Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-07


God, save my child God, save my
child" The world seemed going out in
/ darkness. You said, II cannot bear IL,
cannot bear itr" You felt as II you
could not put the lashes over the bright
eyes never to see them again sparkle.
Oh, II you could have taken that little
one In your arms and with IL leaped into
the grave, how gladly you would have
done It'll Oh, IL you could let your prop
erty go, your houses, your land and your
storehouse go, how gladly you would
have allowed them to depart If you
could only have kept that one treasured
But one day there arose from the
heavens chill blast that swept over the
bedroom, and instantly all the light
went out, and there was darkness
thick, murky. impenetrable, shuddering
darkness. But God did not leave you
there. Mercy spoke. As you were about
to put that cup to your lips God said,
Let it pass" and forthwith, as by the
hand of angels, another cup was put
your hands. 1t was the cup of Gods
consolation. And as you have some
times lifted the head of wounded sol
dier and poured wine into his lips, so
God puts his left arm under your head,
and with his right hand ho pours into
your lips the wine of his comfort and
his consolation, and you looked at the
empty cradle and looked at your broken
heart, and you looked at the Lords chas-
tisement, and you said, "Even 80, Fa-
ther, for SO it seemeth good in thy
sight"
All, it is your first trouble. How did
you get over itp God comforted you.
You have been a better~man ever since.
You have been better woman ever
since. In the jar of the closing gate of
the sepulcher you heard the changing Of
the opening gate Of heaven, and You felt
an irresistible drawing heavenward.
You have been purer and holier Of heart
ever since that night when the little one
for the last time put its arms around
your neck and said: "Good night, papa.
Good night, mamma. Meet me in heav-
en-"
But must come on down to your later
sorrow. What was it2 Perhaps it was
sickness. The child's tread ON the stair
or the tick of the watch on the stand dis
turbs you. Through the long, weary days
you counted the figures on the carpet or
the flowers in the wall paper. oh, the
WEAKNESS and exhaustioni Oh, the burn
ing pangsl Would God it were morn
ing, would God it were night, were your
frequent cry. But you are better-per-
haps even we'll. Have you thanked God
that today you can come out in the fresh
air; that you are in this place to hear
Gods name, and to sing Gods praise,
and to implore Gods help, and to ask
Gods forgivenessT Bless the Lord who
healeth all our diseases and redeemeth
our lives from destruction.
Perhaps your last sorrow was finan-
cial embarrassment. l congratulate
some of You on your lucrative Nofession
or occupation, on ornate apparel, on a
commodious everything you
put your hand to seems to turn to gold
| But there are others of you who are like
the ship on which Paul sailed where two
seas met, and you are broken by the vio-
lence of the waves. BY an unadvised
Endorsement, or by conjunction Of un-
foreseen events, or by fire or storm, or q
senseless panic, you have been flung
headlong. and where you once dispensed
great charities now you have hard work
to make the two ends meet.
THANK GOD FOR PROSPERITY.
Have you forgotten to thank God for
your days Of prosperity, and that through
your trials some Of you have made in
yestments which will continue after the
last bank OF this world has exploded and
the silver and gold are molten in fires Of
a burning worldi Have you, amid all
your losses and discouragements forgot
that there was bread on your table this
morning and that there shall be q shell
ter for your head from the storm, and
there Is air for your lungs and blood for
your heart and light for your eye and
glad and glorious and triumphant reh-
gion for your soul5
Perhaps your last trouble was be-
reavement. That heart which in child
hood was your refuge, the parental
heart, and which has been a source Of
the quickest sympathy ever since. has
suddenly become silent forever. And
now sometimes whenever In sudden an
noyance and without deliberation you
say, 81 will go and tell mother" the
thought flashes ON You. II have no moth
er." Or the father, with voice less ten
der, but at heart as earnest and loving
watchful of all your ways, exultant over
your success without saying much, al
though the old people do talk 1t over by
themselves-is taken away forever.
Or there was your companion In life,
sharer Of your joys and sorrows, taken,
leaving the heart an old ruin. where the
i'll winds blow over wide wilderness Of
desolation. the sands of the desert driving
across the place which once bloomed
like the garden of God. And Abraham
mourns for Sarah at the cave Of Mach
pelah. Going along your path In life,
suddenly. right before you was an open
grave.
People looked down, end they saw II
was only few feet deep and few feet
wide, but to you it was a chasm down
which went all your hopes and all your
expectations.
But cheer up in the name Of the Lord
| T.,a (shxiat the comfOrtef He "a not