The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1883-12-27
THE HUUsE-TOP SAINT.
!. @F NM
nv NFpa n n, fyn 4

liberty like dog grabs bone-no thanks to
aobodyr f''"
Thus the sable, queenly sibyl McIvor ended
long boast Of her prosperity since she had
become her own mistress, to youcg. teacher
from the North, AZ she WAS arranging his snowy
linen III his trunk.
81 am truly glad to hear Of all this comfort
Ind plenty Hbyli bat I hope yotr treasures
are not all laid up on earth. ! hope you are a
Christian" asked the young stranger.
Sibyl put up her great hands, and straight
ened and elevated the herns of her gay tur-
tan; and then planting them Oh her capa-
cioiis hips, she looked the beardless youth in
the eye and exclaimed; with . sarcastic smile.
'Yoh hdpe rln b Chtlsti&n, do y5u! Why,
sonny. was spectacle sort OF Christian
afore your nanny was born, reckons! Blu:
for desc last twenty five years Use done been
mighty powerful one--one O. de kind DAT
makes Satin shake In his h0ofs~l Is one Of the
b, hse-t6p saints. sonny"
'House-tup saints? What kind OF saints are
those?" asked the Northern.
tia, Tia; hap laughed sibyli" II thought
likes not you never heerd tell on 'em up your
way, Dey's mighty scarce any whar; but 90
Lor's got one on 'em, to any RATE. IN dis
place and Oh dis plantationP' replied sibyl, tri-
umpbantls.
''Yes, sonny, dat 10 tiep' ..4,-..
.sfhen tell iine What YOU mean by being
hopse-tpp saints"
stories q nv Fathers house on earth, from de
cellar up; and now rs fairly on de ruh-yes.
on de very ridge pole; and dare sits and sings
and shouts and sees heaven--like you never see
it trough de clouds down we're"
"How did you get there, aunte?"
Chow does you get from the cellar to de par
lor, and from the parlor to the chamber. and
from the chamber to the ruff? Why, de builder
has put stars thar, and you sees ,em and puts
your feet on 'em and mounts, ha?"
"But there are the same stairs in our Faith
els house for all His children, as for you; yet
you cay house-top saints are very ecarce!"
.Sariin, sonny. Stairs don't get people
up, less dey mounts 'em. If dare was null
ion o. s,a's lea1in mp to glory, it wOuldn't help
dem dat sits down at de bottom and bowls and
mourns bout how helpless dey is! Brudder
Adam dare OATS blackn of your boots, he's
de husban' O. my bussum, and yet he's nothin'
but only "a poor, down cellar 'scipe slttln'
in de dark, whinin' and !amenln' cause he
amt up stairs! says to him, says l, Brudder
rs aIlus called him Brudder since he was
| born into de kingdom-why don't you come up
into de light?"
ooh. saws he, 'Slbby, rs too unworthy;
| doesn't deserve dc light dat God has made FOR
.Phoo. saws t, Brudder Adam Don't you
| member, SAYS /, when our Massa done mar
| ried de gov'ness AFTER ole missus death? Miss
Alice she WIS as poor as uDfeathered chicken !;
but did she go down cellar and sit 'mong de
polk barr'ls and de trash cause she was poor
and wasn't worthy Ss T.. to- to Iii live 10 1 dp
head O dc table, and war all de lacery and jew
elry massa glib her, and hold up her head high,
| like she was sayin', rs no more poor gov ness,
teaching Colin McIvor's chin; but rs de
Coins b'loved wife, and l stans for the moth
of his chin. as she had right to say! And
1 II, hi n for M hal
| fool and settin' down cellar 'monS de po'k
barr'ls!'
| ssDere sonny dat's de way talk to Bruddel
| Adam! But so fur it haint fetched him up
| De poor deluded creetur' thinks he's humble
| when he's only low-minded aud grovelin' like
stick to de cold, dark cellar; when he nigh
| live in de light and warmf. up on dc house.
