Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-01-11

the sooner we go the better, and II
there are blessings in longevity l want
you to know right well there are also
blessings In an abbreviated earthly ex-
istence.
If the spirit of this sermon is true,
how consoled you ought to feel abou
members Of your families that went
early. Taken from the evil to come
this book says. What a fortunate es-
cape they had! How glad we ought to
feel that they will never have to so
through the struggles we have had to
go through. They had just time enough
to get out Of the cradle AMI run up the
sprinctime hills of this world and see
how it looked, and then they started
for a better stopping-place. They were
like ships that put in at st. Helena,
| staying there long enough TO let pas
sengers go up and see the barracks OF
Napoleon's captivity, and then hoist
! sail for the port Of their w native
land. They only took this world in
transitu." 1t is hard for us, but 1t is
blessed for them.
And if the spirit of this sermon Is
true, then we ought not to go around
signing and grooming because another
year has gone; but we ought to 20
down on one knee by the milestone
and see the letters and thank God that
we are 800 miles nearer home. we
ought not to go around with morbid
! feelings about our health or about an
ticipated demise. We ought to be liv.
ing not according to that old maxim
which / used to hear In my boyhOod,
that you must live as though every day
were the last; you must live as though
you were to live forever, for you will.
Do not be nervou lest you have to
move out of q shanty into an Alham-
bra.
One Christmas morning, one Of my
neighbors, an old sea captain, died.
After life had departed his face was IL
Illuminated as though he were just going
into harbor. The fact was he had al
ready got through the 'Narrows." In
the adjoining room were the Christmas
presents waiting for his distribution.
Long ago, one night when he had mar
rowly escaped with his ship from being
run down by n great ocean steamer,
he had made his peace with God, and a
kinder neighbor or better man you
would not find this side of heaven.
Without a moments worning, the pilot
of the heavenly harbOr had met him
just Off the light ship. The captain Of
ten talked to me of the goodness Of God
and especially of a time when he was
about to 90 in New York harbor with
his ship from Liverpool, and he was
suddenly impressed that he ought TO
put back to sea. Under the protest Of
the crew, and under their very threat,
he put back to sea, fearing at the same
time he was losing his mind, for it did
seem 50 unreasonable that, when they
! could get into harbor that night, they
should put back to sea. But they did
put back to sea. and the captain said to
| his mate You call me at 10 o'clock at
night" At II o'clock at night the cap
tain was aroused and said: What does
this mean? / thought l told you to call
me at 10 o'clock, and here it is L."
Why" said the mate, Il did call you
at 10 o'clock, and you got up, looked
around and told me to keep right on
this same course for two hours and
then call you at II o'clock" Said the
captain: us it possible? / have no re-
membrane of that"
At II o'clock the captain went on
deck. and through the rift of the cloud
the moonlight fell upon the sea and
showed him a shipwreck with 100 strug-
Cling passengers. He helped them off.
Had he been any earlier or later at
that point of the sea he would have
been of no service to those drowning
people. On board the captains vessel
they began to band together as to what
they should pay for the provisions.
All" says the captain, my lads, you
can't pay me anything; all / have on
board is yours; / feel too greatly honor
cd Of God i'm having saved you to take
any pay" Just like him He never got
any pay except that Of his W APP
plauding conscience. Oh, that the old
sea captains God might be my God and
yours. Amid the stormy seas Of this
life may we have always some n as
tenderly to take care Of us as the cap
tain took care of the drowning crew
and the passengers. And may we come
into the harbor with rs little physical
pain and with as bright a hope rs he
had, and If il should happen TO be a
Christmas morning when the presents
are being distributed and we are cele-
brating the birth of him who came to
save our shipwrecked world, all the
better, for what grander. brighter
Christmas present could we have than
heaven?