Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-08
for TIM SUNDAY NtnrA-
CHURCn BELLS.
Thoughts Suggested ~ These Sabbath
Messenger.
BY MRS. 0 . oouLsoH.

} has upon US, and whyf Six days in thu
week We find ourselves rushing head-long
pushing, crovding the surging mass Of hu
manity out Of our way. attending to what
we are pleased to term: Business" Our
motives ara personal; our greed for gain,
our desire to obtain OF this worlds goods
Our mercenary craving for the
ALMIGHTY DOLLAR
drives us on. When or where w,uld We
stop, or think OF stopping, were II not for
the Sabbath? But every seventh day we
are called upon to halt, to stop and see
where we are standing; and behold many Of
US lind that We have not stopped any too
soon and very nearly too late. We find We
arc standing on the slippery places. We
had almost taken
N sTEP TOO FAR.
The Sabbath bells rang out the alarm,
and we halt at the sound. In q moment
all worldly pursuits are forgotten. We are
thinking. Oh! those Sabbath bells, what
memories come surging in upon US. Many
of the bright, sunny Sabbaths of our child
hood pass before our tired vision. We sit
down with a feeling of sweet surprise; no
more earthly cares are considered. The
wished-for goal OF q moment ago-wealth,
all personal, selfish and mercenaIy motives,
vanish.
IT Is H ABBATH DAY.
We had not thought of it before. But
ali, those blessed bells. They almost seem
to call out our very names,
so determined are they to call a stop to
our recklessness and sinful neglect of
our duties. Their tones remind US that
we have not forgotten their calls, OF oh,
80 many years CO., when together
with father and mother, sister and
brother, we vent at their bidding, in
nocent and earnest, fearing to anger, will
ing to love our Master and serve and obey
His call and laws. And here in Butte City
we hear the same sweet bells; we see the
same bright sunshine spreading it's well
come radiance over our paths be they
ROUGH AND THORNY
or smooth aud easy. I think sometimes
they are nearly as We chose them. So on
musing ove- this blessed Sabbath day, re-
calling our bright childhood days when the
Sabbath wal a day Of rest, Of wor
ship, holy and sacred, when all en-
ployment was put away, how wildly
THIS HOME PICTURE
comes to many OF us in this far Western
land. I see the large. cheerful sitting room,
the bright fire burning in the CRATE, father
sits at the head of the breakfast table, the
open Bible spread out before him, his face
lit up with that sweet assurance OF Faith,
Hope and Charity, a firm, abiding faith in
our Lord Jesus, a hope OF an eternal rest,
charity to all his fellewmen. Hisfaceto me
now seems as some grand old picture
set in a coronet of light. Mothers sweet,
gentle, delicate face, %smiling-a smile of
band and children, kindly submission TODD
His will and teachings, willingly walking in
the
STRAIGHT N MARIO PATH
that leads to His kingdom, while we chill
dren listened to the stories read from the
Bible. Father always read and explained
the Scriptures as pleasant stories instead
Of awful stern commands or tedious SER
mons. Our Savior, Martha, Mary, Naomi
and Ruth were all pictured to us as friends
and companions, living lives of love, devo-
ton and truest friendships. Those Sab
bath lessons are fresh in our memories to-
day. The picture is vivid and pleasant to
contemplate.
So we see that this Sabbath observance
is the most important in onr lives, and
never forgotten. And we do not need to
expect or think that coming west will
we read OF. His father requested him not
to play in the front yard, but to go in the
back yard, admonishing him that it was
the Sabbath. The boy replied, "Why, /
father, isn't it Sabbath in the back yard,
too?" So we that were always taught to
observe the Sabbath in the East find that
the Sabbath comes in the West. too, and !
we cannot escape the obligation or disre- 4
gard our duties here no more than there. /
Our small. unpretentious churches IAN be |
readily found if we wend our way thither- |
ward. Surely the sward surrounding them
is not so fresh and green; no birds greet us |
on swinging branches of locust or elm; we
do not see
n FRESH FRAGRANT BoQuEr
placed by some thoughtful friend on the
desk. All of those things are |
closely allied to the pure in mind, and low
~ in heart, and are pleasant reminders of |
Gods care and mystic creations for our |
delight and happiness. But the Sabbath
bells in our western city ring out the same
m~eaning-ring as sweetly and clearly. Do
not deceive yourself! that they are only
to call together the same little
OF worsh;ppers that have worked to-
gether to build those churches and pur-
chase the sweet messengers you hear calling
you to-day.
No, no! Those bells are calling a halt.
They are calling to merchants to stop selling
his goods. There will be millions and bill
OF goods sold years after the Butte
merchants have made their last sale. They
are calling to millionaires to stop counting
their gold; to the speculator to stop schem-
ing; the miner to stop delying and digging
Tor the precious metal-the soul is far more
are calling to the gambler
to stop dealing his game before time deals
him q spade and an open grave. They all
had homes from which sweet memories
to them too. They were
NOT ALwAYs GAMBLERS.
There is a warm, tender place in their
hearts yet where they nurse with sacred
ARE those homo ties and pleasant memo
ICES: Those bells are calling to them direct
20 close the game n day out. Of seven
md attend church. Answer the summons
II those messengers. You men perhaps will
orm new resolves, and new ideas will come
% you. You will halt. You will stop
'ACAO yOu dTos duu Wien you nave re-
'olved to wander back to the path you
AVE too long deserted you will find many
pleasant places to greet your footsteps.
les
THOSE MESSENGERS OF WARNING
hat have found their way West in the
rain OF progress md civilization are sing
ng to every man and woman in Butte
ity; are selecting you all out one by one.
I you will but listen, stop and think; de-
ide between right and wrong. Answer to
he call-"Now is the accepted time; to-
lay is the day of grace" "Seek, and thou
halt surely find" KNOCK and the door !
hall be opened unto you" "Ask and
.ou shalt receive" All of. those precious I
romises will surely be fulfilled if you obey I
heir calling. Sin walks through our
treets, meets US face to face at almost !
very turn. The road is broad to ruin, I
nd the devil is always ready and willing
o make room for just ono more. Dear ,
eader, do not let that one be you. !
BuTTE Cry, December 4, 1856. =
"The great Moen mystery" seems to be '
kplained upon the presumption that Will :
On is crazy. According to the story of his T