Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-01-08
51uehy.
NO SECT IN HEAVEN.

Talking of sects till late one eve,
- OF the various doctrines the saints believe,
That night stood in troubled dream,
By the side of darkly flowing stream.
And nChurchman" down TO the river came
When I heard strange voice call his name,
= "Good father, stop; when you cross this tide
d You must leave your robes on the other side"
But the aged father did not mind,
And his long gown hoated cut behind,
= As down the stream his way he took,
His pale hands clasping gilt edged book.
"rm bound for Heaven aud when I'm there
/ shall want my book of Common Prayer;
And though put on a starry crown,
should feel quite lost without my gown"
Then be fixed his eye on o shining track,
. But his coat was heavy, and held him back,
And the poor old father tried in vain,
A single step in the flood to gain.
I saw him again on the other side,
But his silk gown foated on the tide
And DO one asked, in that blissful spot,
Whether he belong ed to "THE Church, or not.
Then down the river Quicker strayed,-
His dress of sombre hue was made
"My coat and hat must be of gray
/ cannot 60 any other way"
Then be buttoned his coat straight up to his chin
And steadily, solemnly waded in,
And his broad ad-brimmed hat he pulled down tight
Over his forehead, so cold and white.
But strong wind carried away his hat;
A moment be silently sighed over that,
And then as he gazed to the farther shore,
The coat m pped of. and was seen no moro.
As he entered heaven, his suit of gray
Went quietly sailing away-away,
And none of the angels questioned him
About the width Of his 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 sail round" might sing.
But thought that he heayed an anxious sigh,
AS he saw that the river -an broad and high,
And looked rather surprised, as one by one,
The Psalms and the Hymns in the wave went down.
And after him, with his MSS,
Came Wesley the pattern Of goodness;
But he cried, "dear me what shall do 2
The water has soaked them through and through"
And there on the river, far and wide,
Away they went down the swollen tide
And the saint astonished passed through alone,
Without his manuscript up to the throne.
Then graveIy walking two saints by name,
Down to the stream together came
But as they stopped at the rivors brink,
saw one saint from the other shrink.
"SprinkIed or plunged,-may 1 ask you friend,
How you attended to life's great end ~
"THUs with few drops upon my brov,"
"But have been dipped as you'll see me now"
"And really think it will hardly do,
As I'm elose communion to cross wi tn you;
You're bound, l know, to the realms Of bliss,
But you must 60 that way, and I'll 30 this.
Then straightway plunging with all his might,
Away to the left-his friend at the right
Apart they went from this world Of sin,
But at last together they entered in.
And now, when the river was rolling on,
A Presbyterian church went down,
OF women there seemed an innumerable throng,
But the men 1 could count as they passed along.
And concerning the road, they could never agree,
The OLD or the NEW way, which it could bel
Nor ever a moment pause to think
That both would lead to the rivers brink.
And sound of murmuring, long and loud,
Came ever up from the moving crowd
'You're in the old way, and I'm in the new;
That is the false and this is the true -
Or "Im in the old way, and you're in the new
THIS is the false and THAT is the true"
But the BRETHREN only seemed to speak;
Modest the sisters walked, and meek.
But if ever one of them chanced to say
What troubles she met with on the way
How she longed to pass to the other side,
Nor dared 10 cross over the swelling tide
A voice arose from the brethren then:
"Let no one speak but the "holy men -
For have ye not heard the words of Paul,
"Oh let the women keep silence all ~"
watched them long in my curious dream, ~
Till they stood by the borders Of the stream
Then just as thought. the two ways met,
But all the brethren were talking yet
And would talk on, till the heaving tide.
Carried them over side by side (;
Side by side for the way was one -..
The toisome journey of life was DONE
And priest and quaker, and all who died,
Came out alike on the other side,
No forms, or crosses, or books had they.
No gowns of silk or suits of gray