Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-12-06
Beautiful Thoughts.

A story is told of woman WHO freely
used her tongue to the scandal OF others
and made her confessions to the parish
priest of what she had done He gave
her ripe thistle top, and told her to 90
out in various directions, and scatter the
seeds, one by one. Wondering at the
strange penance, she obeyed and then
returned and told her confessor. To her
amazement he babe her 60 back and gath
er the scattered seeds; and when she
objected on the ground that it was impos
sible, he replied. that it would be still
more impossible to gather up and destroy
all the evil reports that she had circulated
about Others. Any careless, thoughtless
child can scatter handful OF thistle blows
to the wind but the wisest and strongest
cannot gather them again,
We never wake in the morning but we
want strength for the day; we never 60
to bed at night without wanting grace to
cover the sins of the past. We are needy
at all periods of life; when we begin with
Christ in our journey days we need to be
kept from sins and folics. In middle life
our needs are greater, and in old age we
are needy still. So needy are we that in
lying down Hto die we need our last bed
to be made for US in mercy. 50 needy
are we that if Jesus had not prepared a
mansion for us in Heaven we should have
no place to dwell in. We are full of
wants, us the sea is full of water. We
must keep those two adjectives close
together in our confession "a am poor and
needy"
There is q wonderful clock in the great
cathedral at Strasburg, which attracts
thousands of visitors. 1t tells the hours,
seconds, months and seasons Of the year.
at u o'clock q cock crows twice, and
twelve apostles walk around figure of
the Lord. But there is more wonderful
clock tnan this, which you may see at any
time. 1t was Gods will that man should
be able TO measure and reckon time, that
he might learn its vane and regulate its
employment. For this purpose he has
placed in the heavens most magnificent
and perfect clock, which tells the hours,
DAYS, weeks, months, seasons and years:
clock which no one winds up, goes con-
stantly and never goes wrong.
He who knows nothing of pillow pray.
ers. is ignorant of one Of the sweetest
modes of PRAYER open to men on earth.
The day with its cares being gone, it is a
good .time for candid, sincere thoughts Of
ourselves, our sins, our wants, our hopes;
and the turning of them up heavenward
Many a timid boy at boarding school has
kept alive his priced communion with his
father on high, and saved his soul by
pillow prayers. Boys try them. Girls
don't neglect them. 1nvalids with eyes
held open in the weary night season, dis
trust not pillow prayers.
Almost every person wants to be doing
some "grcat thing something that heroes
and heroines have done; but little thing,
common, every day thing, such agthing
rs must be done out of everybody's sighs
in daily home duties, or ia school, or in
business, that seems poor kind Of work
TO do for the Lord Naaman, s servants
saw in their masters face this very feeling
when he refused to 90 and wash in the
river Jordan. 1t took some time TO bring
him to reason, and make him see that the
little thing he was bid TO do was the best
and the greatest in the end.
Our highest thoughts 10 net reach what
will be the level of our happiness hereaf-
ter. At first our everlasting life will be
like summers day, so calm and beautiful
anu lOuH. buG IL Nli PtoNS " N't th''V
will last on and on and on. And when
no night comes, and when we do not get
weary, and all things keep Frightening
about us, as the eyes of our understanding
open-then, little by little, wo should
begin in awe and wonder, to feel what it
is to bo immortal.
In one of the coal mines of England
there is the constant formation sf new
rock from the dripping of water. The
water is full of lime, which it deposits as
it falls. When work is going on, and dust
aying, the lime is colored gray. Day and
night arc thus marked with layers..of white
and gray. On Sabbath there is marked a
broad, white stratum, which the miners
call Sunday stone"
Who can tell but to angel eyes there
are white marks in our hearts and charac-
ters formed by every one of our sweet,
peaceful Sabbaths of holy restp BE con-
tent TO have quiet Sabbaths. The still
hours are needed that the foul dust of
earth may settle, and, in the same, be
formed n white mark.
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