The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-02-10

glimmering hope. and half the time that
is hidden by black cloud. But as I
have said, do you know any verse in the
bible written for me.
eyes; this is for you. BLESSED are
they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filed
"Well, have thought deal of that
verse, for am hungering and thirsting
but I amt sure if it be after righteous
ness. want rest
"Then accept this invitation: Come
unto me all we that labor and are heavy
laden, and will give you rest. '"
"Those are precious words, and l tell
'em to Johnny; but l haven't power to
rise and 60. I can't accept EN-. Do
you believe in a hell, Mary?"
mot in literal hell Of fire and brim-
stone, but 1 believe any evil passion
cherished in the heart and brought forth
into life is in itself hell"
"Well, that is the miserable hell I've
been in for many years, and tisnt an
easy thing to step out OF it. Blood sat-
urated with poison can't be purified in a
day. Your grandpa used to cast seed by
the wayside when lived with him, but
I think some of it took root in my mind,
and is springing up now. He used to
give his talk to Eber, and more than
once went out of the house, his words
made me shiver so. Eber is the smartest
boy I ever knew, and one day, when he
came home from the Sunday school, how
his black eyes sparkled as he said:
GRANDPA, I have found q command
In the Bible that is not practically true.
1t says, Take up thy bed and walk.
Now, you can't take yourself up, much
less your bed Grandpa smiled one Of
his heavenly smiles as he snid: You
confound me with my worn-out house,
and tbs not literal bed we are to take
up. The letter of the Bible killeth; tbs
the spirit that maketh alive, and tbs my
spiritual bed that am to walk with. l
am to take all the spiritual truths I
know, and live them; am to eat the Sa-
viour's flesh and drink his blood Now
I am beginning to believe little in the
spirit of the Bible. I've got to, for the
words came straight home to me; but,
then, can't take up my bed and walk.
1 can't go one step forward. 1 am par
alyzed. What shall do?"
"CanI you pray?" Aunt Betsey?"
"Not for myself. can pray for him,
Johnny, and my prayer for him has
power. 1t brings him comfort, doesn'tit,
johnny
"Of course it does, and all the comfort
1 have comes from you" and now he
looked fondly at the little paper parcel
he held in his hand, and then wiped the
glistening tears from his eyes, repeating,
"of course it does" Now, Miss Burberry
gently re-arranged his pillows, bathed
his weary head, then kneeling beside
him, she took one of his small, thin
hands in hers, and sang to him the
Sweet BY and By The lame boy
smiled. Twas smile of patience, and
he said, "God bless you, Miss Burberry,
and make you just like our Savior. OF
course, 1 needn't ask Him to do it, for He
has done it already. You amt like Par
son Dim, Jr. His prayers tire me; they
are made up of words; your prayers have
tears in EN-" Now he smiled again
family as he added, "And they are all
made up OF sugar candy"
Miss Burberry remained kneeling by
his couch her eyes fixed upon the suffer
ing child. There was in the room
sublime silence; loving heart prayer
] assembled the heavenly ladder, which
ended with the tender inquiry:
care you comfortable, Johnny"
"Of course l am, and l feel the
Sweet BY and By very near"
Miss Burberry rose, saying,
81 am thankful to the kind Ruler of
heaven and hell for giving me that help
less child to love. Since Thomas left
me, my heart has been like pentup
volcano; there was no outlet for its rest
less throbbing. But I'm getting tired;
amt we'll, and can't bear much. Come
again. Good-by.'
Mary Pearl walked slowly home,
thinking of this poor, suffering woman.
She had been much interested in grand
pas story of her early life. 1t had
shown her phase of love that her. own
gentle nature would never conceive.
But this personal interview with her had
touched with tender pity her Utmost
heart. And she wendell her way through
the fields musing thus:
'Strange woman! She feels herself in
the wilderness OF sin. and begs for a
morsel of bread from the Divine Word
to satisfy her fainting spirit. How beau
tiful is her kindness to the poor lame
boy! Surely the Lord is with her in her
suffering, and she is using a pound of
the ointment of spikenard, very costly,
and she is amounting the feet of Jesus
and wiping them with her hair, and am
sure the house is filed with the odor OF
the ointment. The Lord says, Who
soever does good unto one Of the least OF
my children, does it unto Me- Be COM
forted, Aunt Betsey."
The American milgets, Commodore