Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-01-26
THE DEATH OF CHILDREN.


There are few unbroken families.
There may be years through which the
circle remains whole, but sooner or later
there is a vacant place.
There is no nock, however watched and
tended,
But one dead lamb is there!
There is no fires de, howsoer defended, 4
But has one vacant chair
We press our child en- to our bosom to-
day. and love builds up in our hearts a
thousand brilliant hopes for them; then,
tomorrow, death comes, and they lie
silent and still amid the flowers. Or we
watch over them. and see them grow
up into nohleness and beauty. when,
Just as our dreams and hopes seem about
to be realized. the fatal touch is upon
them, and they are taken away.
One comfort in the time of such be-
reavement is that it is God will. Long
ago This was the rock on which godly
father leaned when death ha come
suddenly and taken ALL "'Fke Lord
e lve.. and the Lord hath taken away"
When we know that God truly is our
Father, and that His love 8 eternal and
unch ngeable, this con dence should
We us greIt peace even in the sorest
bereavement
Another o. the great com 'orts when
child is taken away IS the truth OF the
immO tai life. In the autumn days the
b rdS leave our chi northern lime and
we hear their songs no more; but the
birds are not dead. In the war er
C ime of the far South they live. and
amid lovely towers. and fragrant toll
age. and luscious ruits, they continue
to sing as 10 ously as they sang with us
In the happ est su m err DAYS. So our
child en- leave us, and we miss their
sweet aces and prattling vol es; but
they have only gone to the summe Land
Heaven. There, in the midst the
cory OF the Lord. they dwell, shedding
their tender era, e on o he hearts. We
all believe this, but u ost of us bel eve it
in such way as 10 get but little COM
fort from it. The bring ng into on"
hearts o the truth o INN Ortality, in all
its richness and ILLNESS of mean NC,
won d take away all bitterness rom our
sorrow when on lit ones ieave us.
- In that great cloister's stiffness and seclu
By guardian anvels lei.
Safe from tenn tation, safe from sims pollu
ton,
She lives, whom we call dead.
Day after day we think what she is doing
In those b 'ght aim. air;
Year after " ar her tender steps pursuing,
Beh Id her grown more fair"
{ ne of the chief Clements of the sor-
row when children de is the sore dis
appointment. (areers of great use
tulness have been marked ont Tor
them in the fields of hope md without
ev enter nc upon them they are gone.
They seem to have livei in vain. to
have d ed without accomplishing any
work in this world So it appears unit
we t ink more deeply of it and then we
see that they have not been i'm this world
in vain though their stay was so brie.
They have not done what we had
Planned Tor them to do, but they have
accomplished the part in Gods great
plan which He had marked OF for
Them
ere is little babe; it lies now in
the coffin with face beauti ul as an
angels smile. 1t lived but few da s
or weeks. 1t merely opened its eyes
upon the earth, and then, as ii too pure
Tor this world o. sin, osed them again
and went back to God. Did you saw
tEat it lived in vain; that it per or ed
no work? Do you know how many
blessings it brought down from Heaven
to that home, when it came like mes
senger rom the fragrant garden of
God, shook its robes, and then fed
away again? 1t only crept into the
mOther's bosom for a brie season. and
was gone; but her heart will be- warmer
ever afterward her Ii cher and deep
er. her spirit gentler and sweeter. No
one can tell VIII t holy work babe per-
forms that stays only an hour in this
word. 1t does not live in van. 1t
leaves touches of beauty on other souls
which shall ne er fade out. 1t may
accomplish more in one short hour.
leave greater blessings beh nd. than do
others who live long full ears. Ger
/ tain IL is hat no true parent i ever Just
tie same in character a Ter clasping his
own lid in his arms. To have felt the
warmth and thrill OF a new love. en-
| for few moments. though the object
loved be withdrawn, leaves a perma-
nent res lit in the life.
God takes away your. children. and
in faith you surrender them to Hin to
| SEE them no more in this world: but
| YOU cannot give back all that they have
! brought to YOU. In your he Art new
spr ngs of love were opened by their
coming: and YOU cannot give these
back. Death cannot take out of your
life tie new experiences which you had
in pressing them to your heart. or in
loving them and caring Tor them
through the sunny weeks. You are
better. stronger. Richer in your nature.
n ore a man or woman, be-
ctuse you have held in your arms and
have rtured your own cn.l Id. These
new utrea Kings of your ii e can new
err be taken from You. Like new
brane hes of a tree, thew WI re uain
eve after part OF yourSel. hough
the loved ones are removed. the resu IS
o heir coming to you and stay1 g with
you, the in uences, the impress ons
made, lhe new growths in your Ii e.
w II never depa t. The are YOUR
! ornament possessions for.ver. Tenny-
son puts this truth in happy phrase: &
God 2 YES IA love: som sihing to low,
| He IN u US: but wheL owe grown
To pen So tn z on wni b { throye
/ Falls OF ani love s left al ne .
Then while the n"uen nes o a child
!Tfe remain IFS death also ngs new