The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-08-03

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the opposite direction. You would no
have to go far to find wife whose life ]
q perpetual martyrdom. Something
heavier than stroke of the fist; unkint
words, staggerings home at midnight. ant
constant maltreatment which have lef
her only wreck of what she was on tina
day when in the midst Of brilliant as
semblage the vows were taken, and full
organ played the wedding march, ant
the carriage rolled away with the bene
diction of the people. What was thu
burning of Latimer and Ridley at thu
stake compared with this? Those mer
soon became unconscious in the fire, but
here is a fifty years. martyrdom, fifty
years putting to death, yet .uncomplain.
ing. No bitter words when the rollick.
ing companions at o'clock in the morn
ing pitch the husband dead drunk into
the front entry. No bitter words when
wiping from the swollen brow the
blood struck out in midnight carousal.
Bending over the battered and bruised
form of him, who, when he took her
from her fathers home, promised love,
and kindness and protection, yet nothing
but sympathy, and prayers and forgive
ness before they are asked for. No bit
ter 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
'Well, how are you getting along now?"
and rallying her trembling voice, and
quieting her quivering lip, she says:
"Pretty well, thank you, pretty
WELL" 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
Judgment will ever be known what she
has suffered. Oh! ye who are twisting
garland for the victor, put it on that
pale brow. When she is dead the neigh
bors will beg linen to make her shroud,
and she will be carried out in plain box
with no silver plate to tell her years, for
she has lived thousand years of trial
and anguish. The gamblers and swim
dlers who destroyed her husband will
not come to the funeral. One carriage
will be enough for that funeral-one car
riage to carry the orphans and the
two Christian women who presided
over the obsequies. But there is flash,
and the opening Of celestial door, and a
shout: "Lift up your head, ye everlast-
ing gate, and let her come in!' And
Christ will step forth and say: "Come
in! We suffered with me on earth, be
glorified with me in heaven" What is
the highest throne in heaven9 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 I speak it seems to me
that it will be the throne of the drunk
ards wife, if she with cheerful patience
endured all her earthly torture. Heroes
and heroines.
find also in this roll the heroes of
Christian charity. We all admire the
George Peabodys and the James Lenoxes
Of the earth, who give tens and hundreds
IF thousands of dollars to good objects.
But I am speaking this morning of
those who, out of their pinched poverty,
help others-of such men as those
Christian missionaries at the west, who
are living on $3.50 year that they may
proclaim Christ to the people, one of them,
saying: 81 thank you for that $25. Until
we have had no meat in our
louse for three months. We have suf-
'ered terribly. My children have no
,hoes this winter" And of those people
who have only a half loaf of bread,
out give piece of it to others who are
1ungrier; and of those who have only a
,cuttle of coal, but help others to fuel;
md Of those who have only a dollar in
heir pocket and give twenty-five cents
% somebody else, and of that father who
wears shabby coat, and of that mother
who wears faded dress, that their chill
lren may be well appareled. You call
hem paupers, or ragamuffins. or emf
grants. call them heroes and heroines.
You and I may not know where they
i've, or what their name is. God knows,
md they have more angels lowering over
hem than you and have, and they will
AVE higher seat in heaven.
They may have only a cup Of cold
water to give poor traveller or may
AVE only picked splinter from under
he nail of child's finger or have put
'nly two mites into the treasury, but the
ord knows them. Considering what
hey had, they did more than we have
yer done, and their faded dress will be-
ONE a white robe, and the small room
will be an eternal mansion, and the old
lat will be coronet of victory, and all
he applause of earth and all the shout
ng of heaven will be drowned out when
iod rises up to give his reward to those
umble workers in his kingdom, and to
ay to them: 'Well done, good and
aithful servant. +"
You have all seen or heard of the
uin of Melrose Abbey. I suppose in
ome respects it is the most exquisite
uin on earth. And yet, looking at it
7as not so impressed-you may set it
own to bad taste-but I was not so
eeply stirred as was at a tombstone at
he foot of that abbey-the tombstone
laced by Walter Scott over the grave of
n old man who had served him for a
God many years in his house-the in
,ription most significant, and I defy
ny man to stand there and read it with
ut tears coming into his eyes-the cpl