Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-02-09

Fair Views and book-free.
BROWN CHEMICAL co. BALTIMORE, ND I
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. half dozen people are waiting fos him
and ask, How is your soul?'
I Re on the Watch.
But there are plenty of fit occasions
1t is interesting to see the sports,r IN,
gun in band and pouch at side and ac-
companied by the hounds yelping down
the road, off on hunting expedition, but
the best hunters in this world are those
who hunt for opportunities to do good,
and the game is something to gladden.
earth and heaven. Twill point out some
of the opportunities. When soul is in
bereavement is the best time to talk of
gospel consolation and heavenly reunion
/ When man has lost his property is
/ the best time to talk to him of heavenly
! inheritances that can never be levied on.
When one is sick is the best time to
! talk to him about the supernatural lati-
tude in which unhealth is an impossi-
bility. When the Holy Spirit is moving
on community is the best time to tell
a man be ought to be saved. By word,
by smile, by look, by prayer, the
work may be SO thoroughly done that
all eternity cannot undo it. AS the harp
was invented from hearing the twang
of a bowstring. as the law of gravita-
tion was suggested by the fall of an APP
pie, as the order in India for the use of
creased cartridge started the mutiny
of 1857, which appalled, the nations, SO
something insignificant may open the
door for great results. Be on this watch
1t may be a gladness, it may be hor-
ror, but it will be an opportunity.
A city missionary in the lower parts
of the city found young woman in
wretchedness and sin. He said, "Why
do you not go homer" She said, "They
would not receive me at home - He
said, what is your fathers name, and
where does he live?' Having obtained
the address and written to the father,
the city missionary got reply, on the
outside of the letter the word ''imme-
diate" underscorod 1t was the heart
lest possible invitation for the wanderer
to come home That was the city mis-
sionary's opportunity And there are
opportunities all about you, and on
them, written by the hand of tho God
who will bless you and bless those
whom you help in capitals of light the
word Immediate. 3"
Behind Time.
A military officer very profane in his
habits was going down into mine at
Cornwall, England, with Christian
miner, for many Of those miners ara
Christians The officer used profane Ian
guage while in the cage going down
| As they were coming up out of the mine
the profane officer said, If it be so far
down to your work, how much farther
would it be to the bottomless pitt" The
Christian miner responded. Il do not
know how far it is down to that place,
| but if this rope should break you would
be there in minute. 1t was the
Christian miners opportunity. Many
years ago clergyman was on a sloop
on our Hudson river, and hearing man
utter blasphemy the clergyman said,
lyon have spoken against my best
friend, Jesus Christ Seven years after
this same clergyman was on his way to
the general assembly of the Presbyterian
church at Philadelphia, when a young
minister addressed him and asked him
If he was not on sloop on the Hudson
river seven years before? The reply was
in the affirmative well" said the
young minister, II was the man whom
you corrected for uttering that oath. 1t
led me to think and repent, and | am
trying to atone somewhat for my early
behavior. ama preacher of the gospel
and delegate to the general assembly. "
Seven years before on that Hudson river
sloop was the clergyman opportunity.
stand this minute in the presence of
many heads of families | wonder if
they all realize that the opportunity for
influencing the household for Christ and
heaven is very brief and will soon be
gone? For awhile the house is full of
the voices and footsteps of children. You
sometimes feel that you can hardly stand
the racket. You say: do be- quiet It
seems as il my head would split with all
this noise" And things get broken and
ruined, and it is. where's my hatw
who took my books?" WHO has been
busy with my playthings?" And it is
arushing this way, and a rushing that,
until father and mother are well nigh
beside themselves
1t is astonishing how much noise five
or six children can make and not half
try. But the years glide swiftly away
After awhile the voices are not SO many,
and those which stay are more sedate.
First this room gets quiet, and then
that room. Death takes some, and mar
riage takes others, until after awhile
the house is awfully still That man
yonder would give all he is worth to
have that boy who is gone away forever
rush into the room once more with the
shout that was once thought too bolster
Gus.
That mother who was once tried be-
cause her little girl, now gone forever,
with careless scissors cut up something
really valuable would like to have the
child come back. willing TO put in her
hands the most valuable wardrobe TO cut
as she pleases Yes, yes. The house noisy
now will soon be still enough, war
rant you, and as when you began house
keeping there were just two Of you,
there will be just two again. Oh, the
alarming brevity of infancy and child.
hood! The opportunity is glorious, but
it soon passes Parents may say at the
close of life, what pity we did not
do more for the religious welfare of our
children while we had them with usp'
But the lamentation will be of no avail
The opportunity had wings, and it van
ished. When your child gets out of the
cradle. let it climb into the outstretched
arms Of the beautiful Christ Come
thou and all thy house into the ark. u
The Great ChaDce.
But there is one opportunity so much
brighter than any other, SO much more
inviting, and go superior to all others
that there are innumerable fingers point
ing to it, and it is haloed with glory
all its own. It is yours! Ii is mine! 1t
is the present hour. 1t is the now. We
shall never nave 1t again. While speak
and You listen the opportunity is restless
as il to be gone. You cannot chain it
down You cannot imprison it, You