Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-02-01

great feast in one of the villages that ap
preaching evening In honor of the ,mini
bridegroom. That day a great storm
threatened the destruction Of the dykes
and hence the destruction of thousands o.
lives In the villages sheltered by that stone
wall. The ocean was in full wrath, beat
ing against the dykes, and the tides and the
terror we're still rising. ''Shall go to the
FEAST" says the engineer, 'or shall I g
and help my workmen take care of the
dykes?' "Take care of the dykes" be
said to himself, II must and WILL" As be
appeared on the wall the men working
there were exhausted and shouted "Here
comes the engineer. Thank God Thank
God r''s The wall was giving way, stone
by stone, and the engineer had q rope
fastened around his body, and some of the
workmen had ropes fastened around their
bodies aud were let down amid the wild
surges that beat the wall. Everything was
giving way. more stones" cried the
men. "More mortar p But the answer
came: "There is no more p "Then," I"
cried the engineer, stake eff your clothes
aud with them stop the holes in the WALL"
Aud so, in the chill and darkness and surf
it was done, and with the workmen's ap-
paref tde openings 10 the wall were par
TALLY filed But still the tide rose and still
the ocean reared itself for more awful
stroke and for the overwhelming Of thous.
ands of lives in the villages. "Now We
have done oil we can," said tho engineer,
''down on your knees, my men, and pray
to God for help" And on the trembling
and parting dyk kes they prayed till the wind
changed aud the sea subs'ded, and the viii
lagos below, which knowing nothing of the
peril were full of romp and dance and hilar-
ity, we're gloriously saved.
Now, what we want in this work of wall
ing back the oceans of poverty and drunk
enness and impurity and sin is the help of
more womanly and manly hands. Oh, how
after Atlantic surga of sorrow, and the tenn
pests of human hate and Satanic fury are in
full cry. o, woman of many troubles,
what are all the feasts of worldly delight, if
they were offered you, compared with the
opportunity of helping build and support
barriers which sometimes seem giving way
through mans treachery and tho worlds
assault o woman, to the dykes Bring
prayer, bring tears, bring cheering words !!
Help Help And having done all, kneel
with US on the quaking wall until the God
of the wind and the sea shall hush the one
and silence the other. To the dykes Sis
ters, mothers, wives, daughters of America,
to the dykes The mightiest catholicon for
all the wounds and wrongs of woman or
man is complete absorption in the work to
rescue others. Save some man, some woman,
some child
In that effort you will forget or be helped
to bear your own trials, and in little
while God will take you up out of your dis
turbed and narrowing conjugal relation of
earth into heaven all the happier because
of preceding distress. When Queen Eliza
beth of England was expiring it was ar
ranged that The exact moment of her death
should be signalled to the people by the
dropping of a sapphire ring from window
into the hands of an officer, who carried it
It the top of his speed to King James, of
Scotland. But your departure from the
scene of your earthly woes. if you are ready
to go, will not be the dropping of sapphire
to the ground, but the setting of jewel in
a kings coronet Blessed be His glorious
name, forever!