The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
Afraid of q Shadow.

Margaret J. Preston, in the Ch1aSttdn
InteLli0encer, gives the following incl
dent as told by Scotch clergyman
whom she heard recently in Torquay,
in England:
Twas sitting in my study one Satur-
day evening, when a message came to
me that one of the godliest among the
shepherds who tended their tlocks up
on the slopes of our highland hills was
dying, and wanted to see a minister.
Without loss of time | crossed the
wide heath to his comfortable little
cottage. When I entered the low
room, found the old shepherd prop
ped up with Ipillows, and breathing
with such difficulty that it was appar-
ent he was near his end.
"Jean," he said to his wife, "gie the
minister stool and leave us for DIT,
for wad see the minister alone.
AS soon as the door closed he turned
the most pathetic pair of gray eyes up
on me had ever looked into, and said
in a voice shaken with emotion, Min
lister, I'm dying, and-and-l'm
afraid ~
I began at once to repeat the strong.
est promises with which Gods word
furnishes US, but in the midst Of them
he stopped me.
II ken them a." he said mournful-
ly, 81 ken them a. tut somehow they
dinna give me comfort.
you not believe them ?"
"Wi a. my heart" he replied, ear
nestly. E.
"Where, then, isthere any room for
fear, with such saving faith" .,
"For a. that, minister, I'm afrald'
I'm afraid ~ ,,
I took up the well-worn Bible which
Law on his bed, and turned to the
psalm which I have read you to-day;
sYou remember the twenty-third
psalm ?" began.
"Remember it?" he said, vehement
ly. II kenned it long afore We was
horn: We need ma read it; I've conned
it q thousand times Oh the hillside"
"But there is one verse you have moi
taken in"
He turned upon me with a half re-
proachful and even stern look. "Dlo
ma tell ye l kenned it every wore
long afore We was born ?" ,
I Slowly repeated the verse, 'Thougil
walk through the valley OF the shad
ow of death l will fear no evil, fol
fhou art with me-" "You have been q
shepherd all your life, and you have
watched the heavy shadows pass over
the valleys and the hills, hiding for :
little while the light and the sun. Die
these shadows frighten you?"
"Frighten meW' he said quickly
"Na. ma: David Donaldson has Cove
panter's blud in his veins; nelthel
,Le,fn
frighten him"
"But did these shadows nerer make
you believe that sou would not see tht
sun apsiu, that it was gone forever"
INA, ma I could ma be sic simple
ton as that"
"Nevertheless, that is just what yo'
are doing now."
He looked at me with incredulou
eyes.
"Yes," I continued, "the shadow o
death is over you, and it hides for
little the Sun of Righteousness, WIZ
shines all the same behind it; but IT.
only a shadow, remember-that's wha
the psalmist calls it; shadow tina
will pass, and when it has passed, De
fore You will he the everlasting hills II
their unclouded glory"
The old shepherd covered his face
with his trembling hands, and for
few minutes maintained an unbrokel
silence then letting them fall straight
before him on the coverlet, he said, Us
if musing to himself, "Aweel. aweel
I haze conned that verse q thousand
times among the heather, and l never
understood it afore. Afraid of shad'
ow, afraid of a shadow J! Then turn
ing upon me face now bright with al
almost supernatural radiance, he eX
planned, lifting his eyes reverently te
heaven. "Aye, aye; | see it a now
Death is only shadow-shadow-
with Christ behind it-a shadow tha
will pass-na, ma, Pm afraid nae
mair."