Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-01-12


Too tight for all expresstn',
Till mother see how matters stood,
An gin 'em both her blessin'.
\ When her red came hack like the tide
Down the Bar Fundy,
! An all / know fs they was cried
! In meetin' come next sunday.
DEACON LEES OPINION,
7 tFat5Ff. z
Il Deacon Lee, who was a kindly,
silent, faithful, gracious man. was one
day waited upon by q restless, ambi-
tious, worldly church member. who
! was laboring to create uneasiness in
the church, and especially to drive
away the preacher.
The deacon came in to meet his vis-
itor, who, after the usual greetings,
began to lament the low state of re-
lligion, and inquire as to the reason
why there had been no revival for
two or three years past.
"Now what do you think il the
cause of things being dull heres. Do
you know n he persisted in asking.
The deacon was not ready to give
his opinion and, after little thought
frankly answered, "No, don't"
DO Won think the church are alive
10 the work before them ?"
!! mo, don't"
Il 9Do You think the minister fully
realizes the solemnity OF his work p
mo. don't"
A twinkle was seen in the eve of
! this troubler in Zion, and takine cour-
1 age he asked
! FDo you think his sermon on Their
Eyes were Holden anything wonder
fully grcat.''
NO. don't"
Making bold, after all this eneour-
jagement in monosyliables. he asked,
| Then don't you think we had better
ftlismiss this man and hire another p
The old Deacon started rs if shot
with an arrow. aud in a tone louder
| than his wont. shouted, s'No, don't" !"
"Why,H cried the amazed visitor.
..you agree with me in all have said.
don't you.'
mo. don't"
You talk so little, sir" replied the
guest. not Il little abashed. "tlat no
one can find out what You do mean."
4 Il talked enough once, !" replied the
old man. raising to his feet. ..for SIX
/ ipruyfrg rnristfrus. rnrrrv Years ago
| L got my heart humbled and my
tongue bridled, and ever since that
I've walked softly before God,
then made vows solemn rs eternity /:
land don't You tempt me to break
thcm.'
The tronbler was startled at the
earnestness of the hitherto silent. i'm
movable man, and asked. "What hap
/ pcncd TO you thirty years ago?"
.Well. sir, Eli tell you. was drawn
into a scheme just like this of yours.
TO uproot one of Gods servants from
the field in which He had planted him.
j In my blindness, fancied it u little
thing TO remove one of the stars
which Jesus holds in His right hand.
ii thereby my ear could be tickled by
more flowery words. and the pews
filed with those turned away from
the simplicity of the gospel. | and
the men that led me--for admit that
L was dupe and tool--fattered
ourselves that we were conscientious.
We thought we We're doing Gods
service when we drove that holy man
from his pulpit and his work, and
said we considered his work ended in
B., where then lived. We eroan-
ed because there was no revival, while
we were eossiping about and CRITICS.
!, ing, and crushing, instead of uphold
ing by our effort and our prayers, the
instrument at whose hand we harshly
demanded the blessings. Well. sir,
|, he could not drag ON the chariot OF
/. salvation with half dozen of us
taunting him for his weakness, while
we hung as dead weight 10 the
wheels !; he had not the power of the
Spirit, and could not convert men so
we hunted him like a deer till, worn
! and bleeding, he fed into covert to
die. Scarcely had he gone, when
God came among Us by his Spirit to
show that he had blessed the labors oi
His dead, rejected servant. Our own
hearts were broken, and our way
, ward children converted, and ] re.
solved at q convenient season to visit
my former pastor and confess my sin
and thank him for his faithfulness to
my wayward sons, which, like long.
{ buried seed, had now sprung up. Blu,
God denied me that relief, that He
might teach me lesson every child
of His ought to learn, that he who
! toueheth one Of His servants touches
, the apple of His eye, heard my
pastor was i'll, and taking my oldesl
son with me, sci out OH a twenty-five
, miles ride TO see him. II was evening
when arrived. and his wife with thi
: spirit which any woman ought to ex
hibit toward one who had so wrong
Ell her husband, denied me admittanet
TO his chamber. She said, and hel
words were arrows To my soul, sHt
may be dying, and the sight of youl
face might add to his anguish 4
Had il come to this, said To my
self, that the man whose labors had
through Christ, brought me into Hi
fold, who had consoled my spirit i'm ;
: terrible bereavement, and who had
3 till designing men had alienated MS
been to me as a brother--that thi
man could not die In peace with IN,
face before him? God pity me 7
: cried, what have done | confessed
] my sins to that meek woman, and i'm
plored her for Chrisi's sake 10 let M
knccl before His dying servant ant
receive his forgiveness. What did
care then whether the peWs by III,
. door We're rented or not! woull
! gladly have taken his whole iamii,
, to my home forever as my own tiesl
and blood, bnt no such happiness wa
z in store for me.
i blessed warrior, whose armor wa
! falling from his limbs. he opened hi
languid eyes and said: Brother Lee
. Brother Lee! Ibent over him ant
: sobbed ont, My pastor my pastor
Then raising his white hand he sal,
in deep, Impressive voice, Toucl
G not mine annointed, and do m,
prophets no HARM spoke tcnderl,
to him and told him had come I,
confess my sin, and bring some of hi
fruit to him, calling my SON to tel
i him how he had found Christ. Blu
!, he was unconscious of all around tn
sight of my face had brought the las
pang of earth to his troubled spirit.
II II kissed his brow. and told hin
how dear he had been to me: craycs
i his pardon for my nnfaithfulncss, am,
promised 10 care for his widow an,
: iathcrless little ones; but his onl,
4 reply, murmnred as ii in trouble,
n dream, was, 'fouch not mine anoint
: ed, and do my prophets no harm
: II stayed by him all night, and a
daybreak closed his eyes, l Offered
: his widow house to live in the re
s mainder of her days but like hero
: inc she said, 4 freely forgive you. Bu
3 my children, who entered deeply int
+ their fathers anguish, shall never Sc
Q me SO regardless of HIS memory as i
il take anything from those who cause'
Q ii. He has left us all with his cove
a nant God, and He will care for us.'
.Well. sir. those diving words souu nd