The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-08-15
THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT
A Lay Sermon That is Well Worth
Reading at ANY Time.

How quiet the house is at midnight
The people who talk and laugh and sing
in II every day are asleep. and the pee
pie who fell asleep in it long ago come
back into it. Every house has these
two classes of tenants. Do we love best
those with whom we can laugh and talk
and sing. or the dear, silent ones who
come So no;selessly to our side. and
whisper 10 us in faint, sweet, PARKWAY
whispers that have no sound, so that we
hear only their very stiffness.
/ am not tired. but my pen is weary.
1t falls from my fingers, and raise my
head. Isiart to leave the table. and
my eyes fall upon little book lying on
the floor. 1t is a little First Reader"
He left it there this afternoon. Ire
member just how l was impatient be
cause he could not read the simple little
lesson-such an easy lesson-and told
him II was waste Of my time 10 teach
him, and pushed him away from me- /
remember now, / see the flush comeinto
tne little tired face. the brave, cheerful
look in his eyes-his mothers brave,
patient, cheenness, struggling with his
/ disappointment and pain. see him lie
down on the floor, and the little face
bend over the troublesome little lesson,
such simple, easy lesson, any baby
might read 10. Then, after a little
struggle alone, it has to be given up.
and the baftied little soldier with one
more appealing look toward me for re-
Inducements, signs and goes away from
the lesson he cannot read to the play
that comforts him. And there lies the
little book, Just as he left it. All, me,
could kueel down and kiss il now as
though it we're alive and loving.
| Why, what was my time worth to me
to-day2 What was there in the book
wanted to read one-haif so precious to
me as one cooIng word from the pratt
ting lips that squivered when turned
away. hate the book read. will
never look at 1t again. Were il the lasr
book IN the world think would burn
il. All its gracious words are lies. l
say to you, though ali men praise the
II excellent, / say 70 you that there is
poison in its hateful pages. Why, what
can learn from books that baby lips
cannot teach me7 Do you know / want
TO go 70 the door OF his room and listen
the house is so still maybe he is not
breathing. Why. II between my book
aud my boy i choose my book, why
should not God leave me with my books
Ny hateful books.
But / was not harsh. 1 was only q
little impatient. Because. you see, his
lesson was so asy, so simple. Alb. me
there were two OF us trying TO read Tn 5
afternoon. They were two easy. simple
lessons. Mine was such a very simple
. To- nar
line, Just little th-ob of patience. OF
geRtleness, of love that would have
made my own heart glow ano laugh
and sing. The letters were so large and
plain, the words so easy, and the SEN
fences so short. did not read one line
Alright See, here is my copy now. al
blurred and blistered with tears and
hsartache, all marred and misspelied
and blotted. / am ashamed to show II
to the Master. and yet ! know he vii
be patient with me; know how loving
and gentle he viii be. Why. how pa
tiently aud lovingly all these wears be
has been teaching me this simple lesson
failed upon to-day. But when my
. little pupil stumbled on 4 single word
is my time, then, so much more preci.
GUS than the Masters that cannot
teach the little lesson more than once
All, friend, We do waste time when we
plat scourges for ourselves. These
hurryng days, these busy, anxious
shrevd, ambitious times Of ours are
wasted when they take our hearts away
from patient gentleness, and give Us
fame for love and gold for kisses. Some
day, then. when our hungry souls will
seek for bread, our selfish god will give
US stone. Life IS simple. easy lesson,
such as any child may read. You can
I NJ ffrd - n
tones of the old fathers, the phiIoso-
pliers, the investigators. the theorists
Z is not on your bookshelves. But In
the wsrmest corner of the most unlet.
tered HEARTH glows in letters that the
blind may read; q sweet, plain. simple.
easy loving lessen. And when VI have
lesrne it, brother OF mine. the word
will be better and happier.-Ro5crf J.
b rdet,e.