The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-02-13
T" Dear Father"

DChi
The words are not taken from sons
letter to his father. They are the first
words of Miss Steele's beautiful, famous
hymn. The adjective part of the phrase
we use sparingly in common life. AT
least we do so when face to face with even
the dearest frend-especially in the pres
ence of others. In letters common usage
allows an almost indiscriminate and I'M
meaning use of this little adjective. We
"dear some very unlovely people when
we write letters. 1t seems not long ago
when an old and valued friend called on
me. He was not given to the melting
moods" He erred, if at all, in the oppo-
site direction. To some he seemed freez-
ing in his manner, even when a manly
man would not be blamed for " melting
even to tears.' But that was not his
way. Life had been very earnest with
him. From the first he had not dwelt in
"flowery beds of ease" On his fathers
little mountain farm in New England the
stones were plenty, and also "the hard
knocks" as he held the pillow. In the
summer, the reluctant crops were small,
and in the winter, the snow-storms came
without coaxing and in great drifts
DObu bu6 SCuOOl-uOuSo duu ncobluS -uOuSo
were several miles off. Rare was it that
he did not reach the last every Sunday.
A rugged Yankee boy, he scorned the
thought of being kept by any storm from
his place in the church. AS for the win
ter school, his soul was hungry for an ed
ucation. And when the corn was husked
and the farm work ready to be laid aside
he started for school. And it was no ho!-
iday with him. He was dead in earn
est" and did his duty with his might.
The Westinghouse had in it no fire, and
the old school-house on the bleakest hill
top in the region was rendered tolerable
by the big fire in huge, open fireplace.
But it did not matter to this boy. Nor
did any object seriously arrest him from
the time he was studying "Daboll and
"Lindley Murray" in that old school
house until, with wife that was worthy
of him, he started for the great valley as
preacher of the everlasting gospel. In
the academy, the college, and the semina-
ry, he was the same earnest man. l fear
do him a wrong. He had heart in
him as tender as woman's. And in the
right time one could have heard him
laugh laugh that shook him and also
you. This seems wandering from the
caption. But not serious one. He was
the speaker saying, not to me, but in my
presence, as if addressing some one he
loved and trusted, "Dear Father" 1
knew what it meant and to whom he
spoke. He was in deep trouble. 1t MAJ.
tiers not what it was. 1t was of the sort
that makes the strong man quail" And
that sort comes in more ways than one.
As long as l live shall not be likely to
forget my friend ss he appeared that day.
The elasticity had left his step. His fine
face was haggard. His voice was pinched
and trembling. / knew his gentle heart
was aching hard. 1t seemed to me that
had one pushed dagger into it it could
not have ached harder. That is enough
to introduce the verse which Miss Steele
has written expressly for people who have
heartaches which no earthly friend can
sootbe. / never look at it but think of
my friend as he said, as if were not by
to hear it-as if soliloquizing
My soul for shelter hies
IT'S here find a safe retreat
When storms and tempest RISE"
And what came of it? Relief. That
was what came of it. do not say it was
miraculous. Only this, the relief came.
And that was what the aching heart
needed. And this is not solitary case.
1t is one of ten thousand. Perhaps one
of that number squared. Just now l
remember to have known two aching
hearts that were in church one Sunday
morning. Not a soul in church but those
two welded hearts knew that anything
was the matter. But the ache was all
the same. A cloud of uuutterable black
ness had hung over them for a long time.
The day before it broke in all its fury.
And yet they two sat still. They could
only talk to each other about it. And
even then they talked very low and their
words were accompanied with groans and
tears. They learned the meaning of some
of David's Psalms that day and never for
got it. 1t is hard but thorough way OF
learning. That Sunday morning in the
church they two sat in silence. How
could they sing even the Lords songs
They loved them, but they could not sing
them that morning. They seemed look
ing into outer darkness. Oh, for one ray
of comfort Was it chance? The pas
tor that morning seemed inspired to Sc
lect hymns of the "Dear Father kind
The Scripture lesson was as though tn,
Master was saying again, "Let not you
heart be troubled" And then the paste
plead for those in trouble. 1t was won
derful combination of Holy Scripture
aspiration through song, and petitions TO
help in trouble 1t all seemed to gathe
itself into Miss Steele's pathetic appea
to the Dear Father" And did the he'll
come? Yes.-President Tuttle, in the Con
gTegationalist.