The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-03

The Reverend Mr. Dean looked
strangely White and oppressed a. be
sat down on'ntho platform Of the
Blank Street Chapel to face his
church. assembled for the prcpara-
tory lecture Of the Friday before
Communion Sunday.
Generally. he was ;f mHn or bright,
coniiding ;spece ir the, psime of
early life, manly thought hi, Epurless.
and full Of that enthusiasm and
energy that carries an audience with
it 10y the rtrong force OF sympathy
and admiration. But tonight his
fresh color had given place to pallor,
his eyes were east down, his lips wee
se;. and as ne took his place in the
tall chair before the table that held
his Bible and Il glass of water, he
leaned his head upon his hands and
never looked mp until hr rose 10 open
the service with prayer. His prayer
was strange not for It's bryvity. for
he never made tong prayers, any more
than his Mast-r--b,t- the whole con
grcgation foi-a great awe steal upon
them as he uttered these words iii a
voice pathetic and solemn beyond eX
preston:
Dear Lord and Master Thou who
didst turn ana look afOh Peter with
divine tenderness thA * reprOach to
sinners, turn now and look upon u-.
some * 40 ilurv a ..t..i rA"., ~-r->~
of lis have betrayed Thee O GOd,
be merciful to us sinners. LOok
upon Us with pity: let none OF Us go
ont and hang ourselves because We
are traitors IS Thee and have cruel
fed Thee afresh Amen
A sort of shudipr passed over the
minister Is he took ,n3 The hy>nGbook
before HIM and gave out slowly AMI
sndly the old hy1nn beginning:
Iva, on that night taat d@,dlul night
When ali the powers of hep @ose
AGHii-l the Sou oF God IN mi .h',
And iiur's' srti'r!ci Arn oils k..
The choir leader was not there, So
Deacon Potter arose and led the sing
ing to the waIiiig tune Of Windham.
dreary in its ehrill cadence a. the
north east storm bowling outside the
chapel; the result was rather despair
than praise and Mr. Dean, instead Of
following 1t hy another prayer and
hymn a. WAS customary, sat pale,
silent. motionIess for few moments,
with both hand tightly clasped as if
ncrving himseI II to ~ effort; then h"
rose and with trembling lips and
voice said: My dear friends, / am
gong to tell you a dream ! had last
night. instead Of preaching to you; if
can tell it rs it came to me, it will
bc far more useful than any sermon
nave ever preached OF cSuld ever
hope to preach. for it has never left
me since | awoke, but has impressed,
thrilled, terrified me, all through the
day; and cannot but feel that the
thing is of the Lord; that must say
with Job:
For cod speakcth once Yea twice.
But man Iercicycth il not
In n dream. In a vision of tllc ni2ht,
When deep sle-p falieth upon men
in Slumberinps upon the bd,
Then lie openeth he ears of men,
And eiiath their DESTRUCTION
That He may Withdraw man from his purpose,
And hide pride from him.
II had been all day trying to write
something TO awaken you to n sense
OF the du!lness and deafness towards
spiritual things prevailing among us;
l begahInorestlfanUu Uucs what. l hoped
would be fervcnt and touching APP
peal 10 you in behalf OF the thought
less and prayerless members OF our
congregation. ! was filled with anX-
ious desire for the conversion of those
who regularly gather into our .Snn-
day services but 20 away fronii the
table of the Lord ;.nd are not called
by His name 1t seemed to mo a
heavy burden, the souls Of those who
are so close To the Kingdom in out
ward things but are not1ss cllildfen.
But could not write; my'woFis were
weak and my ideas feeble when |
came to embody them; my heart
achad with helplessncs5 and my faith
failed could only pray long and
nightly that it wbuld please God
to show mo the right way to touch and
move these dear friends and kindred,
so that they might desire 10 be His
even as W. think We are. Then /
tried to write again, but with the
same failure, and worn out with the
endeavor and anxiety ] lay down in
the late evening upon my sofa and
while | unused. fell sound asleep
But did not seem to myself to sleep.
l thought presence rather than Il
shape entered the. .aoor, came to me.
touched me. and said '1tise' and follow
Me- seemed to know the voice
and instinctively to obey it, for |
arose and~in one rmomert, after the
manner Of dreams,' found myself IN
our own church standing behind the
table whereon the Supper was spread
out