Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-11-13

Talking Of "sects" till late ono eve,
or the various doctrines the saints believe
That night stood in q troubled dream
BY the side Of dsrkly flowing stream,
And "Churchman' down 10 tho river came,
When heard a strange voice call his name
Good Father stopl when you cross this tide
You must leave your robes on the other sido.r
But the aged Father did not mind,
And his long gown noatcd out behind,
As down TO the stream his way he took,
His pale hands oiasping gilt-edged book
'pm bound for Heaven and whom I'm thoro
shall want my hook Of Common Prayer
And though put on a starry CROWN
should feel quite lost without my gown"
Then he hxed his eyes on the shining truck
But his gown was heavy and held him back
And the poor old Father tried In vain,
A single stop in the food to gain.
/ saw him again on the other side,
But his silk gown noated on the tide
And no one asked In that bllssful spot
Whether he belonged to tho Church or not.
Then down TO the rivera Quaker strayed,
HIS dress Of sombre hue was made.
"My coat and hat must be all Of grey
cannot go any other way"
Then he buitoned his coat straight up 10 his chin
And straighty and solemnly no waded In.
And his broad-brimmed hat he pull'd down tight
Over his forehead SO pale aud white;
But a strong wind carried away his hat
moment he silently sighed over that;
And then, as he gazed on tho further shore,
The coat slipped off aud was seen no more,
As he entered Heaven his suit of grey
Went quietly sailing, away, away,
And mono Of the angels questioned him
About the width ofhis beavers brm.
Next came DR.. Watts with bundle of Psalms
Tied nicely up in his a ged arms,
And hymns as many, very wise thing,
That the people in Heaven all around might sing
But thought that no heaved an anxious sigh
AS he saw that the river ran broad and high,
And looked rather surprised that one by one
The Pa. and the Hymns in the tide went down.
And AFTER him, with his manuscripts,
Game Wesley, the pattern of godlinessi
But he cried, "Dear me, what shall do,
The water has soaked them through and through
And there on the river far and wide,
Away they went down the swollen tide,
Aud the saint astonished passed through alone
Without his manuscripts up to the throne.
Then gravely walking. two saints by name
Down TO the stream together came,
But as they stopped at the rivers brink
saw one saint from the other shrink.
"Sprinkled or plunged, may ask you, fIieDf,
How you attained to life's great endl"
"Thus, with n few drops on my brow"
"But Zee been dipped, as you sec me now,
And really think it will hardly do,
As Pm close communion, to cross with you.
You're bound, know, to realms Of bliss,
But you must 20 that way and I'll go this. d"
Then straghtway plunging with all his might
Away to the left, his friend to the right
Apart thoy won't, from this world of sin,
But at last together they entered in.
Now when the river was rolling on,
A Presbyterian Church went down,
OF women there seemed an nnumerable throng.
But the men 1 could count as they passed along;
And concerning the road they could never agree,
The old or the new way which 1t could be,
Nor ever a moment paused to think
That both would lead to the rivers brink,
And a sound Of murmuring, long and loud
Came ever up from the moving crowd,
"You're in the old way, and I'm in the new,
That is the false, and this Is the true"
Or, 'Im in the old way, and you're in tho new;
That is the false, and this is tho true"
But the brethren only seemed to speak
Modest the sisters walked, and meek
And if ever one of them chan ced to say
What troubles she met with on the way,
How she longed to pass to the other side,
Nor feared TO cross to the other side,
A voice arose from the brethren then
LET no one speak but the holy men
Have you not heard the words Of Paul
Oh! let the women keep silence all"
watched them in my curious dream
fill they stood by the borders of the ssre0to,
Then just as thought the two ways met
But all the brethren were talking yet,
And poUd talk on till the heavlhs tide
Carried them over side by side.
Side by side, for the way was one,
The tosome journey of life was DONE
And all who in Christ the Saviour died
Came out alike on the other side.