The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-12-26
/ Wish / Had Known IL Before.

A beautiful woman lay on bed of sick.
ness in an elegant residence on one of
the finest and most fashionable of Bos.
toms broad avenues. She was surrounded
by every luxury, and attended by kind
friends anxious to anticipate every WISH
and to relieve the monotoDy of her weary,
painful days in every possible manner.
One afternoon she opened her eyes and
said in low, weak voice:
"Read to me, please. o dear, how
wish there was something new in matter
and manner in the literary world l am
so tired of everythingp
Her sister went to the next room for a
book of poems, and while she was gone
the professional nurse, who sat beside
her bed, took from the pocket of her plain
drab wrapper small Bible, opened it,
and began to read in a subdued voice:
"And seeing the multitude he went up
into the mountain and when he was set
his disciples came unto him, and he
opened his mouth and taught them, say
ing"
The sick woman listened attentively
until the nurse paused with the words,
"And the people were astonished at his
doctrine, for he taught as one having au.
thority, and not as the scribes."
"That is beautiful" she said =; "that
will create sensation Who wrote it ?
Where did you get it?"
Why" said the nurse, in astonish.
ment, looking with surprise at her patient,
and thinking at first she was wandering
in her mind, "it's the Bible Christ's
Sermon on the Mount, you know"
"That in the Bible Anything so beau
tiful and so good as that in the Bible ?"
"What did you suppose was in the
Bible, if not something good ?" asked
the nurse, seriously, yet smiling in spite
Of herself, at her patients tone of sur
prise and incredulity.
go, l don't know. l never thought
much about it. L never opened a Bible
in my life. 1t was matter of pride with
my father to never have Bible in the
house. How did this one come here o.
it is yours-your pocket-Bible. 1t is
strange you should have surprised me into
listening to a chapter, and that | should
have been SO charmed, and not know tc
what was listening"
| "You have certainly heard the Bible
read in church p asked the nurse, in sur
prise.
"Not l; | have never been to church.
We have always made Sunday holiday
Papa got into that way in Paris. We
have been to all popular places of amuse
ment, of course, but never to church
| have never thought about the Bible
did not suppose it had literary merit.
had no idea it was written in the simple
beautiful style of the portion you have
Just read. I wish had known it before.
A few hours later her disease took {
fatal turn. The physician came and tolc
her that her time on earth was very short
She would never see another sunrise.
at cannot be possible" she said; q"
never supposed it possible for death t.
come to me. What was the prayer you
read, nurse 'Our Father, which art il
heaven Say it with me, husband" an
he did 30.
81 wish had known it BEFORE" sal
she, over and over, until she fell into
sleep from which she never awoke, an,
that wall of regret was the last word upo
her dying lips.
The nurse said it was the sSddest expe
rience of her career to see that beautiful
gifted young woman, with kind friends,
loving husband and beautiful home
who had all her life taken pride in ignor
ing the Bible and the Christian Sabbath
turn, when death came, from everything
she had priced to the little despised book
and die with the cry upon her lips, So
wish had known it before. Christid
} Observer.