The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-05-25

their faces were the marks of the black
raven of trouble Did you never hear
the old people, seated by the evening
stand, talk over their early trials, their
hardships, the accidents, the burials,
the disappointments, the empty flour
barrel when there were so many hungry
ones to feed, the sickness almost unto
death, where the next dose of morphine
decided between CHASTITY bereavement
and an unbroken home circle? Oh, yesl
1t was trouble that whitencd their hair.
1t was trouble that shook tho cup in
their hands. 1t was trouble that washed
the luster from their eyes with the rain
Of tears until they needed spectacles. 1t
was trouble that made the cane a me-
cessity for their journey. Do you never
remember seeing your old mother sitting
on some rainy day looking out of the
window, her elbow on the window sill,
her hand to her brow, looking out, not
seeing the falling shower at all (you
we'll knew she was looking into the dis
tant past), until the apron came up to
her eyes because the memory was too
much for her?
Oft the big, unbidden tear,
Stealing down the furrowed cheek,
Told in eloquence sincere
Tales of woe they could not speak.
But, this scene of weeping DER,
Past this scene of toll and pain,
They shall feel distress no more,
Never, never weep again.
'Who are these under the altar" the
question was asked and the response
came, ''These are they which came out
Of great tribulation and have washed
their robes and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb Our friends went
by a path Of tears into glory. Be not
surprised if we have to travel the same
pathway.
remark again, if we want to win
the society of our friends in heaven, we
will not only have to travel path of
faith and path of tribulation, but we
will also have to positively battle for
their companionship. David and his
men never wanted sharp swords, and
invulnerable shields, and thick breast
plates so much as they wanted them on
the day when they came down upon the
Amalekites If they had lost that bat
tie, they never would have got their
families back. suppose that one glance
at their loved ones in captivity hurled
them into the battle with tenfold
courage and energy. They said: "We
must win it. Everything depends upon
it. Let each one take man on point
Of spear or sword We must win it. !"
And I have to tell you that between us
and coming into the companionship of
our loved ones who are departed there
is an Austerlitz, there is a Gettysburg,
there is Waterloo. War with the
world, war with the flesh, war with the
devil. We have either to conquer our
troubles, or our troubles will conquer
us. David will either slay the Amale-
kites, or the Amalekites will slay David
And yet is not the fort to be taken
worth all the pain, all the peril, all the
besiegement?
Lookl Who are they on the bright
hills of heaven yonder? There they are,
those who sat at your own table, the
chair now vacant. There they are, those
whom you rocked in infancy in the
cradle Or hushed to sleep in your arms.
There they are, those in whose life your
life was bound up. There they are their
| brow more radiant than ever before you
saw it, their lips waiting for the kiss of
heavenly greeting, their cheek roseate
| with the health of eternal summer, their
hands reckoning you up the steep, the
| feet bounding with the mirth of heaven.
The pallor of their last sickness gone
| out of their face, nSvermore to be sick,
nevermore to cough, nevermore to
| limp, nevermore to be old, nevermore
to weep. They are watching from those
heights to see if through Christ you can
take that fort, and whether you will
rush in upon them-victors They know
that upon this battle depends whether
you will ever join their society. Up!
Strike harder! Charge more bravely
Remember that every inch you gain puts
you so much farther on toward that
heavenly reunion.
Families Reunited
If this morning while 1 speak you
could hear the cannonade of a foreign
enemy which was to despoil your city,
and if they really should succeed in car
rying your families away from you, how
long would we take before we resolved
to go after them? Every weapon,
whether fresh from the armory or old
and rusty in the garnet, would be
4 brought out, and we would urge on, and
coming in front of the foe we would
look at them and then look at our fam
lilies, and the cry would be, Victory CT
DEATH" and when the ammunition was
gone we would take the cartors on The
point of the bayonet or under the breech
Of the gun.
If you would make such a struggle foi
the getting back of your earthly friends,
will you not make as much struggle for
the gaining Of the eternal comparionship
of your heavenly friends? Oh, yes, we
must join theml We must sit in their
holy society. We must sing with their
the song. We must celebrate with then
the triumph. Let it never be told OF
earth or in heaven that David and his
meu puSu6u Out VITA DIdNCI netrtS IOl
the getting back of their earthly friends
for few years on earth than we to get
our 1epsrtedl
Yos say that all this implies that om
departed Christian friends are alive
Why, had you any idea they were dead
They have only moved. If you should
go on the I'd of May to q house whcr,
one of your friends lived alf find him
gone, you would not think that he wa
dead You would inquire rext doc
where he had moved to. Our departed
Christian friends have only taken anoth
er house. The secret is ,li;t they ar,
richer now than they once were and cal
afford q better residence They ono
drank out of earthcnware They nov
drink from TIE Kings chalioe. "Joscpl
is yet alive" and Jacob will go up an,
Isee him. Living, are they? Why, if
man can live il this damp, dark dun
geon of earthly captivity, can he no
live where he breathcs tie bracing at
hosphere o. the mountains of heaven
Oh, yes. they arc livingi