The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-07-18
river. 1t was evening and

the Mohawk river. 1t was evening and
wanted to go over the river, so waved
my hat and shouted and after awhile
saw some one waving on the opposite
bank and 1 heard him shout, and the
boat came across. and I got in and was
transported. And so / suppose 1t viii
be in the evening of our life We viii
come down to the river of death and
give signal to our friends on the other
shore, and they will give signal back
to US, and the boat comes, and our de-
parted kindred are the oarsmen, the
fires OF the setting day tinging the tops
of the paddles
o, have yon never sat by such a death
bed? In that hour you hear the depart
ing soul cry: ''Harkl lookr' You
hearkened and you looked A little
child pining away because OF the death
OF It's mother. getting weaker and
weaker every day, was taken into the
room where hung the picture OF her.
mother. She seemed to enjoy looking
at 1t, and then she was taken away, and
after awhilesdfed In the last moment
that wan and wasted little one lifted
her hands. while her face lighted up
with the glory of the next world, and
cried out: s'.MotherEsFY You tell me she
did not see her mother? She did So
in my first settlement at Belleville a
plain man said to me: What do you
think 1 heard last night? l was in the
room where one of my neighbors was
| dying. He was a good han, and he
said he heard the angels OF God singing
before the throne. l haven't much
poetry about me, but I listened and 1
heard them. too" Said 1: 81 have no
doubt of it" Why. we are to be taken
up to Heaven at last by ministering
sp rits- Who arc they to be? Souls
that went up from Madras, or Antioch,
or Jerusalem? o, no; our glorified kim
dred are going to troop around u.s.
Heaven Is not a stately. formal place,
as,I sometimes hear it described, very
frigidty of .splendor, where people stand
ON cold formalities and go around about
with heavy crowns of gold upon their
heads No, that is not my idea of
Heaven My idea of Heaven is more
like this: You are seated in the even
ing de by the fireplace, your whole
family there, or nearly all of them
there. While you are seated talking
and enjoying the evening hour, there is
a knock at the door and the door opens,
and there comes in brother that has
been long absent He has been absent
for years, you have not seen him, and
no sooner do you make up your mind
that it is certainly he, than you leap up,
and the question is who shall give him
the first embrace. That is my
idea of Heaven-a great home
circle, where they are waiting for
US o, will you not know your mothers
voice there? She who always called
you by your first name long after others
had given you the formal "Mister?'
You were never any thing but James, or
John, or George, or Thomas, or Mary,
, or Florence to her.
Will you not know your child's voice?
, She of the bright eye and the ruddy
cheek and the quiet step, who came in
from playing and flung herself into
, your lap, very shower of mirth and
/ beauty? Why. the picture is craven in
? your soul. 1t can not wear out If that
little one should stand on the other side
of some heavenly hill and call to you, YOU
) would hear her voice above the burst OF
!, Heavens great orchestra. Know it:
You could help but know it
o. We whose hearts are down under
the sod of the cemetery, cheer up at the
thought of this reunionl o! how much
, you will have to tell them when once
, you meet them! How much you have
been through since you saw them last
On the shining shore you will talk it al
, over. The heart-acheS The loneli
, ness The sleepless nights The weep
ing until you had no more power tC
weep, because the heart was withered
and dried up Story of vacant chair
and empty cradle, and little shoe only
half worn out never to be worn again
, just the shape of the foot that once
pressed it. And dreams when you though
that the departed had come back again
. and the room seemed bright with theil
I faces, and you started up to greet them
and in the effort the dream broke anC
! you found yourself standing amid-rocu
: in the nidhight-alone. Talking it al
n over, and then, hand in hand, walkin,
! up and down in the light No sorrow
n no tears; no death. o, Heaveni beauti
full Heayepi Heaven where our friend
0 are. Heaven where we expect to be.
: o, how different it is on earth iron
( the way it is in Heaven when Christian
/ diesl We say: "Close his eyes" Il
1 Heaven they say: ''Give him a palm.
o On earth we say: Let him down in tn
!, ground" In Heaven they say: "Rais
him on a throne" On earth it is
1 Farewell, farewell" In Heaven it is
? WELCOME. welcome" And so see
! Christian soul coming down to the rive
: OF death, and he steps into the river
and the water comes to his ankle. ii
, says: Lord Jesus. is this death?
Z No" says Christ ''this is not death.
d And he wades still deeper down int
!. the waters until the flood comes to tn
4 knee, and he says: Lord Jesus, tell me
/? tell me, is this death?'' And Chris
n says: mo. no; this is not death" An
s he wades still further down until tn
h wave comes to the girdle, and the sou
q says: Lord Jesus, is this death?
N NO" says Christ, .'this is not" An
q deeper in wades the soul till the billo,
d strikes the lip and the departing on
3 cries: Lord Jesus, is this death?
il rNo," says Christ, this is not" Blu
s when Christ has lifted that soul on
t throne of glory, aud. the pomp and 10
|. of Heaven came surg ng to its feet the
n Christ said: This, o transported soul,
4 deathr'1
9 UNDER CONSTANTINOPLE