Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-07-25


and got In and was transported. And 30
suppose IL will be In the evening OF our life.
We will come down to the river Of death and
rive a signal to our friends on the other shore
and they will give a signal back TO us, and
the boat comes and our departed kindred
are the oarsmen, the fires of the setting day
hngeing the tops OF the paddles.
Oh, have you never sat by such death
bed, In that hour you hear the departing
soul cry, 'Harki Lookp You hearkened
and you looked. A little child pining away
because Of the death OF its 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 IL
and then she was taken away and after
awhile died 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 "MotherP You tell
me she did not see her mother' She did 80
In my first settlement at Belleville plain
man said TO me: "What do you think
heard last nightf / was in the room where
one of nv neighbors was dying. He was
good man, and he said he heard the angels
81 God singing before the throne. / haven't
much poetry about me, but listened and
heard them. too" Said l, 81 have no doubt
of it.n Why, We are 10 be taken up to
heaven at last by ministering spirits. Who
are they to bel Souls that went up from
Madras, or Antioch, or jerusalem Oh, no;
our gloriHed kindred are going to troop
around them.
Heaven is not a stately, formal place, as
sometimes hear it described, a very frigidity
Of splendor. where people stand on cold for-
malities and 90 around about with heavy
crowns of gold on their heads No, that Is
not my idea OF heaven. Ny idea OF heaven
Is more like this: You are seated In the
eveningtide 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 1t is certainly he than you leap up,
and the question Is who shall give him the
Grst embrace. That Is my idea Of heaven-a
great home circle where they are waiting for
US.
Oh, will you not know your mother voice
theres She who always called you by your
first name long after others had given you
the formal "MisterY' You were never any
thing but James, or John, or George, or
Thomas, or Mary, or Florence to her. VIII
you not know your childs voicef She OF the
bright eye and the ruddy cheek and the quiet
step, who came in from play and flung her.
self into your lap, a very shower OF mirth
and beauty Why, the picture is craven In
your soul. It 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 1t, You could not help
but know It.
Now bring you this glorious consolation
OF future recognition. IL you could get TINS
theory into your heart it would lift great
many shadows that are stretching across It
When | was a lad | used to go out to the
railroad track and put my ear down on the
track, and could hear the express train
r1mbling miles away and coming on; and To-
day, my friends IL we only had faith enough
we could put our ear down to the grave or
our dead and listen and hear in the ulstance
the rumbling on Of the chariots OF resurrec'
ton victory. o heaven, sweet heavenl You
do not spell heaven as you used to spell it
You used to spell 1t h-e-a-v-en-heaven But
now when you want TO spell that word yon
place side by side the faces OF tho loved ones
who are gone, and In that irradiation OF
light and love and beauty aud JOY yon spell
1t as never before in songs and halleluJahs;
Oh, We whose hearts are down under the sod
of the cemetery, cheer up at the thought oil
this reunion. Oh, how much you will have
TO tell them when once you meet theml
How much you have been through sincs
you saw them last. On the shining shore
you will talk it 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 driec
up. Story Of vacant chair and empty era
die, and little shoe only half worn out, nevel
to be worn again, Just the shape of the foo
that once pressed it. And dreams when yol
thought that the departed had come bacl
again, and the room seemed bright wit
their faces, and you started up Il
greet them, and In the effort the dream
broke and you found yourself standing ami
room In the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Talking 1t al
over, and then hand in hand walking up AM
down in the light. No sorrow, no tears, III
death. o, heaven, beautiful heaven Heavel
where our. friends are. Heaven where W
expect to be. In the east they take cage Q
birds and bring it to the tomb Of the dead
and then they open the door Of the cage an
the birds flying out, sing. And would tc
day bring a cage Of Christian consultations
the grave Of your loved ones, and woul
open the door and let them fill all the al
with the music Of their voices.
Oh, how they bound In, these spirits befor
the throne Some shout with gladness, som
break forth into uncomfortable weeping fo
| Joy, some stand speechless In their shock {
| utilRut. tucS SILK. tucy QulNSi WIN cASc
sive gladness they gaze on the temples, o
the palaces, on the waters, on each othe
They weave their joy into garlands, the
spring IL into triumphal arches, they stril
1t on timbrels, and then all the loved on,
gather In a great circle around the throne {
/ God-fathers, mothers brothers, sister
sons and daughters lovers and friends han
to hand around about the throne Of God
the circle ever widening-hand TO hand, jo
to joy, jubilee to jubilee, victory to victor!
until the day break and the shadows fl'
away. Turn thou. my beloved. and be Ill
a roe or young hart upon the mountains
Bether."
Oh, how different it is on earth from Il
way 1t Is in heaven when q Christian die
We say, ''Closo his eyes" In heaven the
say, "Give him palm" On earth we sa
LET him down in the ground" In heav,
thev say, "Raise him on a throne" {
earth it Is Farewell. farewell" In heav
IL is Welcome, welcome And I see
Christian soul coming down to the river
death, and he stems into the river and d
water comes to the ankle. He says, "Lol
Jesus is this deathf' NO" says Chri,
this is not death" And he wades st
deeper down into the waters until the flo
comes to the knee. and he says 40
Jesus tell me- tell me Is Il
deathr' And Christ says mo, no; this
not death" And he wades still farth
down until the wave comes to the grid
and the soul says Lord Jesus q h
deathp "No," says Christ, this Is moi
And deeper in wades the soul till the billie
strikes the lip, and the departing one cri,
'Iord Jesus, is this deathr' 1No," 30
Christ, "this IL not" But when Christ b
lifted that soul on throne OF glory, and
pomp and joy Of heaven came surging to
feet then Christ said, "This. oh transport
soul. this is death"