The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-08-18

gray head on the pillow in the valley
but forget that home you never will.
Have you thanked God for it? Hav
you rehearsed all these blessed reminis
cences? Oh, thank God for Christian
father; thank God for Christian moth
er; thank God for an early Christian
altar at which you were taught t.
kneel; thank God for an early Christian
home.
1 bring to mind another passage il
the history of your life. The day CAM
when you set up your own household
The days passed along in quiet blessed
ness. You twain sat at the table morn
ing and night and talked over you
plans for the future. The most insig
nificant affair in your life became the
subject of mutual consultation and ad
visement. You were so happy you fell
you never could be any happier. One
day a dark cloud lowered over you
dwelling, and it got darker ant
darker; but out of that cloud the
shining messenger of God descends t.
incarnate an immortal spirit Two
little feet started on an eternal jour
ney. and you were to lead them; gen
to flash in Heavens coronet, and you
to polish it; eternal ages of light and
darkness watching the starting out OF
a newly 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
wondered: you were earnest in suppli-
cation that you might lead it through
life into the kingdom of God. There
was tremor in your earnestness. There
was double interest about that home.
There was an additional interest why
you should stay there and be faithful,
and when in a few months your house
was filed with the music of the childs
| laughter you were struck through with
the fact that you have had 4 stipend
| Gus mission.
Have you kept that vow? Have you
neglected any of these duties? Is your
home as much to you as it used to be?
Have those anticipations been granted?
God help you to-day in your solemn
Renaissance, and let His mercy fall
upon your soul if your kindness has
been i'll requited. God have mercy on
the parent, on the wrinkles of whose
face is written the story of a child
sin. God have mercy on the mother
who, in addition to her other pangs,
has the pang of child's iniquity. Oh,
there are many, many sad sounds in
this sad world, but the saddcst sound
that is ever heard is the breaking of a
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 reminiscezce 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 bed room, and that word
was eternity" You said: Il arr nos
ready for it. Q God, have mercy" The
Lord heard. Peace came to your heart.
You remember how your hand tremblcd
as you took the cup OF the holy com
munion. You remember the old min
lister who consecrated it, and you re-
member the church officials wlo. car
ried it through the aisle; you remember
the old people who at the close OF the.
service took yo1r hand in theirs in CON
graduating sympathy, as much as to
say, ''WelcoTre home, you lost prod
igal;' and though those hands have all
withered away. that communion Sab
bath is resur,ected to-day; it is, resur>
rected with all its prayers, and songs.
and tears, and sermons. and tranigura-
ton. Have you kept those vows? Have
you been a bacllslidcr? God help YOU.
But some Of you have not always had
a smooth life. Some of you are. now in
the shadow. Others had their trout les
years ago you are a mere wreck of
what you once were; l must gather up
the sorrows of your past life, but how
shall do il? You say that is impossi-
BILE, as you have had SO many troubles
and adyersitieS. Then l will take just
two, the first. trouble and the last
trouble. AS when you are walking
along the street and there has been
music in the distance, you unconscious
ly find yourselves keeping step to the
music, so when you started life your
very life was a musical time-beat. The
air was full of JOY and hilarity; with
the bright, clear oar you made the boat
skip; you went on, and life grew bright
full, until, after awhile, suddenly
voice from Heaven said HALT and you
halted; you grew pale, you confronted
your first sorrow. You had no idea
that the flush on your child's check
was an unhealthy flush. You said it
cannot be anything serious. Death in
slippered feet walked around about the
cradle. You did not hear the tread;
but after awhile the truth flashed on
you. You walked the floor. Oh, if
you could, with your stout right hand
have wrenched the child from the de-
stroyer.
You went to your room, and you said:
God, save my child, God, save my
child" The world seemed going out
in darkness. You said: II cannot
bear it. / cannot bear it." You felt
as if you could not put the lashes over
| the bright eyes, never to see them
again sparkle. oh, if you could have
taken that little one in your arms, and
with it leaped into the grave, how
gladly you would have done it. Oh, if
you could have let your property go,
your houses go, your land and your
store house go. how gladly you would
have allowed them to depart if you
could only have kept that one treasure!
But one day there arose from the
heavens a chill blast that swept over
the bed room, and instantly all the