The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-12-11


his sons, and so much to his daughters,
and so much to benevolent societies.
Our Lord Jesus hath died, and We are
assembled today to hear the will read.
He says, MY peace give unto YOU"
Through his apostle he says IAN are
yours" What everythingi Yes,
eyerythingl This world and the next,
In distinguished families there are old
pictures hanging on the wall. They
are called the ''heirloomsn of the estate.
They are very old, and have come
down from generation to generation,
So look upon all the beauties of the
natural world as the heirlooms of our
royal family. The morning breaks
from the east. The mists travel up hill
above hill, mountain above mountain,
until sky-lost The forests are full of
chirp and buzz and song. Trees leaf
and birds wing flutter with gladness.
Honey makers in the log, and beak
against the bark, and squirrels chatter
ing on the rail, and the call of the
hawk out of clear sky, make you feel
glad. The sun, which kindles con-
fiagrations among the castles of cloud,
and sets minaret and dome aflame
stoops to paint the lily white, and the
buttercup yellow, and the forgetmenot
blue.
What can resist the sum- Light for
the voyager over the deep! Light for
the shepherd guarding the flocks afieldl
Light for the poor who have no lamps
to burnl Light for the downcast and
the lowlyl Light for aching eyes and
burning brain and. wasted captive!
Light for the smooth brow of child
hood and for the dim vision of the
octogenarian! Light for queens coro-
net and for sewing girls needlel Let
there be light Whose morning is this2
My morning. Your morning. Our
Father gave US the picture and hung it
on the sky in loops of fire. 1t is the
heirloom of our family.
And so the night 1t is the full moon
The mists from shore to shore CLEAN
like shattered mirrors, and the ocean,
under her glance, comes up with great
tides, painting upon the beach, mingling
as it were foam and fire The poor
man blesses God for throwing such
cheap light through the broken win
dow pane into his cabin and to the
sick it seems light from the other
shore which bounds this great deep of
human pain and woe. If the sun seem
like a song full and poured from brazen
instruments that fill heaven and earth
with great harmonies, the moon is
plaintive and mild, standing beneath
the throne of God, sending up her soft,
sweet voice of praise, while the stars
listen and the sea.
No mother ever more sweetly guard
ed the sick cradle than all night long
this pale watcher of the sky bends over
the weary, heartsick, slumbering earth.
Whose is this black framed, black tas-
seled picture of the night2 1t is the
heirloom of our family. Ours, the
grandeur of the spring, the crystals OF
the snow, the coral of the beach, the
odors of the garden, the harmonies of
| the air.
| LET Us INSPECT THE ESTATE.
You cannot see large estate in one
morning You must take several walks
around it. The family property of this
royal house of Jesus is SO great that we
must take several walks to get any idea
of its extent. Let the first walk be
around this earth ALI these valleys,
the harvests that wave in them, and
the cattle that pasture them-an these
mountains, and the precious things
hidden beneath them, and the crown of
glacier they cast at the feet of the AL
pine hurricane-all these lakes, these
islands, these continents, are ours
III the second walk go among the
street lamps of heaven and see stretch
ing off on every side wilderness Of
worlds. For us they shine. For us
they sang at Saviour's nativity. For
us they will wheel into line, and with
their flaming torches add to the SPLEEN
dor of our triumph on the day for
which all other days were made.
In the third walk go around the Eter-
nal City. AS we come near it, bark to
the rush of its chariots and the wedding
peel of its great towers The bell of
heaven has struck twelve. 1t is high
noon. We look off upon the chaplets
which never fade, the eyes that never
weep, the temples that never close, the
loved ones that never part, the process
sion that never halts, the trees that
never wither, the walls that never can
be captured, the sun that never sets,
until we can no longer gaze, and we
hide our eyes and exclaim, Eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man the things
which God hath prepared for them that
love himw AS these tides of glory rise
we have to retreat and hold fast lest
we be swept off and drowned in the
emotions of gladness and thanksgiving
and triumph.
What think you of the family prop
erty9 It is considered an honor to
marry into a family where there is great
wealth. The Lord, the bridegroom of
earth and heaven, offers you his heart
and his hand, saying, in the words Of
the Canticles, Rise up my love, my
fair one, and come away" and once
having put on thy hand the signet ring
of his love you will be endowed with
Nll the wealth of earth and all the
honors of heaven.
Almost every family looks back to a
homestead-some country place where
you grew up. You sat on the doorsill.
You heard the footstep of the rain on
the garnet roof. You swung on the
gate. You ransacked the barn. You
waded into the brook. You thrashed
the orchard for apples and the neigh
boring woods for nuts, and everything
around the old homestead is of interest
to you. tell you of the old home
stead of eternity. In my Fathers
house are many mansions. When we
talk of mansions we think of Chats