The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-12-09


sacrifice, and who are urged forward by
all the voices of grace that sound from
the Bible and all the notes of victory
that speak from the SKYE Many years
ago the Forfarshire steamer started from
Hull bound for Dundee. After the yes
sci had been out little while the winds
began to rave and pillows rise until
leaked, and the fires went out, and though
the sails We're hoisted fore and aft she
went speeding toward the breakers. She
struck with her bows foremost on the
rock. The vessel parted. Amid the
whirlwind and the darkness all were lost
but nine. These chung to the wreck on
the beach.
Sleeping that night in Longstone
lighthouse was girl of gentle spirit
and comedy countenance. AS the morn.
ing dawns | see that girl standing
amid the spray and tumult of contend
ing elements looking through a glass
upon the wreck and the nine wretched
sufferers. She proposes to her father to
take boat and put out across the wild
sea to rescue them. The father says.
st cannot be done! Just look at the
tumbling surfr But she persisted, ard
with her father bounds into the boat.
Though never accustomed to plying the
oar, she takes one and her father the
other. Steady now! Pull awayl Pull
away
The sea tossed up the boat as though
it were bubble, but amid the foam and
the wrath of the sea the wreck was
reached, the exhausted people picked up
and saved. Humane societies rendered
their thanks. Wealth poured into the
lap of the poor girl. Visitors from all
lands came to look on her sweet face,
and when soon after she launched forth
on dark sea, and Death was the oars
man, dukes and duchesses and mighty
men sat down in tears in Alnwick castle
to think they never again might see the
face of Grace Darling.
THE BATTLE WITH SIN.
No such deeds of daring will probably
be asked of you, but hear you not the
howl of that awful storm of trouble and
sin that hath tossed ten thousand shiv-
cred hulks into the breakers? Know
you not that the whole earth is strewn
with the shipwrecked-tha there are
wounds to be healed and broken hearts
to be bound and drowning souls to be
rescued? Some have gone down, and
you come too late, but others are cling
ing to the wreck, are shivering with the
cold, are strangling in the wave, are
crying to you for deliverance. Will
you not, oar in hand, put out today
from the lighthouse?
When the last ships timber shall have
been rent, and the last Longstone bea-
con shall have been Numbered down in
the hurricane, and the last tempest shall
have folded its wings, and the sea itself
shall have been licked up by the tongue
of all consuming fire, the crowns of eter-
nal reward shall be kindling into bright
er glory on the brow of the faithful.
And Christ, pointing to the inebriate
that you reformed, and the dying sinner
whom you taught to pray, and the out
cast whom you pointed to God for shell
ter, will say: "You did it to them!
You did it to mev'
Again, the scene Of the text impresses
upon us the strength Of maternal attach
ment Not many men would have had
courage or endurance for the awful
mission Of Rizpah. To dare the rage Of
wild beasts, and sit from May to Octo-
Der unsheltered, and to watch the corpses
of unburied children, was work that
nothing but the maternal heart could
have accomplished. It needed more
strength than to stand before opened
batteries or to walk in calmness the deck
of laundering steamer.
There is no emotion so completely I'M
selfish as maternal affection. Conjugal
love expects the return Of many kind
nesses and attentions. Filial love ex-
pccts paternal care or is helped by the
memory of past watchfulness. But the
strength of mothers love is entirely
independent of the past and the future,
and is, Of all emotions, the purest. The
child has done nothing in the past to
earn kindness, and in the future it may
grow up to maltreat its parent, but still
from the mothers heart there goes forth
inconsumable affection.
Abuse cannot offend it; neglect can
not chill it; time cannot efface it; death
cannot destroy it. For harsh words il
has gentle Gliding; for the blow it has
beneficent ministry; for neglect it has
increasing watchfulness. It weeps al
the prison door over the incarceratei
prodigal, and pleads for pardon at thu
governors feet, and is forced away by
compassionate friends from witnessing
the struggles of the gallows. Othe1
lights go out, but this burns on withou
extinguishment, as in gloom strucl
night you may see single star, one o
Gods pickets, with cleaning bayonet O
light guarding the outposts of heaven.
The Marchioness of Spadara, whel
the earthquake at Messina occurred
was carried out insensible from tn
falling houses. On coming to he
senses she found that her infant ha.
not been rescued. She went back AM
persisted In the ruins. Illustration o
ten thousand mothers who in as man,
different ways have sacrificed themselve
for their children.
BE KIND TO THE AGED PARENT.
Oh, despise not a mothers love! !
heretofore You have been negligent Q
such one, and you have still oppol
tunity for reparation, make haste.
you could only just look in for an hour
visit to her, you would rouse up in tn
aged one whole world Of blissful mem
cries. What If she does sit withou
talking much? She watched you fo
many months when you knew not no,
to talk at all. What if she has man
ailments to tell about? During fiftee
, years you ran to her with every littl
scratch and bruise, and she doctore
your little finger as carefully as SUI
geon would bind the worst fracture.
You say she is childish now; wonde
!, if she ever saw you when you wei
!, childish. You have no patience to wal
1 with her on the street, she moves s
slowly; wonder if she remembers til
time when you were glad enough to 6
: slowly. You complain at the expense
providing for her now; wonder VIII;
your financial income was from one yes
to ten years of age. Do not begrudg