The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-01-28

day and year after year. and wolf and
cormorant by her God-strengthened
arm were hurled down the rock.
You pass day by day along streets
where there are heroines greater than
Joan of Arc. Upon that cellar floor
there are conflicts as fierce as Sedan.
and Heaven and hell mingle in tho
fight. Lifted in that garnet there are
tribunals where more fortitude Is de-
manded than was exhibited by Lady
Jane Gray or Mary, Queen of SCOTS
| Now l ask if mere natural courage
can do so much, what may we not ex-
pect from women who have gazed on
the great sacrifice, and who are urged
forward by all the voices of grace that
sound from the Bible, and all the notes
of victory that speak from the sky.
Many years ago the Forfarshiro
steamer started from Hull bound for
Dundee. After the vessel had been out
q little while, the winds began to
rave and pillows rise until q tenn
pest was upon them. The vessel
leaked and the fires went out, and
though the sails were hoisted fore and
aft she went speedily toward the break
ers. She struck with her bows fore
most on the rock. The svessel parted.
Amid the whirlwind and the darkness
all were lost but nine. These chung to
the wreck on the beach. Sleeping that
night in Longstone lighthouse was a
girl of gentle spirit and comely counte-
nance. As the morning dawns, see
that girl standing amid the spray
and tumult of contendipg ele-
ments looking through glass
upon the wreck and the nine
wretched sufferers. She proposes to
her father to take boat and put out
across the wild sea to rescue them. The
father says: SIT can not be done! just
look at the tumbling surf" But She
persisted, and with her father bounds
into the boat. Though never accus-
toned to plying the ore, she takes one
and her father the other. Steady, now!
Pull away! Pull away! The sea tossed
| up the boat as though it were bub-
| BILE, but amid the foam and the wrath
of the sea the wreck was reached, the
exhausted people picked up and
saved. Humane societies rendered their
thanks. Wealth poured into the lap OF
the poor girl. Visitors from all lands
came to look on her sweet face, and
when soon after she launched forth on
a dark sea and death was the oarsman,
dukes and duchesses and mighty men
sat down in tears in Alnwick castle to
think they never again might see the
face of Grace Darling.
Oh, despise not mothers lore! II
heretofore you have been negligent OF
such an one, and you have still an OPP
portunity for reparation. make haste.
If you could only just look in for an
hours visit to her you would rouse up
in the aged one whole world of bliss
full memories. What If she does 1t
without talking much; she watched
you for many months when you knew
not how to talk at all. What if she has
many ailments to tell about. During
| fifteen years You ran to her with every
little scratch and bruise, and she doc
tored your little finger as care
fully as surgeon would bind the worst
fracture. You say that she is child
ish now: I wonder IL she ever saw
you when you were childish. You have
no patience to walk with her on the
street, she moves so slowly. wonder
If she remembers the time when you
were glad enough to go slowly. You
complain at the expense of providing
for her now. wonder what your finan.
cial income was from one to ten years
OF age. DO not begrudge what you do
for the old folks. care not how much
you did for them, they have done more
for you.
But from this weird text of the morn
ing comes rushing in upon my soul a
thought that overpowers me. This
watching by Rizpah was an aftcr-death
watching. wonder II now there is an
after-death watching. think there is.
There are Rizpahs who have passed
death, and whoare still watching. They
look down from their supernal and glo-
rified state upon us, and is not that an
after-death watching? can not believe
that those who before their death were
interested in us have since their
death become indifferent as to what
happens to us. Not one hour OF the six
months during which Rizpah watched,
seated upon the rocks. was she more
alert or diligent, or armed for ms. than
our mother, if glorified, is alert and
diligcnt and armed for us. 1t is not
now Rizpah upon rock, but Rizpah
upon a throne. How long has Your
mother been dead? Do you think she
has been dead long enough to forget
you? My mother has been dead twenty
nine years believe she knows more
about me now than she did when stood
in her presence. and ! am no Spirit.
uaiist either. The Bible says: "Are
they not all ministering spirits sent
forth to minister to them that shall be
heirs to salvation" Young man! Bet
ter look out what You do and where
You go. for your gloried mother is look.
| ing at you. You sometimes say tc
yourself: ssWhat would mother say il
she knew this?'' She does know. You
might cheat her once, but you can not
cheat her now. Does it embarrass US
to think she knows all about us? II
she had put up with SO much when she
was here, surely she will not be the
less patient or cxcusatory now.
Oh, this tremendous thought of my
text. this after-death watching! What
an uniting consideration And what