The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-08-12
DIVERGENT PATHS.
The Marked Contrast Between Two Lives
That Had Gone Out.

The Marked Contrast Between Two Lives
That Had Gone Out.
Two funerals in one day-one follow
ing the other with only fifteen minutes
interval for the pastors MONDAY meal
The first was that of saloonlSeeper,
who died after several days of insane
drunkenness and two nights of expos
ure. He left wife who had deserted
him, and two children, in a distant
city. He breathed his last in a saloon
without a relative to administer to his
wants and unattended save by those
men and women who had been his COM
panions in sin. Saloonists and their
wives made up the bearers and chief
mourners. There was a rich coffin,
profusion of flowers and the best music
that the city afforded. What could a
Christian minister say under such cir
cumstances?
So far as the past is concerned he can
speak only of signs and regrets for
what might have been. He can only
point to the unutterable record which
shall be reviewed only at the last day.
He can point to the dumb lips of the
dlsfigured form, and let them speak the
message to those whose record is still
before them. And what a message for
boys who hang about the saloons
smoking cigarettes. What a message
to careless parents; to women who
give and take the social wine-cup; to
men who pride themselves in their abil-
ity to "break off" from a bad habit at
any time. What message, this, to
the man who most assiduously employs
his time in corrupting the youth in or
der that his Satanic business shall
prosper!
The other funeral was that Of baby
girl We met tine bereaved parents in
a small tent. Two of the four chairs
bore up the tiny casket. Sympathizing
hands had arranged the little form in a
most attractive way. 1t was beautiful
those little round cheeks and chubby
hands. We all stood around as if wait
ing to see her arouse from her morning
nap We tried to sing: Jesus. Lover
of My Soul" and then we read over
those verses about: Suffer little chill
dren," and commended ourselves to the
merciful Father who never affiicts will
ingly.
A little later the tiny casket was oc-
cupying the very place so recently left
vacant. There was less Of silver plate,
less of floral wreaths: but there was a
larger company of mourners. We could
talk of hope, of the beautiful bud so
suddenly plucked. of the treasure laid
up in Heaven. A large company of
school children could sing: ''When He
cometh, when He cometh, to make up
His Jewels" and then fall into process
sion to view the little form.
We buried the two in the same row
separated by scarcely forty feet of
ground. AS we spoke the last words
we could not help thinking how widely
the paths of these two lives had di-
verged and how different would be
their lot at the resurrection morn.
These two stood together once in child
hoods innocence. Great was the privi-
lege of anyone to stand at the point of
divergence and direct the tempted boy
into the straight and narrow path.
But what shall we say to him who
multiplied those temptations and made
it easy for the boy to fall again and
again! The mountains and the hills
will not suffice to hide such an one at
that day.-Rev. +. g. Appleton, in
United Presbyterian.