The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-22
many have already gone in topartake Of
that feast through the precious ministry

many have already gone in to partake Of
that feast through the precious ministry
of those days. 49,
Every year the old visitors who re.
manned came and brought new guests;
and this special feast was crowded, all
hungry and expectant. The viands
smoked upon the table, chairs, benches
and standing places, all were full; and so
was Hetty's heart.
GAIL these creatures children Of God ?"
She asked herself; these dirty, .deformcd,
wicked wretches, some Of them young, 0
very young in years, but fearfully old in
small His? All brothers and sisters to
those who live virtuously and fare
sumptuously every day! Mono! it
cannot be! Else the more fortunate
children of the same parent would be
more tender toward the suffering,
cramped and crippled ones.''
"'Feed my lamts!' said He; surely
these are not Of His flock? Yet His
words, If a man have an hundred sheep
and one of them he gone astray, do tn he
not leave the ninety and nine, goeth up
into the mountains and seeketh that
which is gone astray? And if so be that
he find it, verify say unto you he re.
joiceth more of that sheep than Of the
ninety and nine which went not astrev!'
''These be all gone astray who goeth
up into the mountains of their despair,
that rise to the very heavens, to find the
wanderers Alas! not many, in the
body, climb those rugged nights; but we
know not what minlstering angels tLuch
their souls with home sickness, longing
for the safe fold and the dear shepherds
voice, for their angels do Away behold
the face of my Father which is in
Heaven.''
Sand whose shall offend one of these
little ones, it were better for him that
milestone were hanged about his neck and
he were drowned in the depth of the sea p
was whispered in Katie's ear by Con.
science, as she looked upon this company
Of wandering lambs.' There came up
before her vision of that delicate child
who might be Roberts girl and the Re-
buking Hand hung great weight upon
her because she had delayed her search
so long. AS soon as possible she slipped
away to begin it, coming back presently
as pallid as if she had seen her favorite
''ghost of Bloody Mary
Fcasting 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 Hctty's poorhouse 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 ye that hunger now for
ye shall be filled. Blessed be ye that
weep now; for We shall laugh.
''But woe unto you that arc full; for
ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that
laugh now; for ye 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 suffering the
crowd of starving souls before her un.
refreshed by his presence, unconsoled by
His tenderness; and the words poured
from her heart
CAS- showers from the clouds Of Summer
Or tears from the eyelids start"
When she had finished, many upturncd.
wondering faces were wet with tears.
many anxious ones were full of glorious
hope, and few sin.wrinkleG ones were
smsothed into smiles Of pure resolve and
noble joy; and all, I trust, were touched
deep down where no eye Of man could
pierce.
But Robert did not come. As, one by
one, her" children'' gave her ''good-by,''
Sod bless you," and the like grateful
greetings, she scrutinized, with intense,
eager expectation, each face but no re.
membcrcd lineaments were there.
'He will not come - she sighed, when
the last guest had departed.
IF yes PLACE ma'am, I'll take ye to
him!' broke in Kate, unable to find an
easier way of telling her story.
Filled with establishment and incredi-
bility, they allfollowed her down the
drcary street, where the bleak wind shift,
ed to earth it's burden of snow; up the
creaking stairs of the house our little
beggar had mentioned; into the desolate
garnet where he lay, "poor papa, ION a
few wisps ofstraw scattered over the bare
floor. little Hetty's ragged bit of shawl
spread over him, her frail arms clasping
him tendcrly, her fair, golden hair mingled
with his black, matted curls, her babv
face, pure and white as the snow Drifting
in through the paneled window, pressed
to his wrinklcd, emaciated no less
pallid cheek. There we're tears
on that cheek-her tears-frozen
drops more precious in the
sight Of Coz than your diamonds to you,
madame! There lay the pennies Kate
had given-furg away because of no
avail! Dead in that lonely room she