Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-08-08

at 2 o'clock in the morning pitch the nus
band dead drunk into the front entry. NJ
bitter words when wiping from the swollel
brow the blood struck out in midnigh
carousal. Bending over the battered ant
bruised form of him, who, when he tool
her from her fathers home, promised love
and kindness, and protection, yet nothing
but sympathy, and prayers, and forgiveness
before they are asked for. No bitter words
when the family Bible goes for rum, and the
pawnbroker's shop gets the last decent
dress. Some day, desiring to evoke the
story OF her sorrows, you say: swell, no"
are you getting along now" and rallying
her trembling voice, and quieting her quiv-
ering lip, she says: "Pretty well. thank
you, pretty WE'LL" She never will tell you.
In the delirium of her last sickness she may
tell all the secrets of her lifetime, but she
will not tell that. Not until the books of
eternity are opened ON the thrones of judg-
ment will ever be known what she has suf-
fered. Oh lye who are twisting garland
for the victor. put it on that pale brow.
| When she is dead the neighbors will beg
linen to make her shroud, and she will be
carried out in a plain box with no silver plate
to tell her years, for she has lived a thou
| sand years of trial and anguish. The gam
blers and swindlers who destroyed her hus-
band will not come to the funeral. One
carriage will be enough for that funeral
one carriage to carry the orphans of the two
Christian women who presided over the
obsequies. But there is flash, and the
opening of celestial door, and shout: "Life
up your head, yet everlasting gate, and let
her come in l'' And Christ will step forth
and say: "Come in ye suffered with me on
earth. be glorified with me in heaven"
What is the highest throne in heaven? You
say: "The throne of the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb" No doubt about it. What
is the next highest throne in heaven While
l speak it seems to me that it will be the
throne of the drunkard's wife, If she with
cheerful patience endured all her earthly
torture. Heroes and heroines.
1 find also in this roll the heroes of Chris
tian charity. We all admire the George
Peabodys and the James Lenoxes of the
earth, who give tens and hundreds of thou
sands of dollars to good objects.
But am speaking this morning of those
who, out of their pinched poverty, help
others-of such men as these Christian
missionaries at the West, who are living on
$3.50 year that they may proclaim Christ
to the people, one of them, writing to the
secretary in New York, saying: 81 thank
you for that $25. Until yesterday we have
had no meat in our house for three months.
We have suffered terribly. My children
have no shoes this winter" And of those
people who have only half loaf of bread,
but give piece of it to others who are
hungrier; and of those who have only
seuttle Of coal, but help others to fuel; and
Of those who have only dollar in their
pocket, and give twenty-fv cents to some-
body else; and of that father who wears a
shabby coat, and of that mother who wears
a faded dress, that their children may be
we'll apparelled. You call them paupers, or
ragamufius, or emigrants. call them he
roes and heroines. You and may not
know where they live, or what their name
is. God knows, and they have more angels
lowering over them than you and have,
and they will have higher seat in heaven.
They may have only cup of cold water
to give poor traveller, or may have only
picked splinter from under the nail of a
child's finger, or have put only two mites
into the treasury, but the Lord knows
them. Considering what they had, they
did mo-a than we have ever done, and their
faded dress will become white robe, and
the small room will be an eternal mansion,
and the old hat will be coronet of victory,
shouting of heaven will be drowned out
when God rises up to give his reward to
those humble workers in His kingdom, and
to say to them: "Well done, good and
faithful servant" You have all seen or
heard of the ruin of Melrose Abbey. 1 sup
pose, IN some respects, it is the most ex-
quisite ruin on earth. And yet, looking at
it, was not so impressed-you may set it
down to bad taste-but l was not so deeply
stirred as l was at tombstone at the foot
of that abbey-the tombstone placed By
Walter Scott over the grave of an old man
who had served him for good many years
in his house-the inscription most signif-
cant, and l defy any man to stand there
and read it without tears coming into his
eyes-the epitaph: ''Well done, good and
faithful servant" Oh! when our work is
over, will it be found that because of any.
thing we have done for God, or the Church,
or suffering humanity, that such an inscrip-
ton is appropriate for us? God grant it.
Who are those who were bravest and de.
served the greatest monument-Lord CLAW
erhouse and his burly soldiers, or John
Brown, the Edinburgh carrier, and ais
wife? Mr.. Atkins, the prosecuted minister
of Jesus Christ in Scotland, was secreted by
John Brown and his wife, and Claverhouse
rode up one day with his armed men and
shouted in front of the house. John Browns
little girl came out. He said to her: "Well,
miss, is Mr.. Atkins here?" She made no
answer, for she could not betray the minis
ter Of the Gospel. "Hap' Claverhouse said,
s'then you are chip of the old block, are
you? l have something in my pocket for
thumbscrew, but l call it a nosegay."
And be got off his horse, and he put it on
the little girls hand, aud began to turn it
until the bones cracked and she cried. He
said: "Don't cry, don't cry; this isn't
thumbscrew; this is a nosegay." And they
heard the child's cry, and the father and
mother came out, and Claverhouse said:
"Ha! it seems that you three have laid
your holy heads together determined to die
like all the rest of your hypoeritical, cant.
ing, snivelliDg crew; rather than give up
good Mr.. Atkins, pious Mr.. Atkins, you
would die. have a telescope with me that
will improve your vision" and he pulled
out pistol. '.Now," he said. ''you old
pragmatical, lest you should catch cold in
this cold morning of Scotland, and for the
honor and safety of the King, to say nothing
of the glory of God and the good of our
souls, | will proceed simply and in the
neatest and most expeditions style possible
to blow Your brains out" John Brown fell
upon his knees and began to pray. "Ahr
said Claverhouse, '1ook out, if you are 60
ing to pray; steer clear of the King, the
council, and Richard Cameron" "Oh!
Lord" said John Brown, ''since it seems
to be Thy will that l should leave this
world for world where can love Thee
better and serve Thee more, put this poor
widow woman and these helpless, father.
less children into Thy hands. We have
been together in peace good while, but
now we must look forth to better meet
ing in heaven, and as for these poor crea-
lures, blindfolded and infatuated, that
stand before me, convert them before it be
too late, and may they who have sat in
Judgment in this lonely place on this bless
ed morning, upon me, poor, defenceless
fellow creature-may they, in the Last
Judgment fiud that mercy which they have
refused to me, Thy most unworthy, but
faithful servant. Amen" He rose up and
said, isabel, the hour has come of which
1 spoke to you on the morning when pro-
posed hand and heart to you; and are you
willing now, for the love of God, to let me
die2" She put her arms around him and
said: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away. Blessed be the name of the
Lord!' stop that snivelling," said Claw
erhOuse. ttT have had ennuph of IL Sol