Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-05-18

ptaAS OEO. fti a a tutAI Va 1850
/ you once were. ! must gather up TIT
) sorrows of your past life; but how shall
, | do it? You say that it is impossible, as
you have had so many troubles and ad
versities Then | will just take two, the
/, first trouble and the last trouble. AS
!, when you were walking along the street,
and there had been music in the distance,
you unconsciously find yourself keeping
step with the music, 80 when you started
life your very life was q musical time.
beat. The earth was full Of Joy and hi
larity; with the bright, clear oar you
made the boat skip; you went on, ana
life grew brighter until after awhile sud
denly a voice from heaven said, Halt!
and quick as the sunshine you halted;
you gre " pale, you confronted your hrst
sorrow. You had no idea that the flush
on your child's cheek was an unhealthy
flush. You said it can't be anything Sc
rious. Death in slippered feet walked
round about the cradle. You dld not
hear the tread; but after awhile the
truth flashed on you. You walked the
floor. Oh, if you could with your strong,
stout hand have wrench that child from
the destroyer. You went to your room
and you said, God. save my child God,
save my childr' The world seemed CO.
ing out in darkness. You said, Il can /
bear il! | cant bear ltr' You felt IS if
you could not pat the long lashes over
the bright eyes, never 90 see them again
sparkle. On. if you could have taken
that little one in your arms and with 1t
leaped the grave. how gladly you would
have done it! on, if you could let your
property O,yoW h ises go,your land and
your store house go, bow gladly you
would have allowed them TO depart il
YOU could only have Kept that u treas,
ure!
But one day there arose from the
heavens d chill blast that swept over the
bedroom, and instantly all The ligat wen
oGt, and there vas GaTkncss-taick
muf Ky, impenetrdble, shuddering dark
ness. But God didn't leave you there
Mercy spoke As you took up the cup,
and was about to put il 10 your lips,
God said, Let il pass and forth with,
az by the hand OF angels, another cup
WAS put into your hands; il was The cup
Of Gods consolation. And as you have
sometimes lifted the head of a soldier,
and poured wine into his lips, so God
put his left arm under your head, and
with his right hand he poured into your
lips the wine Of his comfort and his con
ISOLATION, and you looked at the empty
cradle and looked at your broken heart,
and you locked al the Lords cbastise
ment, and you said, Even SO, Father,
for 1t seemeth good in thy sight,
All, it was your first trouble. How
did you get over it? God comforted you.
You have been a better man eve since.
You have been a better woman ever
since. In the jar Of the closing gate Of
the sepulcher you heard the changing of
the opening gate of heaven, and you felt
an irresistible drawing he8venward.
You have been purer of mind ever since
that night when the little one for the last
time put its arms around your neck and
SAID, Good night, papa; good night,
mamma. Meet me in heaven"
But | must come on down to your
latest sorrow. What was it? Perhaps it
was your own sickness. The child's
tread on the stair, or the tick of the
watch on the stand disturbed you.
Through the long weary days you counted
the figures in the carpet or the flowers in
the wal paper. Oh, the WEAKNESS, the
exhaustion! Oh, the burning pangs!
Would God it were morning, would God
it were night, were your frequent cry.
But you are better, or perhaps even well.
Have you thanked that God today you
can come out in the fresh air; that you
are in this place to hear Gods name, and
to sing Gods praise, and implore Gods
help, and 10 ask Gods forgiveness?
Bless the Lord who healeth al our
diseases, and redeemeth our lives from
destruction.
Perhaps your last sorrow was financial
embarrassment. / congratulate some OF
you on your lucrative professions or oc
cupatioa, on ornate apparel. on a com
modious residence-everything you put
Your hands TO seems to turn TO gold.
But there are Others Of you who are like
the ship on which Paul sailed, wLere
two seas met, and you are broken by the
violence Of the waves. BY an unadvised
Endorsement, Or by a c~oDjngation of
unforeseen events, or by fire, or storm, or
a senseless panic, you have been flung
headlong, and where you once dispensed
great charities, now you have hard work
to make the two ends meet.
Have you forgotten to thank God for
your days of prosperity, and that
through your trials some of you have
made investments which will continue
after the last bank Of this world has ex.
ploded, and the silver and gold are
molten in the fires OF a burning WorldT
Have you, amid all your losses and dis
co~uragements, forgot that there was
bread on your table this morning, and
that there shall be a shelter foryour head
from the STERN, and there IL air for your
lungs, and blood for your heart, and
light for YOUR eye, and a glad and glori-
Gus and triumphant religion for your
soulH
Perhaps your last trouble vas a be-
reavement. That heart which in child.
hood was your refuge, the parental heart,
and which has been a source of the
quickest sympathy ever since, has sud
denly become silent forever, and now
sometimes, whenever in sudden annoy
ance and without deliberation you say
Il will go and tell mother" the thought
flashes on you, II have no mother" or
the father, with voice less tender, but as
stanch and earnest and loving as ever,
wstchful Of al your ways, exultsnt over
your success without saying much,
although the old people do talk it over
by themselves, his trembling hand upon
that staff which you now keep as a
family relic, his memory embalmed in
grateful hearts, is taken away forever.
Or, there was your companion in life,