The weekly intelligencer., 1895-03-02

a word 10 ali VINO are In a snowy
day. Oh, fathers and mothers who
have lost children, that is the weather
that cuts through body and soul. But
drive back the lion of bereavement.
Cheer up, all disconsolates. Ine best
work for God and humanity has been
done on the snowy day. At gloomy
Marine Terrace" island of Jersey. the
exile Victor Hugo wrought the might.
est achievement of his pen. Ezekiel,
banished and bereft and an invalid at
Cornhil on the banks of the Che bar,
had his momentus vision of the Cher
ubim, and wheels within wheels. by
the dim light of n dungeon window az
Bedford, John Bunyan sketches the
''Delectable Mountains" Milton writes
the greatest poem of all time without
eyes. Michael Angelo carved statue
out of snow and all Florence gazed in
raptures at its eXquisiteness, and many
of Gods servants have out of the cold
cut their Immortality. Prosecutions
were the dark background that made
more impressive the courage and con
secration of Savonarola who. when
threatened with denial of burial, said:
Throw me into the Arno if you choose,
the Resurrection day will find me and
that is enough" Benaiah, ON u cold,
damp, cutting, snowy day gained
leonine triumph. Hardship and trouble
have again and again exalted, and in
spired, and glorified their subjects.
The bush itself has mounted higher
And hourished, unconsumed. In fire
Well, we have had many snowy days
within the past month, and added to
the chill of the weather was the chill
ing dismay at the non-arrival of the
ocean steamer 'Gascogne." Overdue
for eight days, many had given her up
as lost, and the most hopeful were very
anxious. The cyclones, whose play is
shipwrecks, had been reported being
in widest romp all up and down the
Atlantic. The ocean a few days before
had swallowed the "Elbe," and with
unappeased appetite seemed saying:
''Give us more of the best shipping"
The "Normandie" came in on the same
track the "Gascogne" was to travel,
and it had not seen her. The
"Teutonic," saved almost by the
superhuman efforts of captain and
crew, came In and had heard no gun of
distress from the missing steamer.
There were pale faces and wringing
hands on both continents, and tears
rolled down cold cheeks on those
snowy days. But at last, under most
powerful glass at Fire island, a ship
was seen limpiug this way over the
waters. Then we all began to hope
that 1t might be the missing French
liner. Three hours of tedious and
sgonizing waiting, and two continents
in suspense! When will the eyeglasses
at Fire island make revelation of this
awful mystery of the sea? There it is!
Ha! Ha! The ''Gascognew Quickl
Wire the news to the city. Swing
the flags out on the towers. Ring the
bells. Sound the whistles of the
shipping all the way up from Sandy
Hook to New York battery. ''She's
safe! She's safew are the words caught
up and passed on from street to street.
Well, it will be better than that
when some of you are seen entering
the harbor of Heaven. You have had
q rough vOyage-no mistake about
that. Snowy day after snowy day.
Again and again the machinery of
health and courage broke down. and
the waves of temptation have swept
clear over the hurricane deck. SO that
you were often compelled to say: "All
thy waves and thy pillows have gone
over me-" and You We're down in the
trough of that sea, and down in the
trough of the other sea, and many
despaired of your safe arrival. Hut
the great Pilot, not the one who must
come off from some other craft, but the
One who walked storm-swept Galilee,
and who now walks the wintry At
lantic, comes on board, and heads you
for the haven. when no sooner have
you passed the Narrows of death than
you find all the banks lined with i'm
mortals celebrating your arrival; and
while some break off palm branche,
from the banks and wave them. those
standing on one side will chant: There
shall be no mora sea-" and those
standing on the other side will chant
''These are they which came out OF
great tribulation, and had their robe.
washed and made white in the blood
of the Lamb" Of of the stormy sea
into the smooth harbor. Out of leonine
struggle in the pit, to guidance by the
Lamb. who shall lead you. to living
fountains of water. Out of the snowy
day of earthly severities into the gar
dens of everlasting hora, and into or
chards of eternal fruitage, the fall oi
their white blossoms the only snow in
Heaven,