Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-07-04
Fireside Department.
Good Wishes Are Never Lost.
A CHAPTER FROM THE LIFE OF A
GOOD MAN.

he was compelled to go into the
workhouse. He felt it was hard
to do that. But he had no chill
dren to care for him. His wife
had been long dead. He was
alone, and weak and i'll ,and poor.
So he went; and sit was a mod
ell workhouse, he was not nncom-
Portable in his new home. But
now what could he dos 1t seemed
less than ever. And yet still he
did what he could. He lent his
few books to those about him
fond of reading, and when able
to do it, he read to some who
could not read for themselves.
Often and often he said, "Oh, |
wish | could do more p and
though he was poor, everybody
loved him. "
One sunny day in eerly spring
the poor man was sitting in the
workhouse court. Around it
bloomed some flowers, upon
which he loved to look, for he
thought they were God AL
mighty's picture books, scattered
by him over the world for any
one to read who would. There
he sat in the balmy air of the
early spring-a green and lovely
day, and almost as golden as
summer. And as he sat he look
ed upon the flowers till they car
ried him back to the days of his
childhood.
How the past years all came
back upon him. He had always
been poor, yet his life had not
been wretched. For, from the
days Of his youth, he had, like
Obediah, feared the Lord. His
life had not been useless,and yet
he had done so little good in the
world to what he had hoped. to
what he had sought. And think
ing over his life, he said to him
self, hand folded in hand, "How
little | have done Some who
began life with me: have become
rich /; i have always been poor.
Some have been rich in good
works; one has, gone over the
sea as a missionary another is a
preacher at home but /, how lit
tie | have done! And set He
who knows the heart, knows, that
though | have done little, / have
desired to do much" Thus ,he
mused,and musing, he fell asleep
in the warm sunshine.
.Brother," said the dream
angel to him, afollow me- And
the eoor man followed him up
the sunny air beyond the clouds
and sun until, in a few minutes.
he passed through a glorious gate
into a city where every house
was palace and every inhabi-
tant an heir. High above every
palacd there rose, as a mountain
rises above the little hills, a
throne of light and one seated
thereon, before whom the angel
and the poor man bowed. With
gracious voice, that King of the
Glorious Land said to the angel,
"Show my child from earth his
mansion, and forget not the gar
den Of aternal flowers"
So the angel led the poor man
to his place, and said, "This is
thine! Here thou shalt be free
from care and fear and tears
many are the mansions herein
oneis called Rest, the other Med
itation, another Song, another
Alteration, and there are many
more. Here thou shalt dwell
and never grow land never
I be old, but rejoice in the beauty
of immortal life." 81 q fE
k Then the angel led him to a
lovely garden near the palace,
and said, "This is thy garden" J."
And such garden the poor man
had never seen, no, not in his
brightest dreams.
"Oh," he said, chow beautiful
But what do 1 hear q he asked,
listening. nEH -
..Come hither,' said the angel,
= leading to another part of the
garden filled with flowers.
The dreamer followed, and
there the air seemed full of the
most beautiful and delicate music
that ever fell upon a listeners
ear ear. gsy.r rE .RNftg{
ts.tLook into these flowers" said
the angel. And looking into
them, the poor man raised his
hands in delight and wonder, for
IN each flowers cup he saw a lit
tie angel crowned with stars, ,and
touching a tiny golden harp into
the softest sweetest music. 'Nev-
er did such strains float upon
sunny air as came out of those
waving flower-cups to that poor
mans ear! He was spell-bound
in his happy wonder.
Then said the angel, s.Learn
the meaning of this garden.
Many have been thy holy and
charitable wishes. Often hast
thou said, 'Oh, would that could
do more!' And thy heart has
said it. Know this, that for each
such wish there sprang up in this
garden one of the sweet flowers
OF sweetness and song. This is
the garden wherein and for ever
thou shalt find thy good wishes
again; for a holy and loving de-
sire blooms up to the Lord in a
flower that shall never perish.
Thou hast done what thou couldst,
and what thou hast desired to do
but couldst not do shall be to
thee an immortal flower, the
source Of sweetness and song.
Then that poor man knew that
even good wishes are never lost.