Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-01-07
geliyiolls Department.
I WISH I HAD KNOWN 1T
BEFORE.

WISH HAD KNOWN 1T
BEFORE.
A beautiful woman lay on a bed of
sickness in an elegant residence on
one of the finest and most fashiona-
bic of Boston's broad avenues. She
was surrounded by every luxury, and
attended by kind friends anxious to
anticipate every wish, and to relieve
the monotony 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 I wish there was something new
in matter and manner in The literary
world i am so tired of everything p
Her sister went to the next room
for 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:
'tAnd 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, saying
The sick woman listened attentive
ly until the nurse paused with the
words, "And the people were aston
ished at his doctrine. for he taught
as one having authority, 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 aston
ishment, looking with surprise at her
patient, and thinking at first she was
wandering in her mind, ''it's the BIZ
BILE Christ's Sermon on the Mount,
you know"
"That in the bible! Anything so
beautiful 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 surprise and incredulity.
80, l don't know. ! never thought
much about it. [ never opened q BIZ
bic in my life. 1t was matter of
pride with my father to never have q
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 listen
ing to a chapter, and that [ should
have been so charmed, and not know
to what | was listening.''
"You have certainly head the BIZ
BILE read in church ?" asked the nurse,
in surprise.
"Not /; | have never been to
church. We have always made Sun
day a holiday. Papa got into that
way in Paris. We have been to all
popular places of amusement, of
course, but never to church. / have
never thought about the bible. 1 did
not suppose it had literary merit. I
had no idea it was written in the sim
pie, beautiful style of the portion
} you have just read. [ wish l had
known it before"
A few hours later her disease took
a fatal turn. The physician came
and told her that her time Oh earth
was very short. She would never
see another sunrise.
at cannot be possible" she said
= Il never supposed it possible foi
death to come to me. What was the
+ prayer you read, nurse? Our Fa
Their, winch art in heaven Say i
with ne, husband" and he did so.
II wish | had known it before,
said she, over and over, until sh'
fell into a sleep from which she new
4 er awobe, and that wall of regret wa
the last word upon her dying lips.
The nurse said it was the saddles
experience of her career to see tha
Z beautiful, gifted young woman, witt
It kind friends, loving husband and
beautiful home, who had all her lif
taken pride in ignoring the bible ant
o the christian Sabbath, turn, whel
death came. from everything she ha'
V priced to the little despised book
d and die with the cry upon her lips
Il wish | had known it before. .
/ Christian Observer.
TTr.l7-r ~~5--