Aud his broad trimmed hat he pulled down
tight
Over his forehead so cold and white.
But ng wind carried away his hat;
4 moment he silently sighed over that,
And then, as he gazed to the farther shore,
The coat slipped of, and was seen no more.
IS he entered heaven his suit Of gray
Went qsietly sailing away-away,
And none OF the angels questioned him
About the width Of his beavers brim.
Next came DIR. Watts with bundle of psalms
Tied nicely up in bis aged arms,
And hymns as many, very wise thing,
That the people in heaven, Z" all round. .
might sing.
But { thought that he heaved an anxious sigh,
As he saw that the river ran broad and high,
And looked rather surprised as, one by one,
The Psalms and Hymns in the waves went
down,
After hin. with his MSS.
Came Wesley, the pattern Of godliness-
But he cried. 'sDear me, what shall do?''
The water has soaked me through and
through.
Aud there on the river. far azd wide,
Away they went down the swollen tide,
And the saint astoEished, passed through
alone,
Without bis manuscripts, up to the throne.
Then gravely walking, two saints by name,
Down 10 the stream together came
Bul as they stopped at the river brink.
/ saw one saint from the other shrink.
.'Sp7inzled or planged, may ask you friend,
How YOU attend to life's great end p
siThus with a few drops on my brow
But have been dipped, asyou' nsee me now.
And really think ii will hardly do,
As I'm close communion to cross with you
You re bound, know, to the realms of bliss,
You must go that way, and In go this
Then siraiglltway with all his might,
Away to the left--his friends to the right;
Apart they weat from this world of sin.
Bat at last together they eutered in.
And pow, when the river was rolling on,
A Presbyterian church went down;
OF women they seemed an innumerable throng,
But the men could count as they passed
along.
And concerning the road they would never
agree,
The old or the aer way, which it could be,
Nor ever for moment paused to think
That both would lead to the rivers brink.
Aud a sound of murmuring, long and lend,
Came ever sP. lrolns the moving crowd,
.sYoa' re in the old way, and I'm in the new,
That is the false. and this is the true"
Or, AI'm in the old way, aud you re in the
new,
That Is the false and thts is the true.'i
IBnt the brethren only seemed to spea k
Modest the sisters walked, and meek
And If ever one Of them CHANGED to say
What troubles she met with on the way,
How she longed 70 pass on the other side,
Nor feared to cross over the swelling tide
A voice from the brethren then,
Let no one speak but the holy men
For have we not heard the words of Paul.
sGh, let the women keep silence all p
watched them long i'm my curious dreams
Til they stood By the borders Of the stream;
Then inst as | thought the two ways met,
Bat all the brethren we're talking yet
And would talk On till the heaying tide
Carried them over, side BIZ side
Side by side, for the way was one.
The toiIsome journey of life was done.
And priest and Quaker, all who died,
Came out alike on the other side
10 forms, or crosses, or books had they,
No gowns of silk, or suits Of gray,
No creeds to guide them, or MSS,
For all had put on Christs righteousness.
An impatient boy, waiting for gfist
! ! IL.