Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1895-03-08

bereavement Win the thOught Wfnch DAVID
Rae of Edinburgh; got from the Scotch
gravedigger, who was always planting white
clover and the sweetest flowers on the
children's graves in the cemetery, and when
asked why he did SO replied: ''Surely, sir,
Gamma make over fine the bed cOyenn o
a little innocent sleeper that's waitn
there till it's Gods time to waken il.
and cover it with the white robe, and watt it
away to glory. When sic grandeur is waitin
it yonder, it's fit it should he decked cot
here. think the Saviour that counts its
dust sac precious will like to see the white
clover sheet spread over it. Do We moo tki2k
so, too, sir?" Cheer up all, discOnsolates.
The best work for God and humanity has
been done on the snowy day. At gloomy
Marine Terrace, island of Jersey, the exile,
achievements of his pen. Ezekiel, ba-lsnel
and bereft and an invalid at Corn
hill, on the banks of Chebar, had his
mOmentOus vision of the cherubim and
wheels within wheels. BY the dim light of
dungeon window at Bedford, John Bunvan
sketches the "Delectable Mountains" Mil
ton writes the greatest poem of all time
without eyes. Michael Angelo carved a
statue out of snow, and all Florence gazed ~
rapturs at its ex4uistteness and many 0f
Gods servants have out of the cold cut their
Immortality. Prosecutions were the dark
background 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 me, and that is
enough. Benaiah on a cold damp, cutting,
snowy day gained leonine triumph. Hard
ship and trouble have again and again eX-
allied and inspired and glorificd their SUBJ
jects.
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 chilling 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
lanttc. The ocean few days before had
swallowed the Elbe. and with unap-
peased appetite seemed saying, "Giyo
us more of the best shipping" The Norman
die came in on the same track the Gascogno
was to travel. aud it had not seen her. Tne
TeutOnic, saved almost by the superhumau
efforts of captain and crew, came in and had
heard no gun Of distress from that missing
steamer. There were pale faces AMI wiring
ing 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 brill
liant Cookman sailed, never reported and
never to be heard of again until the time
when the sea gives up its dead. But at last
under most powerful glass at Fire Island a
ship vas 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 ag0nizing 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 Gascogne! Quick! Wire the
news to the city! Swing the flags out on tue
towers! Ring the bells! Sound the whistles
Of the shipping all the way up from Sandy
Hook to New York Battery. "She's safe!
Shes safe!' are the words caught up and
passed on from street to street. ''It is
the Gascogne!'' is the cry sounding
through all our delighted homes and thrill
ing all the telegraphic wires of the continent
and ali the cables under the sea- and the
huzza on the wharf as the ga6gplanks were
swung out for Decentralization was a small
part Of the huzza that lifted both hemi-
spheres into exultation. The flakes of snow
fell on the extra as we opened it on the
street to get the latest particulars.
Well. it will be better than that when some
of you are seen entering the harbor of
heaven. You have had 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 overthe
hurricane deck, SO that you were often COM
PEELED to say. "Al Thy waves and Thy pillows
have COVE 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 stand
ing 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 out 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 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
seventies into the gardens of everlasting
flora and into orchards of eternal frIitage,
the fall of their white blossoms the only
snow in heaven.