The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-10-24
for half-dozen E1iiahs No thanks 10

OF Elijah, whom they found at the
mouth of his cave on the side Of Cherith
waiting for his breakfast. having drunk
his morning beverage from the rushing
stream beneath. than have been his but
fers and puFyeyors- But God compelled
them. as He always compelled and al
ways will compel black and cruel and
oyershadowing providencss, to carry
help TO His children If they only have
faith enough to catch the blessing as 1t
drops from the seeming adversely, the
greatest blessings always coming not
with white wings but black wings
But lookI Look what at four o'clock
in the afternoon bursts upon our vision
tho plain of Jericho and the valley OF
Jordan and the Dead sea- We have
come TO q place where the horses not SO
m uch walk as slide upon their launches,
and we all dismouDt, for the steep de-
scent is simply terrific, though a Prin-
cess of Wallachia, who fell here and
was dangerously injured. after recovery
spent large amount of money in try
ing to make the road passabie. Down
and down. till we saw the white tents
p. tched for US by our muieteers amid
the ruins of ancient Jericho, which fell
at the sound of poor music played on
rams horn" that ancient instrument
which taken from the head of the lead
err of the flock of sheep. is perforated
and prepared to be fingered by the
musical performers, and blown upon
when pressed to the lips
On the evening of December we
Wake ed amid the BRICK and mortar of
that shattered city. and said to myself:
All this was done by poor music blest OF
God. for it was not harp or flute, or
a clapp ng cymbal, or an organ played,
at the sound of which the city surren-
dered to destruction, but a rude instru-
ment making rude music blest of God,
IL
which had for centuries defied the Al
mighty. And 1 said, if all this was by
the blessing of God on poor music, what
nigh tier things could be done by the
blessing of God on good music, gospel
music. II all the good that has already
been done by music were subtracted
from the world. believe three-fourths
of it's religion would be gone.
Seated by the warmth of our camp
fires that evening of December 6, amid
the bricks and debris of Jericho. and
thinking what poor music has done and
what nigh tier things could be accom-
plished by the blessings of God on good
music, said to myself: Ministers have
been doing a grand work, and sermons
have been blessed, but would it not be
we'll for us to put more emphasis on
music? Oh. for a campaign of Old
Hundred! Oh, for brigade of Mount
| Pisgahsi Oh, for a cavalry charge Of
Coronations! oh, for an army of Anti
ochs and st. Martins and Ariels! Oh,
for enough orchestral batons lifted, to
marshal all nations! AS Jericho was
surrounded by poor music for seven
days and was conquered, SO let our earth
be surrounded seven days by Gospel
music, and the round planet will all be
| taken for God.
While our evening meal is being pre-
pared in the tents we walk out. for a
moment to the Fountain of Elisha, :"
the one into which the prophet threw
the salt. because the waters were pois-
onous and bitter. and lol they became
sweet and healthy; and ever since, with
gurgle and laughter, they have rushed
down the hill and leaped from the rocks,
the only cheerful object in all that
region being these waters
Now on this plain of Jericho the sun
| is setting, making the mountains look
like balustrades and battlements of
amber and maroon and gold. and the
moon, just above the creStS, seems to be
a window of Heaven through which inn
| mortals might be looking down upon
the scene. Three Arabs as watchmen
sit beside the camp fire at the door oil
my tent, their low conve rsation in a
strange language all night long sooth
ing thanrather an in Interruption had
dream that night never to be forgot
ten that dream amid the complete ruins
of Jericho. Its past grandeur returned
and l saw the city as it was when Narl
Antony gave it to Cleo patra and Herod
bought it from her. And 1 hoard thu
hoofs of its swift steeds and the rum
bling of it's chariots and the shouts O
excited spectat tors in its amphitheater
q, The region round about the city wall
seemed to me white with cotton such a
Thenius described as once growing
there. and sweet with sugar cane AM
luscious with orange and figs and pome
granates, and redolent with such for
, as can only grow whore tropical SUI
, kisses the earth. And the hour cam
, back to me when in the midst of al
that splendor Herod died commandin
, his sister Salome Immediately after hi
, death to secure the assassination of al
! the chief Jews whom he had brought t
, the city, and shut up in n circus for tina
, purpose, and the news came to tn
: audience in the theater as som
, one took the stage and announce
, to the- excited multitude: "Herod
dead! Herod is deadl" Then in m
: dream all the pomp of Jericho van
ished and gloom was added to gloon
= and desoiation to desolation, and woe
= woe, until, perhaps the ripping water
of the fountain of Elisha suggesting
= as sound Will some times give direc
+, ton to a dream-I thought the water
7 of Christ's salvation and the fountain
. "open for sin aud uncleanness," wer
rolling through that plain, and rollin
across that continent and rolling acros
the earth. until on either side of thei
: banks all the thorns became flowers, an
all the deserts gardens. and all the no
= els mansions. and all the funerals brids
professions, and all the blood of Wa
was turned into dahlias, and all th
= groans became anthems, Dante's III
ferno'' became Dante's ''Divina Con
:, media,' and Paradise Lost" was sui
=. merged by paradise Regaine d." an
7 tears became crystals, and cruel sword
:. came out of the foundries glistenin
a plowshares, and. in my dream,
the blast of trumpet the pro
trated walls of Jericho rose again Ar
some one told me that as these wal
:, in Joshua's time at the sound of Il
trumpets of doom went down, now
the sounding trumpet of the Gospel the
!, come up again. And 1 thought 8 ma
= appeared at the door of my tent, and
= said: who are you. and from whent
have you Gomez" and he said: II am Il
= Samaritan you heard of at the tavern