The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-20

no matter how much they seemed to cost. :"
swell. but, said Aunt Kitty, Il don t
exactly understand.
you remember that we are told, the
Word Of the Lord, his judgments, and his
testimonies are the fine gold of his people,
more precious than any thing else. And
silver has been the publication of our
hearts, through the blessed Spirit, from
all deceitfulness Of sin. Just here, Aunt
Kitty, our house has had much difficulty
in progressing said sister Sylvester.
eve have found that God requires truth
in the inward parts, where no eye sees
but his. Then, the precious stones, with
which we have tried to build, have been
virtue. temperance, patience, goodness,
brotherly kindness, and charity. And
the rubbish, the wood, hay, ana stubble,
which have had to be so frequently re-
moved, are pride and selfishness and ego
tism, and doing to be seen>of men. These,
dear Aunt Kitty, we have to watch
against, and pray frequently for grace to
resist. And now we are looking clearly
ahead, and we know, dear Aunt Kitty,
that if our earthly house Of this taberna-
Gle were dissolved, we have building of
Goa, an house not made with hands, eter-
nal in the heavens So, you see. while
suffering little, just now, at the pros
pect of my husband not being able to
preach the Gospel publicly for time, We
are s1re, however mysterious his provi-
dence may look to US, that the Master
makes no mistakes. He is using us as we
are fit to be used, both for our own high
\ ~ T. ~
you see?'
We all felt that the influence of that
morning would never be forgotten. We
knew that Aunt Kitty's soul was wonder
fully stirred; but none of US imagined
with what power sister Sylvester words
had sunk into her heart. For several
years, Aunt Kitty had been subject to
frequent and very alarming attacks ofill-
ness; spasmodic difficulty of the heart,
the physicians had said. That evening,
after the family had retired, we were
aroused by the intelligence that Aunt
Kitty was very i'll, having one Of ler
worst attacks. Long hours of intense
suffering and many paroxysms of pain
followed. Toward morning, however, the
agony was relieved. Pale and exhausted,
Aunt Kitty lay very quietly then. Her
hand was clasping sister Sylvester's She
time :; not word of the usual exclama-
tions of distress had escaped her. But,
just as daylight came, opening her closed
eyes, from which the tears were bathing
her face. and looking at the dear friend
by her bedside, she exclaimed:
My new house! I have Just begun,
with the help Of the Savior, to build it.
BY his grace, / will build it in truth and
righteousness. 0, what an awful pile of
selfishness and pride and folly have I
been rearing up! I have just been look
ing at it, as it was consumed into smoke.
Myllifc! my life! Nothing built for God
nothing accomplished for any one but
self!''
In an hour or two, she FILL asleep, and
awoke, toward noon, strengthened and re-
freshcd. Brother and sister Sylvester
went on their way, his health better, as if
the crisp, clear air OF Winter had reinvig-
Grated him. And the blessing of the Lord
went with them.
Aunt Kitty. in a few days, arose from
that sick-bed, an altered woman. She
had the thought fixed in her heart, that
this lie is capital to be invested Tor eter-
nifty; that using it as God directs, in
serving him, it will yield an incalculable
interest; using it in sin, whether open
wickedness, or in folly and pride, squan-
ders the capital given to be invested
and ruined, life is failure without hope of
retricval.
For SIX years Aunt Kitty laborred car
nestly ''to do what she could. Humbly,
lovingly, trus,fully, she sought to conform
her life and heart to the standard of Gods
Word. How she grew to love it, and how
gladly she helped to send it abroad! How
she came to value the preaching of the
Gospel and the heralds Of the cross! I
can not tell you all her faithful, prayer.
full life accomplished We all felt it, and
many we're led by it to seek, also, to love
and serve The Savior.