The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-02-01
xiona1y asi.ud. .wus his name M

s1ohaiy dsANi, was DIS name Mr.
Gladstone? "Oh, yes, - said the bow
that is lis name-Mr. Gladstonei" Dt
you tell me man can see religion like
that and not like it? There is an old
fashioned mother in farmhouse. Per
haps she is somewhere in the seventies
perhaps 70 or 76. 1t is the early even
ing hour Through spectacles No. 8 sbs
Is reading a newspaper until toward
bedtime, when she takes up we'll worn
book, called the Bible. I know from the
illumination in her face she is reading
one of the thanksgiving psalms, or in
/ Revelation the story of the 10 pearlyy
gates. After awhile she closes the book
and folds her hands and thinks over the
past and seems whispering the names of
her children, some of them ON earth and
some of them in heaven. Now a smile
is ON her face, and now a tear, and
sometimes the smile catches the tear.
The scenes of a long life come back to
her. One minute she sees all the chill
dren smiling around her, with their toys
and sports and strange questionings.
Then she remembers several of them
down sick with infantile disorders.
Then she sees short grave, but over it
cut in marble, Suffer them to come to
me. " Then there is the wedding hour,
and the neighbors in, and the promise
of II will, and the departure from the
old homestead, then scene of hard
times, and scant bread and struggle.
Then she thinks of few years with
gush of sunshine and fittings of dark
shadows and vicissitudes.
This Is Piety.
Then she kneels down slowly, for
many years have stiffened the Joints
and the illnesses of a lifetime have made
her less supple. Her pAuger is mixture
of thanks for sustaining grace during all
those years, and thanks for children good
and Christian and kind, and prayer
for the wandering boy, whom she hopes
to see come home before her departure.
And then her trembling lips speak of
the land of reunion where she expects to
meet her loved ones already translated,
and after telling the Lord in very SIM
pie language how much she loves him,
and trusts him, and hopes to see him
soon, hear her pronounce the quiet
"Amen, " and she rises up-a little more
difficult effort than kneeling down. And
then she puts her head on the pillow for
the night, and the angels of safety and
peace stand sentinel about that couch in
the farmhouse, and her face ever and
anon shows signs of dreams about the
heaven she read of before retiring. In
the morning the days work has begun
down stairs, and seated at the table the
remark is made, "Mother must have
oversight herself" And the grandchil-
dren also notice that grandmother is alb
sent from her usual place at the table.
One of the grandchildren goes to the foot
Of the stairs and cries, "Grandmother'
But there is no answer. Fearing some
thing is the matter, they go up to see,
and all seems right. The spectacles and
Bible on the stand. and the covers Of the
bed are smooth, and the face is calm,
ner white hair on the white pillow case
like snow ON snow already fallen. But |
her soul is gone up to look upon the
things that the night before she had |
been reading of in the Scriptures. What
! transporting look on her dear old
wrinkled facet She has seen the king
n his beauty" She has been welcomed
~ the Lamb who was slain. "And her
wo Oldest sons, having hurried up stairs,
ook and whisper, Henry to George,
THAT is religionl" George to Henry,
yes, that is religiOn!"
He Dispensed Blessings.
There is New York merchant who
las been in business should say 40 or
10 years. During an old fashioned re-
ival Of religion in boyhood he gave his
eart to God. He did not make the
hastily and infinite and everlasting mis-
AXE of sowing wild OATS, with the
expectation of sowing good wheat later
n. He realized the fact that the most
those who SOW wild OATS never
cap any other crop. He started right
nd has kept right. He went down in
857, when the banks failed, but he
allied honestly and never lost his faith
a God. Ups and downs-he sometimes
aughs over them-but whether losing I
BdluluS u6 was BIOWiuS DSltoI ali Ju6 |
me. He has been in many business
entures, but he never ventured the ex-
eriment of gaining the world and los
lg his SOUL His name was power
9th in the church and in the business [
'orld. He has drawn more checks for {
to asylums and churches s
nd schools than any one, except God, I
nows. He has kept many business I
ian from failing by lending his name I
q the back of note till the crisis was {
asst All heaven knows about him, for G
le poor woman whose rent he paid in !
Or last days, and the man with con- {
lmption in the hospital to whom he a
mt flowers and the cordials just before (
'oension, and the people he encouraged a
! many ways, after they entered heaven O
opt talking about it, for the immortals G
e neither deaf nor dumb. Well, it is O
bout time for the old merchant himself i
quit earthly residence. Q
AS it is toward evening, he shuts the h
fe, puts the roll of newspapers in his q
,cket, thinking that the family may "
ze to read them after he gets home. b
Q folds up So bill and gives it to the n
y to carry to one Of the car men who h
It his leg broken and may be in need A
little money; puts stamp on let