Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-06-16
Simon Grubb's Dream.

Simon Grubb's Dream.
Written for the American Humane Education
Society,"
The text was this ''Inasmuch as ye
Have done it TO these We have done il
me"
Soon Simon slept, for twas sultry
weather,
And the dream and the sermon went on
together.
He dreamed that he died and stood at
the gate
OF the outer court where the angels
wait
For those who hear the glad "well
done,
And can enter the realms of the Holy
One.
While Simon waited and wondered il
Had forgotten the password, OF lost the
key,
A voice above him said, loud and clear,
''Do YOU know you must bring your
witnesses here ~
"0f witnesses there are many said he;
MY brethren and neighbors will ali
speak for me-"
But the brethren and ncighbors came
not near,
And he heard only whinny, familiar
and clear
And old Grayfoot, the horse, stood just
at his right
While around on the other side, just
coming in sight,
Was crowd of dumb creatures so for
lorn and so poor
That the angel wept as he opened the
door.
Then Simon grew pale, and trembling
with fear
Said, 80 why are not some of the breth-
ren here?
Pray wait. pray wait, they'll surely
come"
Twas Grayfoot that spoke then, and
Simon was dumb.
son wintry nights I've stood in my
stall
When the cold winds blew through the
cracks in the wall
Till every Joint and sinew and bone
Seemed frozen and dead as the coldest
stone.
I've shivered the dreary time away
With only some wisps of the poorest
hay:
Then put to work with shout and blow,
So hungry and faint l could scarcely
go.n
Then old Brindle came, and with soft
brown eyes
Fixed on her master in sad surprise,
Told pitiful tale Of starvation and
cold,
And how he had sold her food for gold.
The poor sheep told their story, too,
OF bitter wrongs their whole life
through;
Turned out in cold and stormy weather,
To starve and freeze and cry together.
They were lowly cries, but they turned
to prayer,
And floating upward had rested there
Close by the ear OF Him who says,
II will hear the cries Of my poor al
ways"
The old house dog, though treatedill.
Came near and fawned on his master
still,
Because the love these dumb things
know
Is more than human, mere faithful,
more true.
Then conscience woke, like some torpid
thing
That is brought to life by the sun in
spring,
And it lashed and stung him like poi
soned thongs
AS memory brought him his train OF
wrongs,
Forgetting nothing of word or deed,
OF cruel blows or selfish greed
His cruelly-treated friends that were
dumb
Would they follow him on through the
ages to come?
Must he see them forever gaunt, hungry
and cold?
For Time and eternity never grow
old"
How oft in dumb pleading they'd asked
caress
From his hands that had beaten and
starved them ah, yes,
He rendered it all, and it stung him to
know
That the love they had craved had beer
met only with blow.
0 could he live over the life that was
And I,sa1: leave out its sins, to stand here al
With soul that was white for hap
pier fate;
Was it conscience that whispered, "Toc
late, too latef
He'd cruelty passed over life's narrow
ing track,
Till remorse claimed its own,-fOr thai
never turns back;
And sins scarce remembered. remember
ed too late,
C,ran, hlack as he saw them from heay