The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1875-08-19
head wa
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est N bed works Without
whid 81 nothing
Ehen fe, atlf oldng her hands
she prayed Cod would pardon
Ter dear and give fien al
love and eli onefor anobhe and
hispeaee passeth al under
out ram Mcet voice
s'flasle lliee sfe 70 Il.
ii, \ cis
Heaven,s etesHtI ddy's before thee,
Gods own hand shall guide thee there,
Mabel was now silently crying,
and big tears swore binding my eyes,
when a grand old man rose from his
seat. Bent Ind feeble now, / could
scethat he had once been tall and
and stately looking as the Puritan
fathers must have looked whan they
first stepped upon "thc storm and
rockbound coast" at Plymouth. Fine,
clean cut features, and eyes still blue
and piercing remained, but his voice
trembled painfully as he said:
Il am ni9ety-four years old, and
most of those Hove have gone to the
graveyard before; 1 have lived all
these years in Beth'lem, and, boy
and man, have tried to serve the
Lord; and l owl my blessed hope in
my Saviour to the tcachin' and cx-
ample of my god and pious mother"
Then, with, Iged, trembling hands
uplifted, he prayed that all the
children prcscit might be brought
up in the nurture and admonition Of
the Lord. Aftir a moments pause
he added, that i it were Gods will,
he should be gAd to leave this sor-
rowful life with the dying leaves
outside and laitcn to mecthis moth
or and his s4yiour in Heaven
"Would God grint it for jesus sake;
amen.'
With the famanp the singers
voice purcr, mqc upliftcd, seemed to
bear thatwcarhd soulaway on wings
Of harmonx, IS Eha glorious Eordsfsa
from her almost inspircf1ips:
"Jerusalem! ,tis theeI greet!
Throw wide thy gracious gate,
Free entrancct6 these longing felt,
At last releaSed, though late,
From wrctcheaness and SHINING,
And lifc's long weary way:
And now GodSgreat gift winning
Etcrnity's bright day."
] almost expected the ceiling of the
church to float away, and heavens
angels to come down. Hooked again
at Mabel. Every vcstigeof color had
left her checks and she sat motion
less, like one in trance.
Near us WIS II handsome, well
dressed man, past middle age, who
had listened with absorbed attention
to all that had been caid and who
now seemed strangely agitated. In q
moment he arose, and then he spoke:
81 presume that no one here re-
members a poor boy who nearly fifty
years ago left this place to seek his
fortune. Fathcrless, mothcrlcss, with
no claim upon any one here, ! wan
dered away with heavy heart to
earn my bread, Many a time have l
been exhausted, discouraged, almost
hopeless, but my mother had taught
me to pray-her dying gift to mo
was her own Bible. 1t has gone
around the world with me, and God
has never forsaken me. have long
been a rich man, and I have come
once more to these grand hills-my
childhood's home to testify my graf
itude to my Maker for all His good
ness in some substantial way. !
never intended to speak as l am now
doing; but after what l have heard
and witnessed, should be most un,
grateful if l did not give my tcstimo,
ny and believe in the abounding love
and mercy of God. Oh, friends! take
me back! Let me be one with you in
this most sweet, touching service, and
when | leave you pray that may
never be ungratcful for the earthly
blessings he has heapcd upon me,
and for the far more priceless gift Of
His Son, Jesus Christ"
Every one had listened to the
stranger in deep silence. Every
heart had thrilled responsive to his