Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-07-19
A Striking Contrast.

| have in thought a man that holds in
his hands almost the ways of life. and the
thoroughfares of the nation. He Is not
bad as the world goes. He is we'll nigh
unlimited in his control of funds. With
two or three others he could almost buy
the continent. And men think he is
wonderful man. Yes, in many respects he
is. But the question is as to his prosperi
ty. Let us open him up, and see what
wonderful thing is in him. Have you the
key to this man? Yes, have the golden
key. go into one chamber. II is called
taste. There is not a window in it. Nei-
Their is there a carpet, nor picture, nor an
instrument Of music in it. Shut up the
door of that room. 60 into another
room, called honor. 1t is a cold, dreary,
stone wall passage, dripping with moisture.
Shut up the door of that room. 1t is not
tenanted' go on and open the door of
conscience, as it is called. What is that
down there? Why, it is wretch lying on
heap Of rotten straw, all but dead. 1t
raises its head, and says, az ,caS consci-
ence; what is left of it in me-" Shut up
the door of this sad ROOM look into an
other chamberlain Of faith. Well, this
was an apartment. Itisspacious and lofty
it is domed, and has large, long opening
to the sky. 1t is constructed as if some in
strumcnts were 10 have been here Be- |
hold, here is astronomical machinery, de-
signed TO sweep the heavens. But nobody
is there to use it, The room is desolate.-
There is no faith there Shut it up. And
so go on from place to place, and through
chamber after chamber; and every one of
them is unfinished, dreary, full of un-
pleasant sights and sounds.
Let US 80 down to where the man lives.
Let us go down where selfshness and avar-
ice dwell. Now we begin TO find that the
apartments are occupied They are large,
and in them are vaults filled full of unused
gains. Yes, selishness is strong, and pride
is strong, and the animal life is strong
And all that is social, and all that is sweet,
all that is generous, and all that is divine
is utterly lacking, and utterly gone.
There Is that prosperous man. Now
come with me- Here is old Janet. She
had love affair, the boys say, when she
was about seventeen years old, and some
how got Tilted. And she was never quite
the same afterwards. She always refused
company. Well what has she been doing
since that time? Oh she was kind of
studying till her sister was married and
then she went to live with her. and has
lived with her ever since. And what has
she been doing? Well, she has been ia
king care of her sisters children. A de-
pendant, is she? Yes, she is to q certain
extent dependent on her sister. And she
is bringing up the youngsters? Yes, she
devotes herself to the care of her sisters
children.
Let us go through her heart-for have
the key to that, also. The first apartment
is street conteaimeak Everything in it is
tranquil. There is low sonnd, as of mu-
sic. You know not whence it comes We
pass through chamber after chamber. At
last we enter the chamber of love. Oh!
how radiant everything is! What pictures
there are hanging upon the walls How
many there are that resemble the portrait
ure Of friends And some there are that
seem to look back to friends that are gone.
We step out from the room of love into
the room of faith. These rooms are adj
joining, and the door between them is ne
yer closed. They throw light into each
other. And how bright are these upper
chambers of the soul Perpetual joy reigns
there, morning, noon, and night. Come
near, and you will find that this woman's
heart is full of peace and gladness.
What is she doing? She is living for
others. She is raising up these little chill
dren. She is like the tabled eagle that is
said 10 have plucked the feathers from its
own breast to shield its young. She, as it
were, takes her own great heart and soul
out to make Il nest for these iledgelings. -
Ana though they are not her own, she
loves them better, and suffers more for
them, and prays more for them, than the
mother. Outwardly she seems to live sol
itary but God and the angel band that
watch over her, see that she lives inwardy
full of the sweetest content, and the most
blessed and joyful hope
Now, / put this old Janet over against
the millionaire, and ask you which is the
most prosperous. One has ali the body
and all the pelf, and the other all the soul
and all the heaven. Which would you ra-
Their be? As long as you are here in the
church you would rather be Janet, but as
quick as you get out Of the door there you
would rather be this man.-Piymouth Pul-
MI