The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-04
The Three souls.


Amid the heat and dust OF early day;
They tarried not. and as they passed
along.
The foremost soul sang bnthely some
gay song;
She gave no heed to others grief Of pain;
Their dying hands were stretched 10 her
in vain;
She mingled not within the worlds sad
strife,
But lived for selfish love. a selfish lie.
The second SOUL impatient. weary-eyed,
Gazed restlessly around. and often tried
To md some bypath. leading from the way;
some pleasant road where purling foun-
tains play.
And gentle breezes came 10 cool the air
Thus tOiling. weeping, through the blind
ing glare.
BemOurning her sad lot. she passed
along.
BY every turn to hear her sisters song.
Her steps were laggard; grief had dimmed
her eye;
20. God. this road Is cruel" was her cry;
My strength is gone; among these cruel
stones,
Ny bruised feet do wiring my signs to
grOans.
"Oh God. why must linger on in Voc?
Be singled out for suffering and pain2
Through which 1 too the door of life may
gain
But as she thus bemoaned her cruel lot,
And weeping PHYS tears unto herself,
Pressed on with faint and wandering
steps.
The third of the three souls came into
She walked in pain, as one by fortunes
prest,
Yet hid her anguish in her secret breast;
Slow were her steps, but to the distant
goal
She looks. and swerves not from the pain
full way.
Some cruel thorns had torn her dainty
hand
And blood stains marked her courage in
the sand,
From bruises where her feet among the
stones,
Had suffered as she struggled on the way.
Upon her back she bore a heavy load,
The sins of the two maids who went be-
Were gathered there a grevous burden.
sore.
And under its grim weight she bent in
pain.
But from her lips escaped no groan. no
only the pearly tear within her eye.
or some convulsive movement of a limb.
Spoke of the agony that dwelt within
Thus through the lingering hours of the
day
Passed in the three maids souls. and
standing there
1 saw them vanish mid the misty glow
That marked the western sky in golden
glare,
Amid the silence of the twilight hour
l sat and unused upon what Id seen
And as I fingered there "a gentle sound
Came stealing through the heavy evening
From out the western sky. now all adame
With Gods imperial beauty; while its
beams
Spread like Aurora DER the darkling
earth,
There same the sound of music to my
ears.
Then was my soul awakened in my breast,
And my poor eyes with heavenly sight
were blest;
I felt myself Transported through the
Sky;
I found myself before the throne Of day;
Celestial glory compassed me around;
Celestial music woke the echoing sound;
And standing there before the Great
White Throne,
1 saw again the maidens who had passed.
She who went first upon the way. stood
last
With fear and anguish changed from gay
to grave
Her JOY was JOY no more, and in her eyes
Dwelt a new dawn of life, as in surprise
She listened to the voice, which said Not
now"
Not now. shall you taste of the Joy with
in;
You life was wasted amid the joys of sin;
You must keep on, another chance is
That you may learn the only way to
Heaven
Is to bear with you, as you go, the load
of sin
Which other lives leave for you. on the
way,
There is but one road unto Paradise,
And when you follow that you walk in
pain;
Thorns Will ensnare you: stones will
bruise your feet,
There are no cooling fountains by the
way,
The sun beats down along the dusty road
And others sin will add them to the load
Which grows upon your shoulders with
the day,
Bending your back, changing your hair to
grey,
Driving from out your life all thoughts Of
joy
Save that sweet peace which comes from
duties done
For those we love. This peace, without
alloy,
VIII come to you; and when you reach
the gate
OF Paradise. angels will welcome you,
and haste to wait
On you, and ease you of your load.
"And unto you" the invisible Spirit said
Unto the second maid, who with bowed
head,
Waited in silent fear to hear her lot
Your scorned to walk along the painful
way;
You sought some pleasant path unto the
day;
You grieved and wept and prayed for
ease and rest;
oh, blind, blind fool! thinkst not that I
knew best?
You dared to judge me in my gracious
deeds;
This shall be your reward, my great boon;
This is your sentence: Now to you is