Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-06-27

7
Of the street of the mercy of the Cirist ~ ~
Mary Magdalene; whether II he r.
weave garland for a laughing child on :
spring morning and call her a NAV nnea,, or
to comb out the tangled locksof a wait Of The
street and cut up one of your old dresses IA
NJ ner out Ior the sanctuary-do it, and do il
right away. Whether it be a crown ~. !
yoke, do not fidgit Everlasting honors upon
those who do their work and do their whole
work, and are contented in the sphere In
which God has put them; while there is only
wandering, and exile, and desolation and
wilderness for disconnected Hagar and Ish-
mael.
Again, find in this Oriental scene n lesson
OF sympathy with woman when she goes
forth trudging in the desert What a great
change it was for this Hagar There was the
tent and all the surroundings of Abraham's
house, beautiful and luxurious no doubt
Now she is going out into the hot sands of
the desert O, what change it wasl And in
our day we often see the wheel of fortune turn.
Here is some one who lived in the very brigh.
home Of her father. She had everything nos
sible to administer to her happiness. Plenty
at the table. Music in the drawing room
Welcome at the door, She is led forth into
life by some one who cannot appreciate her.
A dlsslpated soul comes and takes her out in
the desert. Iniquities blot ont all
the lights of that home circle
Harsh words wear out her spirits. The high
hope that shone out over the marriage altar
while the ring was being set and the VOWS
given and the benediction pronounced. have
all faded with the orange blossoms, and there
she is to-day, broken-hearted thinking of past
joy and present desolation and coming an
guish. Hagar in the wildernessl
Here is beautiful home. You cannot
think of anything that can be added to it.
For years there has not been the suggestion
of a single trouble Bright and happy chill
dren fill the house with laughter and song.
Books to read. Pictures TO look at
Lounges to rest on. Cup of domestic
joy full and running over Dark
night drops. Pillow hot. Pulses flutter.
Eyes close. And the foot whose well known
steps ON the door sill brought the whole
household out at eventide, crying: Fathers
coming, will never sound ON the door sill
again. long, deep grief ploSed through
all that lightness of domestic life Paradise
est Widowhood! Ragar IN the wilderness!
How often it is we see the weak arm of
woman conscripted for this battle with the
rough world. Who is she. going down the
street in the early light of the morning, pale
with exhausting work, not half slept out
with the slumbers of last night, tragedies Of
suffering written ell over her face her luster-
less eyes looking far ahead as though for the
coming of some other trouble2 Her parents
y
day when they held her up to the font,
and the Christian minister sprinkled on
the infants face the washings of a holy
baptism. Her name is changed now. hear
it in the shuttle of the worn out shoes. / see
il in the figure of the faded calico. find it
in the lineaments Of the woe begone
eountenance Not Mary, nor Bertha. nor
Agnes, but Hagar in the wilderness May
God have mercy upon woman in her tolls
her struggles her hardships, her desolation
and may the great heart of Divine sympathy
inclose her forever.
AGAIN 1 find In this Oriental scene the fact
that every mother leads forth tremendous
destinies You say: THAT isn't an unusual
scene, a mother leading her child by the
hand Who is it that she is leading2
Ishmael, you say. Who is Ishmaelg A great
nation is 10 be founded: a nation 50 strong
that it is 10 stand for thousands of years
against all the armies of the world. Egypt
and Assyria thunder against it, but in
vain. Gaulus brings up his army,
and his army Is smitten. Alex
ander decides upon a campaign, brings up his
hosts and dies. For a long while that nation
monopolizes the learning of the world. II is
the nation of the Arabs. Who founded it, ISL
mael, the lad that Hagar led into the wilder
ness She had no idea she was leading forth
such destinies. Neither does any mother.
You pass along the street, and see pass boys
and girls who win vet make the earth quake
with their influence Who is that boy at
Sutton Pool. Plymouth, England,
barefooted: wading down into the
slush and slime, until his bare foot
cones upon a piece of glass and he lifts il,
bleeding and pain-strucks That wound in
the foot decides that he be sedentary In his
life, decides that he be a student. That
wound by the glass in the foot decides that
he shall be John KitIo, who shall provide
the best religious encyclopedia the world has
ever had provided and with his other writ
ings as well, throwing light upon the
Word of God such as has come from no other
man in this century. O mother, mother
that little hand that wanders over your
face NAV vet be lifted to hurl thunderbolts
of war or drop benedictions. That little
voice may blaspheme God in the grog shop,
or cry: "Forwardm to the Lords hosts, as
they go out for their last victory. Ny mind
to-day leaps thirty years ahead, ana see
merchant prince of New York. One stroke
of his pen brings ship out of Canton An
other stroke of his pen brings ship into
Madras He is mighty in all the money mar
kets of the world. Who is her he sits to-
day beside you in the Tabernacle Ny mind
leaps thirty years forward from THIS
time. and | find myself in relief as
ISOLATION. A great multitude Of Chris
tian women have met together for generous
DuIDOSe. 1ucTt Il O1C NOlAdh IA
who seems to have the confidence of all the
Others. and they all look up to her for her
counsel and for her prayers VINO Is sne
To-day you will find her in the Sabbath-school
while the teacher tells her Of that Christ who
clothed the naked and fed the hungry and
healed the sick. My mind leaps forward
thirty years from now, and nnd
myself in an African jungle; and
there is a missionary of the cross adj
dressing the natives, and their dusky
are irradiated with the glad
tidinrs of great JOY and salvation: Who Is
he q Did you not hear his voice to-day In the
first song of the services Ny mind leaps Tor
ward thirty years from now, and l ind my
self looking through the wickets OF prison.
I see a face SCARED with every crime, his
chin on his open palm, his elbow on his knee
"A picture of despair. As lopened the WICK
ct he starts, and hear his chain ciank. Inc
fail Keeper tells me that he has been N there
now three times. First for theft tnen
for arson. now for murder ne
steps upon the trap door. the rome Is fastenea
70 his neck. the plank falls, his BODY SWINGS
into the air. his soul swings on into esernl.s.
who Is he, and where is hes To-day pay Ne
kite On the city commons Mother, you Ae
=, ,.,- boisfirfy a throne or forging challl-