Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-09-20

Taking of sects till late one eve. 85f
OF the various doctrines the saints believe,
That night stood In a troubled dream,
BY the side OF darkiy nowing stream.
And = Churchman" down to the river came;
WhenI heard q strange voice call his name,
GOOD mther, stop. when you cross this tiue
But the aged father did not mind,
And his long gown fioatcd out behind,
His pale hands clasping gilt edged book.
"rm bound for Heaven and when I'm there,
shall want my book cfCommon Prayer;
And though put on q starry crown,
shall feel quite lost without my gown"
Then he fixed his eyre on the shining track,
And the sp" poor Old father tried I IN s vain Inn D'
single step In the food TO gain.
I saw him again on the other side,
But his silk gown Heated on the tide;
And no ono asked I'm that blisEful spot,
Whether he belonged to "the Church I" or not.
Then down % the river a Quaker strayed.
MY coat and hat must be all OF gray,
cannot 60 any other way"
Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his
And steadily, soiemniy, waded In,
Aud his broad.brimmed hat he pulled down
over his forehead 80 cold aud white.
But strong wind carried away his hat:
And then. as he ga zed to the farther shore.
Tho coat slipped OFF, and was seen no more.
AS he entered heaven, his suit of gray
Went quietly satling-awny--away.
Aud none Of the angels questioned him
About the width OF bis beavers brim.
Next came DR.. Watts, with bundle OF Psalms
Tied nicely up In his aged arms,
And hymns as many, q very wise thing,
That the people In heaven all round" might
sing.
But I thought 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 anu Hymns In the waves went
And after him, with his MSS,
Game Wesley the hep pattern ,.ha 81 sod,nl,ess shl,
The wnter has soaked them through and
tarough."
And there on the river. far and wide,
Away they went down the swollen tide,
And the saint astonished, passed through
without his manuscripts. up to the throne.
Then gravcly walking, two saints by name,
| Down TO the stream together camo,
But as they stopped at e the e rivers ,. brink.
| /" sprinklcd or plunged, may Iask you, friend
| How you attained 70 life's great end?"
"But I have been dipped, as youth see IN.
\ now
"And really think II will hardly do.
| Az I'm close communion,' to cross with you !;
You're bound, know, to the realms OF bliss,
But you must go that way and I'll 20 this"
| Away to the icft-fis friends to the right.
I Apnrt they went from this world OF sin,
| hut at last together they entered In.
/ And now when tho river was rolling on,
/ A Presbyterian Church went down; bsg
4 or women there seemed an innumerabl
But the men could count as they passed a
| long.
And concerning the road they never could a
The old or the ne,c way, which IL could be,
Nor ever n moment paused to think
That both would lead to tic rivers brink.
| Came ever up from the moving crowd,
"You're i'm the old way, and I'm In the new,
| That In tho false, and this IN tile true, w.
On, "Tm in the old way. and you're In tn
Tha, Is the false way. this ID the true"
But the brethorn only seemed to speak.
| Modest the sisters walked. and meek,
/ And fever one of them chanced to say
What troubles she met with ON the way.
How she longed to pass TO the other side.
1 Nor feared to cross over the swelling tido,
| A voice arose from the brethcrn then:
q Let no one speak but the holy men,
/ For have yc not heard the words Paul,
oh, lot the women keep silent ALP"
| I watched them long In my curious dream.
| Till they stood by the borders Of the stream
Then, Just as thought, the two why's met,
But all the brethren were talking yet,
And would tnlk on, TIL the heaving Tide
Carried them over, side by side
| Side by side, for the way was one,
/ The toilsome journey of life was DONE
! And priest and Quaker, and all who died,
i Came out alike ON the other side.
/ No forms, or crosses, or books had they,
/ No grwns OF silk or suits OF gray.
/ No creed to guide them, or Mss,
| For oil had put on Christs righteousness
IL t u--t