Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-09-07

results!
Practical influence: There are no in
signifcances in our lives. The minutest
thing is part of Il magnitude. Intinity
is made up of infnitesimals. Great
things an aggregation of small things.
Bethlehem manager pulling on star in
the eastern sky. One book in drencked
sailors mouth the evangelization Of a
multitude. One boat of papyrus on the
Nile fre1ghted with events for all ages.
The fate of Christendom in basket let
down from window on the wall. What
you do, do we'll. If you make rope,
make itstrong and true, for you know
not how much may depend on your
workmanship. If you fashion boat
let it be waterproof, for you know not
who may sail in it. If you put Bible
in the trunk of your boy as he goes from
home, let it be heard in your prayers,
for it may have mission as far reach
ing as the book which the sailor carried
in his teeth to the Pitcairn beach. The
plainest mans life is an island between
two eternities--eternity past ripping
against his shoulders. eternity to come
cidental. that which merely happens so,
are parts Of great plan, and the rope
that lets the fugitive apostle from the
Damascus wall is the cable that holds to
its mooring the ship of the church in
the northeast storm of the centuries.
Again, notice unrecognized and unre-
corded services. Who spun the rope?
Who tied it to the basket? Who steadied
the illustrious preacher as he stepped
into it? Who relaxed not muscle of
the arm or dismissed an anxious look
from his face until the basket touched
the ground and discharged its magnif-
cent cargo? Not one Of their names has
come to US, but there was no work done
compared with the Importance of their
work. What if they had in the agitation
tied knot that could slip? What if
the sound of mob at the door had led
them to say: Paul must take care of
himself, and we will take care of our
selves" No, no! They held the rope,
and in doing SO did more for the Chris
tian 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 letter to the Ro-
mans, to the Corinthians, to the Gala
tians, to the Ephesians, to the Philippe
ans, to the Colossians, to the Thessalo-
mans, to Timothy, to Titus, to Phile-
mon, to the Hebrews, and when they
heard how he walked out of prison with
him, and took command Of the Alexan-
drian corn ship when the sailors were
nearly scared to death, and preached q
sermon that nearly shook Felix off his
judgment seat. l hear men and women
who helped him down through the win
dow and over the wall talking in private
over the matter, saying: How glad l am
that we effected that rescue! In coming
times others may get the glory of Pauls
work, but no one shall rob us of the sat
isfaction of knowing that we held the
rope"
There are said to be about sixty-nine
thousand ministers of religion in this
country. About fifty thousand I war
rant came from early homes which had
to struggle for the necessaries of life.
The sons of rich bankers and mec-
chants generally become bankers and
merchants. The most of those who be-
come ministers are the sons of those who
had terrific struggle to get their ever.
day bread. The collegiate and theolog.
luxury from the parental table for eight
years. The other children were more
scantily 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, he1
sight not as good as once it was.
And there also were some delicacies
from the sisters hand for the voracious
appetite of hungry student. The IA
Their swung the heavy cradle through the
wheat, the sweat rolling from his chin
believing every step of the way, anc
then sitting down under the cherry tree
at noon thinking to himself: L an
fearfully tired, but it will pay if 1 car
once see that boy through college, ane
if can know that he will be preaching
the Gospel after l am dead" The
younger children want to know VIII,
they can't have this and that as other
do, and the mother says: BE patien
nv children, until your brother gradu
ates. and then you shall have more lux
uries, but we must see that boy through.
The years go by and the son has beef
ordained and is preaching the gloriou
Gospel, and q great revival comes, an'
souls by scores and hundreds accept tn
Gospel from the lips of that youn,
, preacher, and father and mother, quit
old now, are visiting the son at the vii
> lage parsonage, and at the close of
, Sabbath of mighty blessing father an
mother retire to their room, the so
, lighting the way and asking them If h
could do anything to make them NOR
,, comfortable, saying if they want any
thing in the night just to knock on tn
+ wall. And then all alone father an
! mother talk over the gracious influence
. of the day and say: We'll, 1t was wort
y all we went through to educate that boy
1t was hard pull, but we held on til
the work was done. The world ma
not know it, but, mother, we held til
:. rope, didn't we?' And the voice, trem
a ulous with joyful emotion, responds
, "Yes, father; we held the rope. fee
. my work is done. Now, Lord, lettes
= thou thy servant depart in peace, fc
, mine eyes have seen thy salvation
8 "Pshaw!" says the father, Il never fe
. so much like living in my life as nov
: 1 want to see what that fellow is goin
; on to do, he has begun SO we'll.
/, Something occurs to me quite persona
4 I was the youngest of a large family {
= children. My parents were neither ric
f nor poor; four OF the sons wanted co
j. legiate education, and four obtained i
q but not without great home struggl
. We never heard the old people say ono
= that they were denying themselves
. effect this, but remember now that n
parents always looked tired. don
think that they ever got rested until the