The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-14


breath of new mown hay or the blossom
Of buckwheat.
You may have in your windows now
beautiful plants and flowers brought
from across the seas, but not one of them
stirs IN your soul so much charm and
memory as the old ivy and the yellow
sunfower that stood sentinel along the
garden walk and the forgetmenots play
ing hide and seek mid the long grass.
The father, who used to come in sum
burned from the fields and sit down ON
the doorsill and wipe the sweat from
his brow, may have gone to his everlast-
ing rest. The mother, who used to sit at
the door little bent over, cap and spec
tacles on, her face mellowing with the
vicissitudes of many years, may have
put down her gray head on the pillow in
the valley, but forget that home you
never will.
Have you thanked God for it? Have
YOU rehearsed all these blessed reminis-
cences? Oh, thank God for a Christian
father. Thank God for Christian
mother. Thank God for an early Chris
tan altar at which you were taught to
kneel. Thank God for an early Chris
tian home.
I bring to mind another passage in the
history of your life. The day came when
you set up your own household. The
days passed along in quiet blessedness.
You twain sat at the table morning and
night and talked over your plans for the
future. The most insignificant affair in
your life became the subject of mutual
consultation and advisement. You were
so happy you felt you never could be any
happier.
OUT OF THE CLOUD.
One day dark cloud lowered over
your dwelling, and it got darker and
darker. But out of that cloud the shin
ing messenger of God descended to in
carnate an immortal spirit. Two little
feet started on an eternal journey, and
you were to lead them. A gem to fash
in heavens coronet. and you opolish it.
Eternal ages of light and darkness watch
ing the starting out of anewly created
being.
You rejoiced and you trembled at the
responsibility that in your possession an
immortal treasure was placed. You
prayed and rejoiced, and wept and won
dered, and prayed and rejoiced, and
wept and wondered. You were earnest
in supplication that you might lead it
through life into the kingdom of God.
There was tremor in your earnestnsss.
There was double interest about ths.t
home. There was an additional interest
why you should stay there and be fat
full, and when in few months 20
house was filled with the music of tt
child's laughter you were struc.-
through with the fact that you had a
stupendous mission.
Have you kept that vow? Have you
neglected any of these duties? Is youl
home as much to you as it used to h!
Have those anticipations been gratifie~!
God help you today in your solemn rem
iniscence and let his mercy fall upon
your soul if your kindness has been III
reouitedl God have mercy on the par
emit on the wrinkles of whose face is writ
ten the story Of child's sin! God have
mercy on the mother who in addition tic
her other pangs has the pang of child's
iniouityl Oh, there are many, many sad
sounds in this sad world, but the saddest
sound that is ever heard is the breaking
of mothers heart! Are there any here
who remember that in that home they
were unfaithful? Are there those who
wandered off from that early home and
left the mother to die with broken
heart? Oh, stir that Renaissance to
day!
find another point in your life his
tory. You found one day you were in
the wrong road; you could not sleep at
night. There was just one word that
seemed to sob through your banking
house, or through your office, or your
shop, or your bedroom, and that word
was eternity" You said: 81 am not
ready for it. o God, have mercy" The
Lord heard. Peace came to your heart
You remember how your hand trembled
as you took the cup Of the holy COM
munion. You remember the old minis
ter who consecrated it, and you remem-
Der the church officials who carried it
through the aisle. You remember the
old people who at the close of the service
took your hand in theirs in congratulate
ing sympathy, as much as to say, 'aWel-
come home, you lost prodigal," and
though those hands have all withered
away that communion Sabbath is resur-
rected today. It is resurrected with all
its prayers and songs and tears and SER
mons and TRANSPORTATION. Have you
kept those VOWS? Have you been back
slider? God help you! This day kneel
at the foot of mercy and start again for
heaven. Start today as you started then.
I rouse your soul by that Renaissance.
But I must not spend any more of my
time in going over the advantages OF
your life. just put them all in one
great sheaf, and 1 bind them up in your
memory with one loud harvest song,
such as reapers sing. Praise the Lord,
We blood bought mortals on earth! Praise
the Lord, We crowned spirits of heavenl
TRIBULATIONS.
But some of you have not always had
a smooth life. Some of you are now in
tho shadow. Others had their troubles