Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-04-20
No Sect I'm Heaven.
SELECTED BIZ "sUBscR1BER" AND PUBLISHED
BIZ REQUEST.

OF the various doctrines the saints believe,
That night stood in a troubled dream,
By the side Of darkly flowing stream.
And "Churchman" down to the river came;
When heard q strange voice call his name,
Good father, stop, stop" when you cross this It'd
You must leave your robes on the other side.
But the aged father did not mind,
And his long gown foated ont behind,
As down to the stream his way he took,
His pale hands claspiDg gilt-edged book.
''I'm bound for heaven, and when Pm there,
I shall want my book Of Common Prayer;
And though put on a starry crown,
1 shall feel quite lost without my gown"
Then he fixed his eye on the shining track,
But bis gown was heavy, and held him back,
And the poor old father tried in vain,
single step in the food to gaia.
I saw him again on the other side,
But his silk gown fioated on the tide
And no one asked in that blissful spot,
Whether he belonged to the church or not.
Then down to the river Quaker strayed,
His dress of a sober hue was made;
my coat and hat must be all of gray,
cannot go any other way"
Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his chin
And steadily, solemnly, waded in. az
And his broad -brimmed hat he pulled down tight
Over his forehead SO cold and white.
But strong wind carried away his hat;
moment he silently sighed over that,
And then, as he gazed to the farther shore,
The coat slipped of, and was seen no more.
As he entered heaven, his suit of gray,
Went quietly ailing-away-away;
And pone Of the angels questioned him
About the width of his beavers brim.
Next came DIR, Watts, with bundle of Psalms,
Tied nicely up in his aged arms,
And hymns as many, very wise thing,
That the people in heaven "all round" might sing
But 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 and Hymns in the wave went down
And after him, with his NJ 8. g., @
Came Wesley, the pattern Of godliness,
But he cried, 'sDear me, what shall do
The water has soaked them through and through.
Away they went down the swollen tide,
And the saint sstonished, passed through alone,
Without his manuscripts up to the throne.
Then gravely walking, two saints by name, ru
Down to the stream together came,
But as they stopped at the Iiver's brink,
saw one saint from the other shrink.
"sprinkled or plunged, may ask you, friend,
How you attained to life's great end?"
"1Rus, with few drops on my brow"
But have been dipped. as you'll see me now.
Sand 1 really think it will hardly do,
As I'm close communion to cross with you;
You're bound, I know, to the realms of bliss,
But you must go that way, and I'll go this"
Then straightwsy plunging, with all his might.
Away to the left-his friend To 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 aconsen there seemed an innumerable throng,
And concerning the road they could never agree
The old or the neao way, which it could be.
Nor even for moment paused 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, I'm in the old way and you're in the new,
That is the false, and this Is the true.n ...
But the brethren only seemed to speak,
Modest the sisters walked, and meek ..
And if ever one OF them chanced to cay,
What trouble she met with on the way
How she longed to pass to the other side,
Nor feared to cross over the swelling tide,
A voice arose from the brethren then:
"Let no one speak but the holy mem
Fer have ye not heard the words of Paul,
%, let the women keep silence all y"
I 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 toilsome journey Of life was done.
The 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,
No creeds to guide them, or NJ. s. g.,
For all had put on Christ's righteousness.
Saratoga Spring, March 7th, 1871.