Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-02-02

this crying. Go ont David and his
men also found tia hard way. They had
to travel il. Our friends have gone into
glory, and it is through much trIbulation
that we are TO enter into the kingdom.
How our loved ones used TO have to
struggle! how their old hearts ached.
how sometimes they had a tussle for
bread In our childhood we wondered
why there were So many wrinkles on
their faces. We did not know that what
were called crows feet" on their faces
were the marks Of the black raven of
trouble, Did you never hear the old
people, seated by the evening stand, talk
over their early trials, their ~hardships,
the accidents, the burials, the disappoint-
ments, the empty tiour barrel when there
were SO many hungry ones to feed, the
sickness almost unto death, where the
next dose Of morphine decided between
CHASTITY bereavement and IN nnbroken
home circle? Oh, yes! it was trouble
that whitened their hair. 1t was trouble
that shook the cup in their hands. 1t
was trouble that washed the lustre from
| their eyes with the rain of tears until
| they needed spectacles. 1t was trouble
that made the cane a necessity for their
journey. Do you never remember seeing
your old mother sitting, on some rainy
day. looking out of the window, her
elbow on the window sill, her hand to
her brow-looking out, not seeing the
falling shower at all you well knew she
was looking into the distant past, until
the apron came up to her eyes, because
the memory was too much for her?
"Oft the big, unhidden tear,
Stealing down the furrowed cheek,
Told In eloq r"nce sincere,
Tales 81 woe they could not speak.
But thlss scene of weeping DER,
Past this scene CT toll and pain,
They shall feel distress no more,
Never, never weep again"
who are these under the atari this
question was asked: and the response
came: These are they which came ont
of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes. and made them white in the
blood Of the lamb" Our friends went
by a path OF tears into glory, BE no sur
prised if we have to travel in he same
pathway.
! remark, again, if we want 10 win the
| society Of our friends in heaven, we Will
not only have to travel a path Of faith
and n path of tribulation, but we will
also have to positively battle for their
championship.
David and his men never wanted sharp
swords AID invulnerable shields and
thick b~reastplates SO much as they wanted
them on the day when they came down
upon the Amalekites. If they had lost
that battle, they never would have got
their families back. | suppose that one
glance at their loved ones in captivity
buried them into the battle with ten-foId
! courage and energy. They said: I'VE
must win il. Everything depends upon
it. Let each one take Il man on point of
spear or sword. We must win it And
/ have to tell you that between us and
coming into the championship of our
loved ones who are departed there is an
Austerlitz, there is a Gettysburg, there is
a Waterloo. War with the world. war
with the flesh, war with the devil. We
have either to conquer our troubles, or
our troubles will conquer us. David will
either slay the Amalekites, or the Amale-
kites will Stay David. And yet is not the
tort TO be taken worth all the pain, all
the peril, all the besiegement? Look!
who are they on the bright hills of heaven
ADHItI . lutlt my dlNy tHpoN WIN "~N
at our own table, the char now vacant.
There they are, those whom You rocked
in infancy in the cradle, or hushed 70
sleep in your arms. There they are,
their brow more radiant than ever
waiting for The kiss Of heavenly
| greeting, their check r0seate with the
health of eternal summer, their hands
- - x.4, 49,. iha cfn.yA their fact
bounding with the mirth Of heaven. The
uallOr Of their last sickness zone out OF
their face. never more 10 be sick, never
more to cough, never more TO limp, never
more 10 be old, never more to weep. They
are watching from those heights to see II
through Christ You can take that Tort,
and whether you Will rush in upon them
%victors. They know that upon this battle
depends whether you viii ever join their
society. Up, Strike harder Charge
more bravely' Remember that every
inch you gain puts you SO much farther
on toward that heavenly reunion.
If this morning, while | speak, you
could hear the cannonade Of a foreign
navy coming through the 'Narrows, .
which was 10 despoil our city, and if
really should succeed in carrying our
families away from rs, how long would
we take before We resolved to go after
them? Every weapon, whether fresh
from Springfield or old and rusty IN the
garrett, would be brought out, and We
would urge on, and, coming in front OF
the foe, we would look at them and Their
look at our families, and the cry woulc
be: Victory or death and when the
ammunition was gone. we would taketht
captors on the point of the bayonot o.
under the breech Of the gun. If yol
would make such a struggle for the get
ting back of your earthly friends, vii
YOU not make AS much struggle for th'
gaining OF the eternal c~Ompanionship o
your heavenly friends? Oh, yes! VI
must Join them. We must sit in thel
holy society. We must sing with then
the song. We must celebrate with then
the triumph. Let it never be told o.
earth or in heaven that David and his
men pushed out with drawer hearts FOL
the getting back Of their earthly friends
for a few years on earth than we to get
our depariedl
You say that al this implies that our
departed Christian friends arc alive.
Why, had you any idea they were dead
They Rave only moved. If you should