The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-07-24

our dead ana listen ana near IN the distance
the rumbling on OF the ehariots OF resurrec.
ton victory, U heaven, sweet heavenl You
do not spell heaven as you used 10 spell IL
You used 10 spell il h-e-a-v-en-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
II 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
TINS reunion. . Oh, how much you will have
10 tell them when once you meet theml
How much you have been through since
you saw them last. On the shining shore
you will talk ii all over. The heartaches,
the loneliness, the sleepless nights the weep
ing until you had no more power TO weep
because the heart was withered and dried
up. Story OF vacant chair and empty era
die, 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
thought that 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-aone. Talking il all
over, and then hand in hand walking up and
down in the light. No sorrow, no tears, no
death. q, heaven, beautiful heaven 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 tho cage and
the birds, flying out, sing. And Iwould to
day bring a cage OF Christian consultations to
the grave Of your loved ones, and l would
open the door and let them fill all the ali
with the music Of their voices.
oh, h " they bound in, these spirits before
the thronei Some shout with gladness, som,
break forth into uncomfortable weeping for
Joy, some stand speeches. in their shock OF
delight. They sing, they culver with exces
sive 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 triumphal arches, they strike
it on timbrels, 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 day break and the shadows flea
away. Turn thou, my beloved. and be like
roe or young hart upon the mountains Of
Bether."
Oh, how different it is on earth from the
way it is in heaven when Christian dies!
We say, Close his eyes, In heaven they
say, ''Give him palm" On earth we saw,
LET him down in the ground" In heaven
thew say, Raise him on a throne" On
earth it is, Farewell farewell" In heaven
it is, welcome, welcome" And see
Christian soul coming down to the river OF
death, and he steps into the river and the
water comes to the ankle He says, lord
Jesus, is this deathsn no" saws Christ,
this is not DEATH And he wades still
deeper down into the waters until the flood
comes to the knee, and he says, Lord
Jesus, tell me, tell me, is this
DEATH" And Christ says, mo, no; this is
not DEATH" And he wades still farther
down until the wave comes to the girdle,
and the soul says, Lord Jesus, is this
death% NO" says Christ, this is notn
And deeper in wades the soul till the billow
strikes the lip, and the departing one cries,
'Lord Jesus, is this DEATH" mo" says
Christ, this is not" But when Christ had
lifted that soul on 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"