The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-08-24

Christian families and congregations
must quote not only for its own sake, but be.
cause their is a story connected with it that
we wish to tell
sg NEARER HOME.
One sweety solemn thought ifst
Comes to me Ger and Ger; ..,.
I'm nearer my hcme to-day
Than ever have been before,
Nearer my Fathers house,
Where the many mansions be;
Nearer The great white throne,
Nearer the crystal seei
Nearer the bound Of life,
Where we lay our burdens down,
Nearer leaving the cross,
Nearer gaining the crown.
But the waves of the silent sea
Roll dark before my sight,
That brightly the other side
Break shore Of light.
0, If my mortal feet
Have almost gained the brink,
If it be am nearer home
y Even to day thanI think. Fl a
Father perfect my trust,
$500 Let my spirit feel in death
That her feet are firmly set
On the Rock of living faith. .
gontlemauin China, intrusted with pack
ages for young man from his friends IN tho
United States learned that he would proba-
bly, be found in a certain gambling house.
lie went thther, but not seeing the young
man, sat down and waited in the hope that
he might come in. The place vas bsdlan'
Of noises men getting angry over their cards.
and frequently coming to blows. Near hin,
sat two men-one young, the other 40 years
of age They were betting and drinking in
terrible way, the older giving utteranee
continually to the foulest profanity. Two
games had been finished, the young man
losing each time The third game, with fresh
bottles of brandy, had just begun, and tho
young man sat iazy back in his chair while
the oldest shuffled his cards The man was a
long time dealing the cards, and the young
man, looking carelessly about the room, began
to hum a tune. lie wout Oh, till at length no
began to sing the hymn Of PHOEBE Cary above
quoted. The words says the writer OF the sto-
ry, repeated In such vile place, at first made
me shuader A Sabbath school hymn in y
gambling den, But while the yonny man sang
the elder stopped dealing the eards, stared at
the singer Il moment. and, throwing the cards
on the floor, exclaimed: Harry where did
you learn that tuue p ''What tune Z" why
til t one you've been singing" The young
man said he did not know what he had been
singing, when the eldest repeated the words,
with tears in bis eyes, aud tho young man
said he had learned tnem in Sunday schoo.
in America Come" said the elder, get
ting up; come, Harry; here's what won
from you; 20 and use it for some good pur-
played my last game and drank my last bot
tie have mjs!ed you. Harry, and ] am sor-
ny. Give me your hand, my boy, and say
that, for old Americas sake, if no other, you
vii! quit this Internal business" The gen.
tIe,nan who tells the story Originally pub
Ilshcd in the Boston Daily News saw these
two Int leave the gambling house together,
and walk away arm in arm: aud lie remarks;
1T must be source Of great JOY to Miss
Cary to know that her lines, which have
con:tortcd S, many Christian hearts, have
been the means Of awakening in the breasts
Of two tempted and erriag men on the other
side Of the globe resolution to lead better
life" 1t was a source Of great JOY to Miss
Cary, as VIC happen to know. Before US lies
a private letter from her to an aged friend,
in this city, with the printed story inclosed,
aud containing this comment: Il lnclose tho
hymn and the story for you, not because
am vain Of the notice, but because thought
you would feel a peculiar interest in them
when you know the hymn Was written is
years ago (l552) in your house. compos-
ed it in the little back third story bed room,
on Sunday morning, after coming from
church: and it makes me very happy tn
think that any word could say has done
little good in the world"