The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-09-07

teeth to the Pitcairn beach.
The p,ainest mans life is On island be-
tween two enthusiastically past rip-
ping against his shoulders, eternity to
come touching his brow. The casual, the
accidental, that which merely happens SO.
are part of great plan and the rope that
lets the fugitive Apostle from the Damas-
Gus wall is the cable that holds to its moor
ings the snip of the church in the north
east storm of the centuries.
Again, notice unrecognized and unre-
corded services. Who spun the roper Who
tied it to the basket? Who steadied the
illustrious preacher as he stepped into it!
Who relaxed not q muscle Of the arm or
dismissed an anxious look from his face
until the basket touched the ground and
discharged its magnificent cargo? Not
one of their names has come to us, but
there was no work done that day in Damas-
Gus or in all the earth compared with the
importance of their work. What il they
had in their agitation tied q knot
that could slip? What il the
sound of mob at the door had led them
to say: "Paul must take care of himself
and we will take care of ourselves" No,
no! They held the rope, and in doing SO
did more for the Christian Church than
any thousand of us will ever accomplish.
But God knows and has made eternal
record of their undertaking. And they
know. How exultant they must have felt
when they read his letters to the Romans,
to the Corinthians, to the Galatians, to the
Ephesians, to the Philippians, to the Coll
ossians, to the Thessalonians. TO Timothy,
to Titus, to Philemon. to the Hebrews, and
when they heard how he walked out Of
prison with the earthquake unlocking the
door for him, and took command of the
Alexandrian corn-ship when the sailors
were nearly scared to death, and preached
a sermon that ned4ly shook Felix off his
Judgment seat.
hear the men and women who helped
him down through the window and over
the wall talking in private over the matter
and saving: "How glad 1 am that we eff
fected that rescue! In coming times 9th.
ers may get the glory of Paui's work, but
no one shall rob us of the satisfaction of
knowing that we held the rope" There
are said to be about 81, coo ministers of re-
| ligion in this country. About $1,000. l
warrant, came from early homes which
had to struggle for the necessaries of life.
| The sons of rich bankers and merchants
| generally become bankers and merchants.
| The most of those who become ministers
are the sons of those who had terrific
struggle to get their everyday bread. The
collegiate and theological education of
that son took every luxury from the pa
rental table for eight years. The other
| children were more scartily appareled.
The son at college every little while got a
bundle from home. In it were the socks
that mother had knit, sitting up late at
night. her sight not as good as it was.
And there also We're some delicacies
from the sisters hand for the voracious
appetite of hungry student. The father
swung the heavy cradle through the wheat,
the sweat rolling from his chin believing
every step of the way, and then sitting
down under the cherry tree at noon think
ing to himself: 81 am fearfully tired, but it
will pay if can once see that boy through
college, and if can know that he will be
preaching the gospel after l am dead.''
The Younger children want to know why
they can't have this and that as others do.
and the mother says: "De patient, my
children. until your brother graduates, and
then you shall have more Injuries, but we
must see that boy through"
The wears go by and the son has been
ordained and is preaching the glorious
Gospel, and great revival comes, and
souls bv scores and hundreds accept the
Gospel from the lips Of that young preach
err. and father and mother, quite old now,
are visiting the son at the village parson-
age. and at the close of Sabbath OF
mighty blessing. father and mother retire
to their room, the son lighting the way
and asking them il he could do any thing
to make them more comfortable. saving il
| a. inc in, fbo mi inst fr
knock on the wall. And then al
at once father and mother tall
over the gracious influences of the
day, and say: "Well, it was worth
all we went through to educate that boy
It was a hard pull. but we held on till the
work was done. The world may not know
it. but, mother, we held the rope. didnr
we.'' And the voice, trep,ulous with joy.
Gus emotion, responds: eyes, father; We
held the rope. 1 feel nv work is done
Now, Lord, lettest Thou Thy servant de-
part in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation" 'Pshaw!" says the father, 81
never felt so much like living i'm my life a!
now. want to see what that fellow i.
going on to do, he has begun SO we'll"
Something occurs 10 me quite personal
was the youngest Of a large family o.
children. My parents were neither ricl
nor poor: four of the sons wanted col
legiate education, ana four obtained il, bu
not without a great home struggle. w
never heard the old people say once tina
they were denying themselves to effec
this, but remember now that my parents
always looked tired. l don't think tina
they ever got rested until they lay dow
in the Summerville Cemetery. Mothe
would sit down in the evening, and say
'W ell, don't know what makes me fee
so tired" Father would fall immediatal,
10 sleep. seated by the evening stand, over
come with the days fatigue.
One OF the four brothers after preachin:
the Gospel for about fifty years entere'
: upon his heavenly rest. Another of tn
, four is now On the other side OF the earth,
missionary Of the cross. Two of us are i,
: this land in the holy ministry, and l thinl
/, all OF us are willing to acknowledge on
obligation to the Old folks at home. Abou
twenty-five years ago the one, and abou
twenty-four years ago The other, put dow
the burdens of this life, but they still hole
the rope.
.. men and women here assembled. yol
, brag sometimes how You have fough
!. . your way in the world. but / think Their
have been helpful influences tina. you hav
never fully acknowledged. Has there no
been some influence in your early or pres
snt home that the world can not see: Doe
there not reach to you from among III
Canadian hills, or Western prairie, or from
Southern plantation, or from English o
. Scottish or Irish home a cord of infiuenc
that has kept you right when you woul'
: have gone astray, and which, after yo'
had made a crooked track, recalled you
The rope may be as long as thirty years o
> Eve hundred miles long or three THOUSAND
; miles long, but hands thatwent out of morris