Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-07-17

family there. or nearly an Of them thera
While you are talking and enjoying the
evening hour there Is knock at the door,
and The door opens and there comes In q
brother that has been long absent. He has
been absent-for years you have not
seen him-and no sooner do you make uu
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.
Oh. viii you not know your mothers voice
therer She who always called you by your
first name long after others had given you
the formal -Mister2- You were never any,
thing but James. or John. or George, OF
Thomas. OF May or Florence to her. viii
you not know your child's voice? She .oi
the bright eye. and the ruddy cheek. and
the quiet step. who came in from play and
flung herself In your lap very shower Of
mirth and beauty2 Why, The picture is
craven in your soul. II cannot wear out.
II 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 it2
You could not help but know it,
NOW bring you this glorious consolation
OF future recognition. II you could get this
theory into your heart IL whould lift great
many shadows that are stretching across it.
When was lad used to go to the rail-
road track and put my ear down on the
track. and I could hear the express
train rumbling miles away and coming on,
and to-day, my friends, II we only had faith
enough we could put our ear down to the
grave OF our dead and listen, and hear In
the distance the rumbling on of the chariots
OF resurrection victory. o Heaven, sweet
Heayenl You do not spell Heaven as you
used to spell 1t. You used to spell it
H-e-a-v-e-n-Heaven- But now when YOU
want to spell that word you place side by
side the faces OF the loved ones who are
gone, and in that irradiation of light and
love and beauty and Joy you spell it out as
never before in songs and hallelujahs. Oh.
ye whose hearts are down under the sod of
the cemetery. cheer up at the thought of
this reunionl oh. how much you will have
TO tell them when once you meet themi
How much you have been through since
you saw them last. On the shining shore
you will talk it all over. The heartaches,
the loneliness, the sleepless nights, the
weeping until you had no more power to
weep, because the heart was withered and
dried up. Story of vacant chair, and empty
cradle, and little shoes only half worn out,
never TO be worn again, just the shape of
the foot that once pressed it. And dreams
when you thought the departed had come
back again. and the room seemed bright
with their faces, and you started up to greet
them, and in the effort the dream broke and
you found yourself standing amid room in
the midnight-alone. Talking it oil over.
down in the light. No sorrow. no tears, no
death. o Heaven, beautiful Heavenl
Heaven, where our friends are. Heaven,
where we expect to be.
In the East they take cage Of birds and
bring it to the tomb of the dead. and then
they open the door of the cage, and the
birds, flying out, sing. And would to-day
n HhEtC nIokf a.
the grave of your loved ones, and would
open the door and let them fill all the air
with the music of their voices.
Oh. how they bound in, these spirits be-
fore the thronel Some shout out with glad
ness, some break forth into uncomfortable
weeping for joy. some stand speechless in
their shock of delight. They sing: thew
quiver with excessive gladness, they gaze
on the temples, on the palaces, on the
waters, on each other. They weave their
JOY into garlands, they spring it into tri-
umphal arches, they strike it on timbreIs,
and then all the loved ones gather in
great circle around the throne of God
fathers. mothers. brothers, sisters, sons and
daughters, lovers, and friends, hand to hand
around about the throne of God--the circle
ever widening-hand to hand. Joy to Joy.
Jubilee TO jubilee, victory to victory, until
the daybreak and the. shadows fee away,
Turn thou my beloved, and be like a roe or
q young hart upon the mountains of
Bether."
Oh, how different it is on earth from the
way it is in Heaven when Christian diesl
We say, Close his eyes" In Heaven they
say, Give him palm" On earth we say,
Let him down in the ground" In Heaven
they say, Raise him on o throne" On
earth it is. Farewell. FAREWELL" In Heaven
it is, Welcome, welcomed" And so see a
Christian soul coming down the river of
death. and he steps into the river and the
water comes to the ankle. He says, Lord
Jesus. is this death?" NO" says Christ,
this is not DEATH" And he wades still
deeper down into the waters until the food
comes to the knee, and he says. Lord Jesus,
tell me, tell me, is this death?" And Christ
says, No. no, this is not DEATH And he
wades still further down until the wave
comes to the girdle. and the soul says,
-Lsrd Jesus. is this death?" no." saws
Christ, this is not And deeper in wades
the soul till the billow strikes the Lip, and
the departing one cries Lord Jesus, isthis
death?" no" says Christ, this is not"
But when Christ had lifted that soul on a
throne of glory, and the pomp and joy of
heaven came surging to its feet, then Christ
said. This, oh transported soul. this is
DEATH