Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-02-26

lay 1ntll WIcoOueu HOduS every HlSHo oH
embroidered pillows. The sunniest
hearts l have ever found in my pasto-
rial rounds have often been lodged in
houses so poverty stricken and Obscure
that even the tax collector never
found them. They were people who
have very little of this world, but
great deal of the next They take short
views of this life; but long ones of the
life to come. Living pretty much from
hand to mouth, they learn to trust God
great deal more than their prosperous
brethren, who secretly trust-their own
bank accounts and government bonds.
The happiest heart l encounter in
Brooklyn belongs to an aged cripple,
who lives on charity in fourth story.
She is old and poor, and without rela-
tives, and lost even the power of speech
twenty years ago By dint Of hard eff
fort she can make few words intelligi-
BILE. But | never saw that withered face
distorted by frown; and a few Sab
baths since, when she was carried in to
the communion table, looked down
from the pulpit into that old saints
countenance, and it 'fshone like the face
of an angel" She lives every day on
the sunny side of Providence, and feeds
hungrily on the promises. Jesus knows
where she lives. He "ofttimes resorts
thither" She is one of his hidden ones.
That old deciple will not have far to go
when the summons comes from her
Fathers house. She lives near the gate
now, and catches the odors and the mu.
sic of that marriage supper" for which
she has her wedding garment on. Would
to God that some of the sour-spirited,
morose, and melancholy Christians of
our acquaintance could drop into that
old woman's garnet occasionally, and
borrow vial of her sunshine.
Those who cannot visit such an ante
chamber of Heaven for themselves may
enjoy kindred satisfaction in reading
the brief biography of old ''Uncle John
son"-a tract of twenty five pages, pub
lished by the presbyterian Board
Johnson was a Virginia negro, who died
in Michigan at the almost incredible age
of one hundred and twenty! He never
would have lasted so long if he had not
like Father Cleveland, of Boston
carried about with him that cheerful
heart that doeth good like medicine.
One day, when he was at work in his
garden, singing and shouting, his pastor
looked over the fence and said: .1Uncle,
you seem very happy today Eyes,
massa. Use just thinking '.What are
you thinking about ?'' ''Oh ! Use Just
thinking" (and the tears rolled down
his black face)-"Ise thinking dat if de
crumbs of joy dat fall from de Massa's
table in dis world is so good, what will
de great loaf in glory be 1 tells We,
sir: dar will be enuf and to spare, up
dar."
Once Mr.. F. said to him, "Uncle
johnson, why don't you get into our
meetings once in while ?" He an
swered: "Massa, wants to be dare ;
but can't haze myself" "You can't
6eha0e?" "Well, massa, oh late years
de flesh is gettin' weak and when dey
gwin to talk and sing about Jesus,
gins to fill up, and putty soon has to
holIer, and den some one'll say, Garry
dat man out de door, he 'sturbs de meet
in. " "But you should hold in till you
get home" "oh ! massa, l can't hold
in. | bust if l don't holler." Would
not it be blessed thing for some pray
er-meetings that are now dying of digni-
ty if they could have such .sholler' to
wake them out of their slumber p This
Jubilant old negro lived in literal Deepen
dence on God. When gift was made
to him, he received it as if sent to him
by Elijah's ravens. "When I wants
anything, L jes asks de Lord, and he is
sure to send it; sometimes afore Use
done askin', and den sometimes he holds
back, JUS to see if I trust him." One
of the last things remembered of him
was the message he gave to a minister
who called to see him, when he was
''waitin' for de chariot OBJ de Lord. y
'Oh ! massa," said he. '.if you gets home
afore | do, tell 'em to keep de table
standin', for old johnson is holdin' Oh
his way. Use bound to be dere.''
We have given so much of this article
to sketch of this sunny-souled pilgrim
not only because it might be new tt
most our readers, but because such liv
ing example of a ''merry heart is more
impressive than sermon on cheerful
ness. There are three or four ''recipes
for securing this sunshine in the soul.
l. Look at your mercies with boil
eyes; and at your tronbles and trials
with only one
2. Study contentment In these day.
of inordinate greed and self-indulgence
keep down the accursed spirit of grasp
T ing. What they don't haze makes thou
sands wretched.
3. Keep at some work of usefulness
Such men as ''Uncle Vassar" and D. l.
Moody are seldom troubled with tn
blues. Work for Christ brings heart
health.
4 Keep your hearts window Away
open towards heaven. Let the blessed
light Of Jesus countenance shine in.
will turn tears into rainbows-Rev. Z
L. Catyler IN Independent.
RESRVTERTA