The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-12-19

sheds, from the bitter cold of that win
ter's day they fiocked in, crowding the
room, the passages, the doorstep and
the pavement, clamoring for bread.
Such hideous, hungry faces, such
bieared eyes, prematurely wrinkied
cheeks, sin-distorted mouths, and brutal.
vicious chins; such dirty, naked
breasts, Scared here and there in the
last street fight such scrawnv hands
and pinched, dilapidated figures; such
pitiful, timid, anxious faces here and
there ; such wicked, blasphemous ones
such vacant, idiotic ones such apollo
gies for and burlesques OF humanity /
never saw congregated anywhere, ex-
cept at Aunt Hetty's Christmas feasts 4;
and, thank God, that | do see them
there For not only were they gath
cred to a feast of the fat things of
earth, but. after the clamorous body
was satisfied, she always had some
sweet and soothing hymn or ballad
sung and after, when their minds and
hearts were somewhat diverted from
their wretched selves, she had some
quiet talk about the Man OF Sorrows,
who had nowhere to lay His blessed
head, who all His life dwelt among the
poor and lowly, and knew their every
want; and she tried to make them feel
that her Christmas feast was but dry
crust compared with the banquet OF
love he had Ill preparation for them. if
they would bat come to it. And we
have great reason to hope that many
have already gone in to partake Of that
feast through the precious ministry OF
those days.
! Every year the old visitors who re-
mained came and brought new guests :;
and this special feast was crowded.
all hungry and ezpectant. The yiands
smoked upon the table, chairs, benches
and standing places, all was full and
sowas Hetty's heart.
"All these creatures children of
t God?' she asked herself " these dirty,
deformed, wicked wrctches, some of
them young, Overy young, in years, but
fearfully old in sin--aIl His? All
/ brothers and sisters to those who live
virtuously and fare sumytuously every
day? No-no It cannot be, Else
the more fortunate children of the
same parent would be more tender to-
ward the suffering, cramped and Grip
pied ones.
So Feed my lam lis = said He surcl
/ these are not of His flock? Yet His
words, If man have an hundred sheep
and one of them be gone astrny, doth he
not leave the ninety and nine, gocth
into the mountains and seeketh that
which has gone astray: And if so be
that he find it, verify / say unto You he
rcjoiceth more of that sheep than of
the ninety and nine which went not
astray"
/ These be all gone astray; vino 60
sth up into the mountains OF their de-
spair, that rise 10 tac very heavens, to
find the wanderers Alas not many
in the body climb those rugged
heights; but We know not what minis
terinG angels touch their souls with
inconsistencies. longipGs for the safe
fold and the dear shepherds voice, for
their angels do always behold the
face Of my Father which is i'll Heav-
en-.
"Aud whose shall offend one of these
little ones, it were better for him that a
milestone We're hanged about his neck,
and he were su k in the depths OF the
sea ~ was whispered III old katie's ear
by Conscience, as looked upon this
company OF wandering lambs" There
came up before her vision of that deli
cate child who aaigH be Roberts girl
and the Rebulling Hand hung 4 great
weight upon her because she had de-
layed her search so long. AS soon as
possible she slipped away to begin it.
coming back presently as pale as if she
had seen her fayorite ghost iv Bloody
Mary"
Feasting finished, Aunt Hetty's chill
dren were listening to her accustomed
words and, clustered about her were
all the Dudley aunts, uncles, cousins
who "had come round to Hetty's poor
house to see how she managed the
thing. When Kate entered Aunt Hetty
was standing meekly at the foot of the
table reading to them Christ's beautiful
words
blessed be ye poor, for yours is the
kingdom of God
Blessed be We that hunger now, for
We shall be filled. Blessed be We that
weep now, for ye shall laugh.
"But woe unto you that are full, for
We shall hunger Woe unto you that
laugh now, for We shall mourn and
weep"
Then Aunt Hetty forgot self, time,
place, everything but this wonderful
love OF Christ for His suffering poor,
His mercy and continued long suffer-
ing; the crowd Of starving souls before
her unrefreshed by HIS presence, un-
consoled by his tenderness and the
words poured from her heart
A showers from the clouds of Summer
Or tears from the eyelids start