Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-02-23

sofas are stuffed with ease and quietudc.
The rocking-chairs roll backward and
forward on lullabys. The pillows are ex-
quisitely EN- broidered. All the appoint
ments of the room are a peroration to
successful commercial or professional
life. But the man has no religion;
never has had. and never professed to
have. There is not Bible or one re-
ligious book in the room The depart
ing man feels that his earthly career
is ended, and nothing opens beyond.
Where he will land stepping off from
this life is a mystery. or whether he
will land at all, for it may be ami
hilation. He has no prayer to offer,
and he does not know how to pray. No
hope of meeting again in another state
of existence. He is through with this
life, and is sure of no other. The ruby
on the mantel and the ruby on the
wasted finger of the departing one say
nothing of the ransoming blood which
they so nightly typify. So far as Civ
ing solace or illumination to depart
ing spirit, they are a dead failure.
Midnight of utter hopelessness drops
on all the scene.
Another room of mortal exit Re-
igion and no rubies. She never had
money enough to buy one of these ex-
qulsites. Sometimes she stopped at a
jewelers. show window and saw row
of them in carnadining the velvet.
She had keen taste enough to appre-
ciate those gems, but she never owned
one of them. She was not Jealous or
unhappy because others had rubies
while she had none. But she had 4 rich
er treasure, and that was the grace of
God that had comforted her along the
way amid bereavements. and tempta-
tions, and prosecutions, and sicl1nesses,
and privations, and trials of all sorts.
Now she is going out of life. The
room is bright, not with pictures or
statues, not with upholstery. not
with any Of the gems of mountain or
of sea. but there is q strange and
vivid glow in the room; not the
light of chandelier, or star, or noon
day sun. but sometimes that out
shines all of them. 1t must be the
presence Of supernaturals. From her
illumined face l think she must hear
sweet voices. Yea, she does hear
sweet voices-voices Of departed kim
dred; voices apostolic and prophetic
and evangelic, but all of them over
powered by the voice Of Christ, saying;
Come, We blessed of my Father, in
herit the kingdom" From her
illumined face, l think she must
hear rapturous music. Yea, she
does hear rapturous music, now
soft rs solos, now thunderous as or
chestras; now a sanity voice alone, now
the one hundred and forty and four
thousand in concert. From her IL
lumined face I think She must breathe
redolence. Yea, she does inhale aroma
from off the gardens whose flowers
never witber, and from the blossoms
OF orchards every tree of which bears
twelve manner of fruit FROM her IL
lumined face, I think she must see a
glorious sight Yes, she sees the wall
that has jasper at the base, and anne
thyst at the top, and blood-red rubies
! between
Good-hv. sweet soul! Why should von
longer stay? Ycur work all done; YOUR
burdens all carried; your tears all
wept! Forward into the light! Up in to
the joy! Out into the cTandeurs! And
after you have saluted Christ and your
kindred. search out him of the palaces
of Lebanon cedar, and tell him that
you have found to be gloriously true
what thousands Of years ago he assert.
ed in this mornings text: "Wisdom is
better than rubies.'
r I
millions Of the earth to whose eyes
these words will come, that one of nv
dearest anticipationS is to meet them
in Heaven. All! that will be better
than rubies. Coming up from different
continents, from different henispheres
from opposite sides of the earth tc
greet each other in holy love in the
presence of the glorious Christ
who made it possible for us tc
get there. Our sins all pardoned
our SORROWS all banished, never to weep
you that will be better than rubies
Others may have the crowns, and the
thrones, and the scepters; give us our
friends back again, Christ, 1.-The friend
who sticketh closer than q Brother
and all the kindred who have gone ur
from our bereft households, and all our
friends whom we have never yet seen,
and you may have all the rubies, for
that will be ''better than rubieS.' IN
stead OF thedying kiss when they looked
so pale and wan and sick. it will be the
kiss of welcome on lips jubilant with
song, while standing on floors paved
with what exquisiteness, under cell
ings hung with what glory, bounded
by walls facing US with what splendor,
amid gladness rolling over us with
what Doxology. Far better, infinitely
better, everlastinglZ better thai ru-