The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-12-02

i
keep off the wind, but still you remem-
Der how shivering was the body, and
how painful was the cheek, and how
benumbed were the hands. But after
awhile the sun was high up, and all the
frosts went out of the air, and hilarities
awakened the echoes, and joy from one
corn shock went up, saba, ahal" and
was answered by Joy from another corn
shock, "Aha, ahar'
So we all realize that the death Of our
friend is the nipping Of many expecta-
tions, the freezing, the chilling, the
frosting of many of our hopes. 1t is far
from being south wind. 1t comes out
of the frigid north, and when they go
away from us we stand benumbed in
body, and benumbed in mind, and be-
numbed in soul. We stand among our
dead neighbors, our dead families, and
we say, "Will we ever get over it?'
Yes, we will get over 1t amid the shout
ings of heavenly reunion, and we will
look back to all these distresses of be-
reavement only as the temporary dis
tresses of husking time. "Weeping may
endure for night, but joy cometh in
the morning." Light, and but for a
moment" said the apostle as he clapped
his hands slight, and but for mo-
ment." The chill of the frosts followed
by the gladness that cometh in like a
shock Of corn cometh in in his season."
OFF WITH THIS HusK OF FLESH!
OF course the husking time made
rough work with the ear of corn. The
husking peg had to be thrust in, and the
hard thumb Of the husker had to come
down on the swathing of the ear, and
then there was a pull, and there was
ruthless tearing, and then complete
swapping off before the corn was free,
and if the husk could have spoken it
would have said: "Why do you laeerate
me? Why do you wrench me?" All,
my friends, that is the way God has ar
ranged that the ear and husk shall p rt,
and that is the way he has arranged that
the body and the soul shall separate.
You can afford to have your physical
distresses when you know that they are
only forwarding the souls liberation.
{ Every rheumatic pain is only plunge
of the husking peg. Every neuralgia
twinge is only a twist by the husker.
There is gold in you that must come ont.
Some way the shackle must be broken.
Some way the ship must be launched
for heavenly voyage. You must let
the Heavenly Husbandman husk off
the mortality from the Immortality.
There ought to be great consolation in
this for all who have chronic ailments,
since the Lord is gradually and more
mildly taking away from you that which
binders your souls liberation, doing
gradually for you what for many of us
in robust health perhaps he will do in
one fell blow at the last. At the close
of every illness, at the close of every
paroxysm, you ought to say "Thank
God, that is all past now; thank God.
will never have to suffer that again;
thank God, am so much nearer the
hour of liberation"
Z You will never suffer the same pain
twice. You may have new pain in an
old place, but never the same pain twice
The pain does its work, and then it dies.
Just so many plunges of the crowbar to
free the quarry stone for the building.
Just SO many strokes of the chisel to
complete the statue. just so many
pangs to separate thesoul from the body
You who have chronic ailments and dis
orders are only paying in installments
that which some of us will have to pay
in one payment when we pay the debt
of nature. Thank God, therefore, we
who have chronic disorders, that you
have SO much less suffering at the last.
Thank God that you will have so much
less to feel in the way of pain at the
hands of the Heavenly Husbandman
when "the shock of corn cometh in i'll
his season."
{ Perhaps now this may be an answer
to question which I asked one Sabbath
morning, but did not answer, Why is it
that so many really good people have so
dreadfully to suffer? You often find a
good man with enough pains and aches
and distresses, you would think, to dis
cipline whole colony, while you will
find man who is perfectly useless 60
ing about with easy digestion and steady
nerves and shining health, and his exit
from the world is comparatively painless.
How do you explain that9 Well, no.
ticed in the husking time that the husk-
Ing peg was thrust into the corn, and
then there must be a stout pull before
the swathing was taken off the ear and
the full, round, healthy, luxuriant corn
was developed, while. on the other hand,
there was corn that hardly seemed worth
husking.
We threw that into place all by
itself, and we called it ''nubbins. Some
of it was widowed, and some of it was
mice nibbled, and some Of it was great
promise and no fulfllment. All cobs
and no corn. Nubbins! After the good
corn had been driven up to the barn we
came around with the corn basket and
we picked up these nubbins. They were
worth saving, but not worth much. So
all around us there are people who
amount to comparatively nothing. They
develop into no kind of usefulness. They
are nibbled on one side by the world,
and nibbled on the other side by the
devil, and widowed all over. Great
promise and no fulfllment. All cobs
and no corn. Nubbins! They are worth
saving. Isuppose many of them will
get to heaven, but they are not worthy
to be mentioned in the same day with
those who went through great tribula
ton into the kingdom of our God.
Who would not rather have the pains
Of this life, the misfortunes of this life
who would not rather be torn aat
wounded and lacerated and wrenchei
and husked, and at last go in amid thu
very best grain Of the granary-than tx
be pronounced not worth husking at all
Nubbins! In other words, want to say
to you people who have distress of boly
and distress in business and distress o.
all sorts, the Lord has not any grudgt
against you. 1t is not derogatory; it il
complimentary. Whom the Lord lovetl
he chasteneth," and it is proof positive
that there is something valuable in you
or the Lord would not have husked you
GOD APPROVES OF A JOYOUS SPIRIT.
You remember also that in the TIM
of husking it was q neighborhood re
1n;op r., tha oraat firep1aca in fin