Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-03-01

wheels within wheels. BY the dim light
of dungeon window at Bedford, John
Bunyan sketches the "Delectable Noun.
tains. Milton writes the greatest poem
of all time without eyes, Michael An
cello carved a statue out of snow, and
all Florence gazed in raptures at its ex-
quisiteness, and many of Gods servants
have out of the cold cut their immortal
ity. PRESCRIPTIONS were the dark back
ground that made more impressive the
courage and conservation of Savonarola,
who, when threatened with denial OF
burial, said, "Throw me into the Arno
if you choose; the resurrection day will
find mo. and that is enough. " Benaiah
on cold, damp, cutting, snowy day
gained leonine triumph. Hardship and
trouble have again and again exalted
and inspired 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 nonarrival 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 At
lantic. The ocean few days before had
swallowed the Elbe, and with unap-
peased appetite seemed saying, Give
Us more Of the best shipping" The Nor
mandie 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 that missing steamer.
There were pale faces and wringing
hands on both continents, and tears
rolled down cold cheeks on those snowy
DAYS. We all feared that the worst had
happened and talked of the City of
Boston as never heard Of after sailing,
and the steamship President, ON which
the brilliant Goodman sailed, never re-
rted and never to be heard Of again
until the time when the sea gives up
its dead But at last, under most power
full glass at Fire island, a ship was seen
limping this way over the waters. Then
we all began to hope that it might be
the missing French liner. Three hours
Of tedious and agonizing waiting and
two continents in suspense. When will
the eyeglasses at Fire island make rev.
citation Of this awful mystery of the sea:
There it Isl Ha, ha! The Gascogne!
Quick! Wire the news to the ethyl
Swing the flags out on the tOwersl 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. 1T
is the Gascogne!' is the cry sounding
through all our delighted homes and
thrilling all the Geographic wires Of the
continent and all the cables under the
sea, and the huzza on the wharf as the
gangplanks were swung out for disem-
barkation was a small part Of the huzza
that lifted both hemispheres into exul-
tation. The flakes of snow fell OH the
extra" as we opened it on the street to
get the latest particulars.
From Chill Snow to White Flowers.
Well, twill be better than that when
some of you are seen entering the har-
Dor of heaven. You have had a 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 tempta-
ton 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 were down
in the trough Of that sea and down in
the trough Of the other sea, and many
despaired of your safe arrival But the
great pilot, not one who must come off
from some other craft, but the one who
walked storm swept Galilee and now
walks the wintry Atlantic, 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 immortals celebrating
your arrival, and while some break off
palm branches from the banks and wave
them those standing on one side will
chant, There shall be no more sea, "
and those standing on the other side
will chant, "These are they which came
ont Of great tribulation and had their
robes washed and made white in the
blood Of the Lamb" OFF Of the stormy
sea into the smooth harbor. Out of leo
Nine struggle in the pit to guidance by
she Lamb, who shall lead you to living
fountains Of water. Out OF the snowy day
Of earthly seventies into the gardens Of
everlasting flora and into orchards OF
eternal fruitage, the fall of their white
blossoms the only snow in heaven.