The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-01-11

will be mer'ier. It's obsequies will be sad.
der. Its scientific discoveries more brill
liant. Its properties more significant. Its
opening raore grand. Its termination
more stupen ious. Look out for 1891 Let
printers have in their cases Of type plenty
of exclamation points to set up a sudden
paragraph. Let the conssrvatorles have
pro.uson Of flowers that can bs twisted into
garlands. Let churches have plenty OF
room for increased assemblages. Let men
and women have more religion to meet the
vacillations and the exigencies, and the de-
mands and the rapturss and the woes OF
this coming 1895. In what mood shall we
open the door OF the new yeare With faith,
strong faith, buoyant faith, triumphant
faith, God will see you through. His grace
will be sufficient if you trust Him. You
pathy.
My little child got hurt one morning dur.
ing her mothers abseace. We looked after
the case as we'll as we could. Toward night
her mother returned, and for the first time
the child cried ana cried vociferously. Some
one said to her: "What do you cry fort
You did not cry all day" Her reply was,
There was no one to cry TO-" And so you
sometimes suppress your trouble because
there is no full resource OF earthly sym:
pathy. But rejoice to tell you that In God
will condole and help In every crisis. Come,
now, let me unstrap that knapsack Of care
from your shoulders Come prosperity or
adversely, come wedding or burial, come
health or sickness, come life or
death, come time or eternity, alps
we'll all's welll Keep your heart
right and all else will be right Men and
women have sometimes given strange and
whimsical directions in regard to what shau
be done with their hearts after death. Rob-
art Bruce ordered his heart to be sent to the
HOLY Land for burial. The Earl Of Leicester
ordered biz heart sent to Brackley Hospital.
Isabella, daughter OF the Earl Of Pembroke,
dtod at BerEkampstead, but ordered her
heart taken to Tewkesbury Cathedral. Lord
Windsor. dying in q foreign land, ordered
his heart incloset in lead ami sent to EGG
land for burial 10 the chapel Of Brakeman:
Now what shall we decree for our hearts
That It be the Lords, and then It makes no
difference what else becomes OF IL. LIVING
end dying, may It all be His.
Thus In three chapters I have counssled
that the holidays be grouped. May nothing
Interfere with their fsliclties. May they bs
80 scent that they will be food for pleasant
remiuisceuce further on. You know that
after awhile the old homestead will be broken
up. For wears and years the children come
home to spend the holidays and the house is
rummaged from garrett to cellar, and the
scenes Of childhood are rehearsed, and we
laugh till the tears come as we talk over
some boyish or girlish freak or cry over
some old troubis ended; but the heart swings
back again to mirth, for it does not take half
a second for a tear OF the eye to strike the
smile Of the lip. Fo. few years the grand
children make the holidays merry. One OF
the many uses Of grandchildren is to keep
the old folks young. Then after few yearsa
the annual gathering at the old homestead
Is half broken up. for father or mother ID
gone.
About two years after tfor there are gen.
orally about two years between the time OF
their going the other half OF the holiday
season is broken up: Then the old mouse
goes into the possession OF stran 4srs. and
the sons and daughters by, that TINA have
homes Of their own. They plant their own
Christmas trees and hang up their own chill
dren's stockings and twlne their own holly
and mistletoe, and have their own good
times. They will perhaps bs riding out on
some Of those holidays eithsr in sleigh or
carriage twenty or thirty years from now
along the places where we slumber the last
sleep, and may we have bean so considerate
and sympathetic In our demesnor toward
them now that they will then say one to ana
other as they pass the silent mounds OF tie
village graveyard or city cemetery. "rhere
rests as kind father ami as kind a mother
as ever wished their children merry
Christmas and happy new year."
Meanwhile we, their parents and grand
parents, will, I hope, through the atone
ment Of our blessed Lord, be k4eping noli-
days livelier and higher uo; in ths presence
of tho very Christ whose birth the earthly
Christmas commentaries, AMI OF the
'Ancient OF Days" who saw the first year
open, and will sec thu last year close; in
compauionship with the overwhelming
circle Of heavenly kindred, many already
there and many soon to coma, aud the tables
Of that festivity will purple with the grapes
Of Eschol, and rsdden with the nsw wine
of the kingdom" and glow with "swslve
manner Of fruits" from the trees Of life, and
the gifts OF those holidays will bs mansions
and thrones aud crowns Of glory that never
fade away. Oh, that these delightful holi-
days of earth may tit US for those more de-
ightful holidays Of heavenl