Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1873-11-22
''As a Shock of Corn Cometh III Its
Season."

The annexed extrac, Is beautiful that. by
every one who reads it, il will he preserved.
1t fell from the ips of Rev. DIR. Charles Wads-
worth. Of Philadelphia The text takenby him
was. As shock of corn cometh in IT. season ::
"In His moral tilsge." he said. God cn'-
tivates many forers, seemingly only for their
,xquisite beauty and fragrance. For when
hathed in soft sunshine they have burst int'
nlossom then the Divine Haud gathers them
rom the earthly fields, to be kept in crystal
vases in blessed mansions above. Thus little
children dis-some in the sweet bud. some IN
filler blussou but never too early to make
,raven arer aud sweeter with their immortal
loom.
Verify, to the eye of Faith, no.hiug is fair
r than the death of young children. Sight
aud sense, indeed, recoit fromit. The h"wer
that. like a breathing rose, filled heart aud
home with an exquisite deli Iht, alas we are
stricken with sore anguish to hnd It's stem pro-
ken aud the blossom gone. But unto Faith.
e,sle-eyed beyond mental vision, aud winged
to mount Ike the singing lark over the fading
rainbow unto the blue heaven, even this Is
rouchingy lovely.
The child's earthly ministry was we'll done,
far the rose does It's work as graudly IN bios
som as the vine with its fruit. And having
helped to sauctfy aud Iift heaveuward the very
hearts that broke at its farewell, 1t has gone
from this troublesome sphere ere the winds
chilled or the rains stained 1t. leaving the
world it blessed aud the skies through which
it passed still sweet with its lingering fragrance
to its glory as an ever-uuf'Idiug flower III th,
blessed garden Of Gud. Surely, prolonged HE
ON earth hath no boon like this For sucl
mortal luveiuess 10 put on immortahty-t
rise from the carnal with 81 little memory o
earth that the mothers cradle seemed to have
been rocked in the house of many mansions
Ia have M experience of wearied mind and
rhied affections. but from childs joyous
henri growing up into the power OF AN archan-
gelic ntellect-to be rapturel as a blessed bah'
through the gates Of Paradise-ah this bet
ter than To watch as An old prophet for the ca'
of fire in the Valley Of Jordan.
Surely G,d is wise in all his works, anf
even amid our tears will rejoice in this harvest
feast that among us, as elsewhere, he gather
So largely the Il ,werS in their season"
"Aud as Of flowers. so Of fruits, in their or
/ der aud after their kind each cometh in hi'
season." Some fruits ripen early. ScWcel,
has tie delicious June poured lis full glor,
over ii G earth ere some rare aud delicious spe
cirS arr already ripeuel And some ripen Ia
| ter There are trees that dn not even klrSson
until midsummer. Aud there are fruits thai
ren.ain hard aud uusavory mill God shake
them in the wild auiumral wind and irrat'
/ Them with the 'listre>slu ministry of frost -
/ And - it is ia the spiritua-snul, devrl p anc
mature differently. Some. are ready fr gath
riins at life'- early summer; some come n"t l.
the caring till the time of the latter rain. Auo
God watches carefully that each shall ''.com'
~, M, ,.4,son." We Indeed sumriiues talk /"
3D. nnriuely deaths ",..l young Christians re-
.,,.vrd tao early from sphere of usefulness, ~
rtl,c umnicient huslna1mau did not know
.,len hm immortal graz es atc purple and hl'
nn in the ear. Surrh Gnd doe, the wh"l'
biz v,ely, gathering each -pirrual gr"wll
u,i as i: rumcs into condition for its immortal
u~es.
%. thought beautiful and comforti' Z =
Death i, not destruction, but harvestlng-th,
Gathering from fields Of mnrlal tilage ripe
ruits in their season. And why, then, should
,nr harvest feast be sad over garuerel immur-
raity? Why should this Sweeily tulling bell
hliug the troubled earthly airs with sertlr
sound, 50 siarre and appA the truStlul spirit
God strengthen your faith 50 to behold llii-
mysterious. thing, ,in alight from heaven. that
lts dark veil shall seem transparent, aud face
with soft eye, look forth loving aud bright a'
an angel - .-..-
Death is not destruction Death is not
even decay Death is harvesting! Hear ye
parents from whose household sweet children
have brrn rudrly parted, hear We this "Ibe
LrLuved has gone down into Hs garden t"
gather lilies :" We Children who have lost re-
yrred parents aud whuse iife is chilled in lie
shadow Of that dread thiug-orpbansge-hear
We this: "As a shock Of corn comeIb 10 biz
season, 80 are natured souls gathered to the
garner # Cod"
"A Hou,ekeeper' writes To- us. asking " How
To- dress a lobster" We don't know. We
nrver dressed lobster. II the lpbster is about
II years old, maybe it would look well in .
- b, r. Ift,.