Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-05-03
THE HERALD.
CONTINUED from LIST page.1

uC0NAbE oa4 1AAtS " NtsA
The high, bare, and thunder-smitten
pinnacles tottered upon their old
foundations, snd the deep-rooted
mountain rocked as it surged and
plunged by on its mad way. Once
more, and sheeted fire, quivering and
glancing flame, with its bright and
terrible glory, flashed in awful sub
Unity around him. But God was in
neither the whirlwind nor the earth
quake, nor in the red lightning's
glare. When there was hush,
there arose still, small voice on the
prophets cal, and be wrapped his face
in his mantle and stood TO listen.
IL is this "stilI, small voice." speak
ingin sweet and gentle tones, that can
win and conquer, when the rending
whirlwind, and heaving earthquake.
and the sheeted fame would fail.
When these awful manifestations OF
divine power passed before the
prophet, and the grey old rocks
were shivered around him, and the
bee,ling crags went crashing and
laundering down, and the red light
nipgs flashed and blazed upon gran
tie peaks and through the dark
defiles. he armed his soul to brave
the terribleness of the display. and
there came up in his soul no answer
save that of stern defiance. But
when the tones of the still small
voice fell on his ear, he humbled
himself like little child and hid his
face in his mantle. He knew that
God was in that voice. 1t was the
voice of love, speaking in softest
tone. which is always sure to awak-
en- an answering tone in the human
heart.
When Major Goodell took charge
of the State Prison at Auburn, n. =,
be found there a most hardened and
desperate convict. This man was
pointed out to him as the worst ever
seen. and he was told that if be
would control him at all he must
have him logged every day. But
the Major did not believe that to tiog
a man WAS to make the best use 'of
him. or that blows were the best dis
cipline TO which he could be subject
ed. One day he met this terrible
convict in the prison yard, and call
ing him by name entered into con-
yersation with him. He did not
attempt to review the memories OF
evil days, of downward steps
and of crimes committed but to un-
lock the sources of tender feeling in,
that hard heart, and to feed the soul
hungering these many years for
sympathy and q warm touch OF pity.
Had he wife AMI children? was al
most the FIRST question asked. Was
he treated well ? and was he made
comfortable ? were other questions,
kindly asked. The hard lines in
that scowling and terrifying face
hogan to soften, and a new look
came into the eye, and the muscles
at the corners of the mouth began to
work, and there was just The least bit
of culver about the chin. A trans
forming change was already going
on. and the old life was packing up
and getting ready to move out. 81
have been told" said the Major, that
vtu are q hardened wretch, incar-
nate brutality, with q heart go thick
10 encrusted with sin and crime that
nothing can break through it; and
that il would control you at all
and keep you obedient, | must bea'
you every day. But | don't believe
il. am going to be your friend
and you must be mine" This was
too much for the poor fellow
broke him utterly down. He wep'
and sobbed like child. "For TWEEN
to wears" said be, Il have beer
treated as though were very dev
il. but you recognize and treat me al
mani" From that day forward
until the expiration of his term, hi
was one of the most orderly AID sub
missive convicts in prison.
Only in this way can we get
hold upon any of the perishing class
"a SO called, and reach their hearts
and turn them about in their down
ward ways. Even the tarthest"awaJ
wanderers may be won to repoHtanc
and a new life, when 1--we goes on
after them with its pity and forgive
ness. There is not one SO vile as t.
be 3eyond the hope of redemption
nor a heart so crime-hardened as no
~ respond to the touch of kindness
fountain is unlocked that perhap
had long been sealed, and even To
stonv cell becomes the house of Go
and the gate of heaven.
In the light of these Illustration
we NAV see how powerful is Cd
Fellowship as an agent of reform
or as a redeeming force. At its Ger
ter as | have said, is the fraterns
suirit. the highest and divinest Lax
of the universe, finding its best ez
nression in humble offices of mercy
and in the touch of pity that passe
with electric swiftness to the hear
To be an Odd Fellow, therefore, il
the truest and best sense, is to b
Find and lenient and torgiving t
.hose who have erred and lost thei
way: to visit the prisoner in his con
6nement and cheer the desolatio
of his lot; to carry redemption to tn
guilty and depraved, and give bop
Ola bettcr tomorrow to those who's
to-day is dark and dreary. On
Order holds as most prominent an
sserod 10 its creed, that man, what
ever the sum of his errors, or how
ever darkly he may have sinned,
our brother. Polluted and vile b
NAV be, and yet he has a soul lik
our own, and this soul we are to see
to lift up into the warm, glad sun
light OF q new day.
We are taught, also, that there
no such thing as high work 9
low work. All useful work
good work, and helps to grea
en- the man who engages
IL. Odd Fellowship has no recogn
ton or place for sn aristocrat, an
never will have. With it, the mea
nre of service is the measure
Onlxy ha who danias sp