top"
"Ihat's very true. Sibyl; but few of us reaci
| the house top,n said the young man thought
fully. ,.+x
house-top is dere, and dc stars is dere, ant
grand, glorious Master is dere, up Dove al
| calm to YOU day and night, 'Frien, come III
higher!' He reaches down his shinin' han
| and offers for to draw YOU up, but yol
shakes your. head and pulls back and says. NO
treat him who has bought life and light fg
you? Oh, shame on you, sonny, and on all d.
down. cellar and parior and chamber Chris
tians!"
aWhat are parlor Christians, auntie?" askes
the young man.
de ones dat gifts bar'ly out O de cellar and goe
straightway and forgets what kind O. creetur
dey was down dere! Dey grow proud an
dresses up fine, like an worl's folks. an
dances, and sings worldly trash o songs
and has only jest 'lgion enough to make
| ole hn lpd
'mong her cold folks wuss den ole King fari
lid 'mong de Egyptians But, bless, You
de- minute de parson or any udder good brud
der or sister come along, how she did tune ri
her harp? She was mighty ligious in de par
lor but she left her iigion deere when she wer
out.
81 do think missus got to heaven, wild ell he
infarmities. But she didn't get very high u
| till the bridegroom come and called for heI
Den she said to me, one dead o'-night, 'Oh, ST.
by says she-she held tight on to my han: :
oh, Sibby, if you could only GO along
ME. and could keep hold O. your garment
I'd have hope o getting through de shlnii
gate! Your clothes and your face and YOU
hands shines like silver, Sibby," says sh
Dear soul, says I, dis light you see ism min
1t all comes Elected on to poor black Slb.
from de cross, and dere is heaps more OF 1t
shine onto you aud every other poor sinner d
will come near enough 10 cotch de rays!
SON says che, 'Sibby, when l heard ye
| shoutin' glory to God and talkin o him ON
housetop, thought it was all su'sti!ion an
touch de hem O. your garment, and wipe d
dust off your shoes, if I could on'y ketch
glimple o Christ"
do you b'lieve dat you's sinner, mssus:
says ..,
groan.
"Do you b'lieve dat Christ died for sinners
and is able to carry out His plan?" says L
Eyes SAYS She
"WelI. den, says I, il you's sinner 'nougl
and Christ is Savior 'nough, what's to hendt
your bein' saved? Just you quit lookin'
yourself, and look to him.
"Den she kotch sight o de cross, and 81
forgot herself. and her face light up like a
: angels; and she was new misses from d
var hour till she went UP. She died singin
TN my han no price bring,
Simply to dy cross cling
'But she mought sung all de way along
she hadn't forgot de hoomiliation o. de celia
: aud 'bused de privileges O. dc parlor Parlol
is fine things; but dey Amt made for folks
spen' deir whole time in"
whats q chamber saint auptie?" asked Ii
young man.
dark and dc scare OBJ de cellar, and de hone
traps % de parlor, and got trough many wo
ries, and so feels alfred, and is glad to res
DEFY say, well, wes got long mighty vel
and can now see de way clar up to glory
And sometimes dey forgets dat dey's on
/, half way up, aud thinks dey's come Of col
queror already. So dey's very apt to lie dow
;, wild deir hands folded. thinkin' dat Satan ism
+ no whar, now! But he is close by 'enl, aud
smooves DER soft pillows and sings 'em
sleep and slumber; and de work O. de kinsdo
q don't get no help from dem-not for one while
De chamber is o sort O. halfway house mac
: for rect and comfort; but some turns it into
roostin' place! You know Brudder Bunya
sonny?"
= s'No"
. ''What, never heerd tell O. John Bunyan!
"Oh. yes"
!, II thought you couldn't al be SO ignorai
bout 'ligion mp in Boston as dat! Well, yc
know he wrote bout brudder dat got aslet
; and loss his roll, and OATS what's do matt
| wild heaps o. Christians in de worp. Dey fal
| asleep and loses der h ,pe."
s.And do you keep in this joyful and wakef
frame all the time, Auntie?" asked the your
learner.
81 does, honey. BY de help Of de Lord, al
contin'l watch, keep de head oh de ole ga
pint mashed under my heel, pretty giners
!: Why sometimes when he rises up and thrus
- his fanua ont I has Sroh mower gin me