The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-12-03

|e'ste and Tie heap W.. ~, called
.feairn." -,
The eairn had been left ia the o.
world. Perhaps there v.s not roo'
for it in, tho "Mayaower;" and 20 th
body Of Philip Merlyn could not b
buried at the GROSS roads sbnt'the du
ty Of bearing testimony against III,
crime Of suicide was imperative il
those who had separated .hemselve
from tho world, As "testimony bearer
for Christ's crown and kingdom" Th
men who, seeking an asylum from oil
world expressions; como to this ooun
try and resolutely refuse to supper
the Constitution, Lccause it fails to &C
knowledge Christ as liking Of King
and Lord Of Lords" and who, by thi,
refusal, cut themselves off from a.
places Of honor or profit under til.
Government, could not we'll. shilk ,
known duty. even though it involved
tho giving up Of frst-born to the
flames: Philip Msrlyn had been the
wealthy member Of their little congre.
cation, and had been liberal according.
ly.. He had been bright and shining
light, and the souls Of: these stern men
were knit to his soul. Where was that
soul now? AS suicide leaves no time
for repentance, can it merit forgive.
nes'? Except ye repent, - shall ali
Likewise perish =" '' >'> p;
To pass This crime which admits oi
no repentance, without some testimo.
nial Of Christian dis.pprov.l, might be
tampering With the safety Of immortal
souls, Of whom they were the appointed
guardians; and yet, and jet ;':to add
one pang to the sorrow Of the widow
and her children: Not ! man Of: them
but, in that hour Of close communion
with the Invisible, would have shield
ed those sufferers with hii life; but
what is the lite Of the body where the
welfare Of souls is at stake? y. :: ::
The old pastor; with the mellown,,ss
Of heart which usually comes with sew
enty years Of ripsning for heaven, urg-
ed the duty Of burying their departed
brother in the church yard with his
two infant sons, who had lain there for
twenty years. -: 49,:
"Solomon," he plead, 'fcrred greatly
in his latter days, aud We have no 10.
count of his repentance, yet he slept
with his fathers" 1t was suggested
that the widow should be: consulted; J;
but "the spirit which hath appeared
Unto a! men" refused consent.
The only son of Il he deceased was =
boy Of eighteen, whose eyes had never
'een tho light, whose limbs had never
borne t:is: weight or grown beyond the
'ize Of infancy. Bright, intelligent be-
yond bis years, his limbs were helples.
!. as birth: He sat upright and bore
sasily tho weight Of his preternaturally,
'aEge head, used his ehildlike hands
With dsxtsrity, and oraved morbidly
for mental food. Willy was |. house
hold pet, the center Of the household>
circle, tho one to whom the new books
md latest news were read, and the
'ne who felt most deeply and intelli-
gently the importance Of all the theo-
logical and political problems which oc-
'upied tho thoughts Of the pastor, who
had uDconscicusly learned to look to
the sightless brown eyes which turned
10 him so steadily from tho well-cush:
ioned corner Of Philip Merlyn's pew.
Willy was the only male relative vf
the family, and it would not do t. con-
suit him rs to whether his mother
might fad grace to acquiesce in > sol-
emn testimony against tho crime Of sui
eide, given in tho manner Of burying
The deceased.
- "Had we not better speak with Mar
garet p asked grave old elder. "She
d God-fearing, sensible girl, and
might speak to her mother"
=: The suggestion was *agreed to, and
The. eldest daughter summoned. She
came and stood holding by chair,
pale and still, and could not be induced
to sit. The corpse lay At the other
side Of the room and to nit, Or 10 At
ease, in that presence was impossible:
revsrently, tho difficulty was
stated to her; and very slowly her con-:
sciousness opened to receive it. That
looming cloud Of disgrace sttaehed to
the name she most honored, that cloud
which had lain all tho morning aea
background 70 her great sorrow, sud
denly moved up and discharged its
pent deluge on his grave. She ran
quickly and throwing herself on the
corpse sought to clasp it in her arms,
Is she sobbed, my father! Oh, my
father /"
The man who most felt it his duty
to enter = testimony against suicide,
vas the first to try to raise her. She
Vas apparently lifeless; and the thought
IN al <hat aAvepal mnr6arnpa