Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-09-15
never heal unless you let it alone"

never heal unless you let it alone" So
there are
sOuLs BROKEN DOWN IN SORROW.
What they most want is rest, or very
careful and gentle treatment; but the
neighbors have heard of the bereavement
or the loss, and they com in to sympa-
thiZe, and they say, Show US now the
wound. What were his last words?
Rehearsc now the whole scene. How did
you feel when you found you were an
Orphan Tearing off the bandages
here, and pulling them of there, leaving
Il gastly wound that the balm Of God S
grace had already begun 60 heal. Oh let
no loquacious people, with ever rafting
tongues, 20 iuto the homes of the dis.
tressed!
Again | remark, that all those persons
are incompetent to give any kind of com
fort who act merely as worldly philoso.
pliers. They come in and say: why,
this is what you ought to have expected.
The laws of nature must have their way
and then they get eloquent over some.
thing they have seen in post mortem ex-
amlnations. Now away with all human
philosophy at such a time What differ
III hDCS II NON w tbdt atI' NV
mother what disease their son died Of
He is dead, and il makes no difference
whether the trouble was in the epigas.
trio or ~hypogastric region. If the phil
OsoDher be of the stoical school he will
come and say. You ought to control
your feelings. You must not cry SO.
You must cultivate a cooler temperament.
You must have self government, self con
tranl - N, t,nInrr ra,,rnprnY "a hNarlnfh
for having IA drop of dew in its eve. A
v~iolinist has his instrument, and he
sweeps his finger across the strings, now
evoking strains of joy, and now strains
Of sadness. lie cannot play all the tunes
on one string. The human soul is an in
strument Of a thousand strings, and all
sorts OF emotions were made to play on
ii. Now an anthem, 10Y a dirge. 1t is
no evidence of weakness when one is
overcome Of sorrow.
EDMUND BURKE
was found in the pasture field with his
arms around a horses neck, caressing
him, and some one said why, the great
man has lost his mind No: that horse
belonged TO his son who had recently
died, and his great heart broke over the
grief. II is no sign of weakness that
men are overcome of their sorrOws.
Thank God for the relief OF tears. Have
you never been in trouble when you could
not weep. and you would have given any
thing for a good cry David did well
when he mOurned for Absalom; Abra-
ham did well when he hemoaned Sarah;
Christ did well when he wcpt for Laza-
rus; and the last man ! want TO see come
anywhere near me when | have any kind
of trouble is "a worldly philosopher,
Again | remark, that those persons are
incompetent for the work Of comfort
bearing who have nothing bat cant to of
fer. There are those who have the idea
that YOU must groan over the distressed
and afflicted. There are times in grief
when one cheerful face dawning upon a
mans soul is worth q thousand dollars to
him. Do not whine over the afflicted.
Take the promises Of the Gospel, and
utter them in a manly one. DO not be
afraid to smile if YOU feed ike it,. DO not
drive any more hearscs through that poor
soul. DO not tell him the trouble was
foreordained, il will not be amy comfort
to know Il was a million years coming. II
YOU want to find splints for a broken
bone, DO not take cast-iron. Do not tell
tIltll ~ - ht'A = JUSTIFY Afd NNAEhF wv
grief. They want now TO hear of Gods
tender mercy. In other words, DO not
give them aqua FORTS when they need
valcrian.
Again | remark, that more persons are
poor Comforters who have never had any
trouble themselves. A larkspur canno;
lecture on the nature OF 8 tlakc--it
never saw a snow fake: and those people
who have al ways lived IN
TIE SUMMER or PROSPERITY
cannot talk 10 those who are frozen in
disaster. GOD keeps aged people il the
world, ! think, for this very work of
sympathy. They have been through all
these trials. They know all that which
irritates, all that which soothes. If there
are men and women here who have old
people in the house, or near at hand SO
that they can easily reach them, ! cor
graduate them. Some of US have had
trials in life, and although we have had
many friends around about US, we have
wished that father and mother
were still alive that we might go and tell
them. Perhaps they could not say much,
bu. it would have been such q comfort
to have them around. These aged ones
who have been all through trials OF life
know how to give coincidence. Cherish
them; let them lean OF your arm-these
aged people. If, when You speak To
them, they cannot hear just what you say
the first time, and you have To- say it a
second time, when you say il the second
time, do not say it sharply. If you do,
you will be sorry for it on the day when
YOU take the last look and brush back the
silvcry locks from the wrinkled brow just
before they screw the lid on. Blessed be
God for the old people! They may not
have so much strength to 60 around, but
they are Gods appointed ministers OF
comfort TO a broken heart.
WHO CANNOT COMFORT.
People who have not had triai them
selves cannot give comfort to others.
They may talk very beautifully, and they
NAV give you a great deal OF poetic senti-
ment; but while poetry is perfume that
smells sweet, 1t makes Il very poor salve.
If YOU have a grave in year pathway and
somebody comes and covers it all over
with flowers, ii is "a grave yet. Those
" no have not had grief themselves know
not the mystery OF a broken heart. They
know not the meaning of childlessness,
and the having no one 10 put To bed AZ
,;rb. ny tho StnnGinu in a room whore