The Worthington advance., 1880-10-07

emy noticed our longing looks out to-
ward tho free air and the sunshine, he
made no sign Of such knowledge, and he
never shortened or passed lightly over
any part Of the morning service, neither
did he allow any pleasure or business
contingencies to interfere with this early
morning duty.
One summer, as the school year drew
to close, and vacation came on apace,
We began to make our plans, and to bring
forth our Numbering anticlpations for
our coming visit to the country. At last
the school closed, and how glad we felt
that the time for our visit was now close
! at hand but the very next day my brother
| complained Of a headache, and he seem
| ed so splritless and miserable that be-
gan to lose my interest in things about
mt, ,and to feel that lite would be nothing
without my dear brother Joe.
He grew rapidly worse, and in a few
days was wrestling with fever for his
life. What dreadful days those were
when I was banished from the room
where he lay moaning and tossing in his
fever. I kept my watch outside day
| by clay, and at last the welcome news
came t'' m" "The fever has turned; your
brother is betterl" Then at last the hours
OF extreme weakness were past, and they
allowed me to go close to the bedside
and speak to my brother, and to kiss
him. felt that l had never known be-
fore what it was to be happy, those were
such blisstul moments, when he began
to get stronger, and was able to talk wltl;
me about our visit. Ono day when
we were thus talking, he said:
| ..Last night lay awake thinking OF
the good times we had at uncle's. And
I wondered if should ever have them
again: sometimes I really think I shan't.
l don't feel a bit as used to; and I've
waited so long for the old life used to
feel to come back, but it don't come.
Well, wien was thinking the other
night, remembered how we used to
get tired hearing uncle pray, and so sick
of that about sitting down with the old
people, the old patrla1ch's, mean; and
l wondered ii he really thought he'd
like it; then went to sleep,and dreamed
that lett you all and went to heaven.
"Left us ALL cried in agony. 'Oh,
Joel"
But he said soothingly, "You won't
feel badly when tell you how it was"
and he went on:
"Heaven seemed SO different from
what I thought. They weren't sitting
round IN rows at all, and they had the
! most beautiful flowers and trees! Why,
uncle Jeremy's place is just nothing by
the side of heaven! And who do YOU
think dreamed came to meet me9
Why, man that had such wonderful.
face, and smiled on me in snch splen-
did way. l never saw anything like it
before. And would you believe it, he
said his name was Abraham. I was so
astonished. and asked:
"'You don't mean one of the patri-
arcbs2'
"'And why not?' he asked.
II guess turned very red, and I don't
know how l answered Then he led me
away aud introduced me to Isaac and
Jacob, and they were splendid, too, and
they all said
"'We are SO glad to sec you, and are
your friends coming by-and-by?'
II said l knew mother would because
she talked about it ali the time, and l
knew uncle Jeremy would because he
prayed to sit down with Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, prayed every morning that
he m ght.
"'And that is why you wanted to SIT
down with us2'
''Then just had to tell that I had
never thought it would be bit nice, un-
til was taken sick, and mother talked
with me about it, and said I might be
called away from my life on the earth,
and that ought to make friends with
Christ, so that He might, it died, take
me to heaven, and that I didn't want to
be lost; but l had never thought it
would be nice to go to any place where
| should just have to sit down all the
WHILE" Then they said:
"Why, you sec VIC don't do that
"Just then heard the most beautiful
music, ana it sounded something like
Jubilee music, but oh, so much better!
And they didn't sing one thug over and
over, as I thought they did in heaven,
but it changed; and Abraham, and Isaac
and Jacob joined in, and I was wonder
ing how they could all know about this
new music, and / said:
"'How did you learn?'
"And Abraham said:
"'Why, this is heaven; and heaven is
perfection. I knew how to sing some be-
fore, but wanted to sing better, and
now I all satisfed"'
II was about to say l didn't know
that the patriarchs knew or cared for mu-
sic, when I awoke, I lay and thought
it all over; I knew it had only been
dream; but heaven has seemed so differ.
ent since. And if 1t Is like that, really
am in hurry to go; that is, If you and
mamma can go too. And it l live to 90
out to Uncle Jeremy's again, shan't get
tired OF hearing him pray to sit down
with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
but shall want to tell him that I don't
believe they sit down in the stiff way
that he thinks at ALL"
My brother did not get vel, but he had
a relapse, and I saw him grow weaker
and weaker day by day, and my young
heart almost burst with grief as l was
made to realize the possibility that he
never woald again go to uncle Jeremy's.
He had the strangest way of talking
and thinking about the going out of his
life, at least 1 thought so then. He seemed
to be anticipating pleasant journey, so
cheerful and joyful was he; and some
times after he had been speaking about it
he would break out, "Oh, it is all so diff
erent from what supposedly One day
I overheard my mother talking with our
minister about his death, and she SAID,
'He has had strange experience; he
had dream of heaven that has changed
him entirely; he has really seemed to be
in a hurry to 60 ever since.'' And the
minister answered her. "Perhaps after all
his was the reality and ours the dream"
And my mother said not one word at
this, but from that time there was new