The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1893-04-14

of man whose legs had been amputated,
gave him tract on the sin of dancingl
rejoice before God that never are SYM
pathetic words uttered, never a prayer
offered, never Christian almsgiving in
dulged in but it is blessed.
There is place in Switzerland, have
been told, where the utterance of one
word will bring back score of echoes,
and have to tell You this morning that
a sympathetic word, kind word, gen.
erous word, II helpful word uttered in
the dark places of the town will bring
back ten thousand echoes from all the
thrones of heaven.
Are there in this assemblage this
morning those who know by experience
the tragedies of midnight in town? am
not here to thrust you back with one
hard word. Take the bandage from
your bruised soul and put on it the
soothing salve of Christ's gospel and of
Gods compassion. Many have come. !
see others coming to God this morning,
tired of sinful life. Cry up the news to
heaven. Set all the bells ringing. Spread
the banquet under the arches. Let the
crowned heads come down and sit at the
jubilee.
l tell you there is more delight in
heaven over one man that gets reformed
by the grace of God than over ninety
and nine that never got off the track.
could give you the history in minute
of one Of the best friends / ever had.
Outside of my own family never had
better friend. He welcomed me to my
home at the west. He was of splendid
personal appearance, and he had an ar
dor of soul and a warmth of affection
that made me love him like brother.
l saw men coming out Of the saloons
and gambling hells, and they surrounded
my friend, and they took him at the
weak point. his social nature, and / saw
him going down, and l had fair talk
with him, for Inever yet saw man you
could not talk with on the subject of his
habits, if you talked with him in the
right way. said to him, why don't
you give up your bad habits and become
a Christian" remember now just how
he looked, leaning over his counter, as
he replied: 81 wish l could. Oh, sir, l
should like to be Christian, but have
gone so far astray can't get back
SICKNESS AND REPENTANCE.
So the time went on. After awhile
the day of sickness came. l was sum-
moned to his siekbed. l fastened. It
took me but very few moments to get
there Twas surprised as went in. l
saw him in his ordinary clothes, fully
dressed, lying on the top Of the bed. /
gave him my hand, and he seized it con-
vulsively and said: "Oh, how glad am
to see you! Sit down there" l sat down.
and he said: "Mr Talmage, just where
you sit now my mother sat last night
She has been dead 20 years. Now,
don't want you to think am out Of
my mind, or that l am superstitious;
but, sir, she sat there last night just as
certainly as you sit there now-the same
cap, and apron and spectacles. 1t was
my old mother-she sat there"
Then he turned to his wife and said:
II wish you would take these strings off
the bed. Somebody is wrapping strings
around me all the time. wish you
would stop that annoyance" She said,
"There is nothing here" Then saw it
~as delirium. He said: "Just where you
sit now my mother sat, and she said,
Roswell, l wish you would do better-I
wish you would do better l said,
Mother, wish could do better. try
to do better, but can't. Mother, you
used to help me. Why can't you help
me nowY And, sir, got out Of bed, fol-,
1t was reality, and went to her and
threw my arms around her neck, and !
said: Mother, will do better, but you
must help. | can't do this aloner" |
Rnelt down and prayed. That night his
soul went to the Lord that made it,
Arrangements were made for the OBJ
| sequies. The question was raised wheth-
er they should bring him to church.
Somebody said, "You can't bring such q
dissolute man as that into the church."
I said: "You will bring him in the
| church? He stood by me when he was
alive, and I will stand by him when he
is dead. Bring him." AS stood in the
pulpit and saw them carrying the body
up the aisle, felt as if could weep tears
of blood.
On one side of the pulpit sat his little
child of years, sweet, beautiful little
| girl that had seen him hug convulsively
In his better moments. He put on her all
| jewels, all diamonds, and gave her all
pictures and toys, and then he would go
away as if bounded by an evil spirit to
his cups and house Of shame, fool to
the correction of the stocks. She looked
up wonderingly. She knew not what it
all meant. She was not old enough to
understand the sorrow of an orphan
child.
| A TOO COMMON TRAGEDY.
On the other side the pulpit sat the
men who had ruined him. They were
the men who had poured wormwood
into the orphans cup; they were the men
who had bound him hand and foot. ]
knew them. How did they seem to feeli
Did they weep? No. Did they say,
What pity that such a generous man
should be destroyedT No. Did they
I sigh repentingly over what they had
done1 No; they sat there, looking as vul
lures look at the carcass of the lamt
whose heart they have ripped out. Sc
they sat and looked at the coffin lid, and
1 told them the Judgment of God upon
those who had destroyed their fellows
Did they reform? was told they were
in the places of iniquity that night after
my friend was laid in lakewood GENE
terry, and they blasphemed, and they
drank. Oh, how merciless men are
especially after they have destroyed you
Do not look to men for comfort or help
Look to God.
But there is a man who will not re
form. He says, II won't reform" Well
then. how many acts are there to trag
edy? belie7e five.
Act the First of the Tragedy-Ay oune
man starting off from home. Parents ant
sisters weeping to have him go. Wager
rising over the hill. Farewell kiss fung
back. Ring the bell and let the curtain
fall
Act the Second-The marriage altar
Full organ. Bright lights Long whit,
veil trailing through the aisle. Praye