Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-01-15
The Patchwork Guilt

uf AN ARMY CuApLAIN.
Ia one Of the boxes sent to Us during
the war by the Sanitary Commission was a
patchwork quilt Of unusual soltnoss aud
lightnes5. How nice how good it feels
so home-like! This will make the poor
fellows laugh, We said Aud it did make
them laugh heartily, and made some Of them
cry, too. When We opened it We found a
note pinned to it. 1t read as follows:
Il have made this Scripture quilt for
one Of the hospital beds, for thought that
while il would be comfort TO the poor
body, it might speak word Of good to the
precious soll-the words are so beautiful
aud blessed, and full Of balm ard healing
May it be blessed TO the dear boys in the
army, among whom have a son"
"Oh, that it may!" l said, and dropped
the first tear upon it. No, not the first,
nor the hundredth tear, eyen for that quilt
had not been made without many tears
Every block had been prayed and wept
over
1t was made Of square blocks Of calico
and white cotton iutormingled, and on
every white block was written a verse from
the Bible, or a coupiet from one Of our best
/ hymns. On the central block, in letters
so large as TO catch the careless eye, was
that Ia;hiul saying" in which is all our
I hope aud strength "Christ Jesus came'iuto
tho world 70 save sinners. Aud below it,
the prayer of al prayers We need to pray;
l I"God be mcrciul TO mo sinner The
head border, which would bo nearest the
sick mans eye, aud oiteaest read. bad the
sweetest texts of promise, and love and COM
| fort. Among them | read, God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotteu
Son, that whosoever bciieveth in him should
not perish. Come unto Ne, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, aud will give
{ you rest" "!Io, every one that thirsteth,
come ye TO the watcrs !" 81 sought the
Lord and be heard me- and delivered me
/ from an my fears" oh we said, wip-
ing our eyes, "that an our beds had such
quilts as this God wiil surely speak
through these texts TO the sick and wound
ed men They will read them when they
would read nothing else. Who knows how
much good they viii do?'
Ii was not long before man sick with
pneumonia was brought in, and we put our
new quilt on his bed. lie noticed nothing
at FIRST, he was too sick but when lac grew
better saw him intent on the texts.
" Handy TO have EN- here o. be said,
pointing 20 them as | stood near him.
" lou know how to value them, then
" do, he answered, with hear'iuess.
" Do You know that verse, A lamp
uuio my feet, aud light unto my path?''
\" Well, that's what the Bible is, and I've
found il out down here"
After that | saw many studying the q1ilt
-almost oil who lay beneath it. One
poor fellow, who had tossed in pain and
loyorishness for several days, caught sight
OF the words, And will give you rest. "
He bockoned to me.
" Rest where eau | get it Rest for
the body and mind both am half mad
sick, as you see, but sick as-ao one eau
see Toll Inc how to get rest?"
"Did you never hear of the way2--ney-
er hear of Jesus?'
"Tel me again, as you would a child,
told him as would child, the story
Of the Gross. "Dicd for my sins?' he ask
ed.
"Yes, yours. lie saw you in your sins,
and piticd you, loved you, died to save you
from sin aud give you rest-to make you
happy"
Il have never been happy-neyer. !
have been too wicked. Aud he really
died for me
"With you in his hoart2'
IL never felt it before. 1t never seem.
ed to me real thing"
IL hope you will come to feel it the most
real thing"
He tossed again: "Ob, for rest !"
"llaye you seen the line
"None but Jesus none but Jesus,
Can do helpless sinners good~
"Its true know, it is none but Jesus
I've tried everything else"
} "Ill 60 to Jesus, though my sins
Have like mountain fosc,'
| repeated
IL can't 20. | feel that | can't do any.
thing. am here a very wretched man
and that is all"
"Just leave yourself to God, then
" Here, Lord, give ms self away,
us all tlul can uO.
" That's all you have to do"
Is that verse here p
showed it to him on the quilt.
"Ill keep it before me- Oh, for rest
little rest.' he groaned again.
Not long, and he found it--lound peace
in believing, aud lelt his hospital-bed hap,
pier than he had ever been before.
An lrishman lay under tho Scripture
quilt One day, when nearly well, be wai
looking at it.
! Is that radin2' he asked, putting hi
finger on text.
7 " Yes"
"Sure, and what does it say ?"
read, ." And God shall wipe away al
tears from their eyes and there shall b,
@ no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying
neither shall there be any more pain"
Ye might rade that be said, pointing
10 another text
80 | love them that love me and thos'
that seek me early shall fad me- 1t il
the Lord who says this" added a0er tn,
a text
"Sure, il IFS good to lonesome paresol
! to hear what you radc."
q SO it is. There is nothing like lh'
, Bible in dark and trying hours"
At last came the boy who had the bes
!, right to the comfort Of our Scripture quill
n the son Of whom the good womaI
! who made it spoke in tho note attached.
i was strange circumstance that he shoul,
have come to lie beneath it, but SO it was,
lie had lain there nearly senseloss TO
more than week, when | saw him kiss thu
Q patchwork. | thought he might bo wan
derine, or, il not, had found text of hop