Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-08-08

thoughts ox death II far from being It'll
highest style Of Christian. knew i
man who used to often say at night, +
wish might die before lnorning!' He
became an infdei.
From Tisae to Eternity.
Buf.there are times when we can and
ought TO give ourselves to the contena-
plation Of that solemn moment when to
the soul time ends and eternity begins.
We must go through that one pass
There is no roundabout way, no bypath,
no circuitous ronte. Die we must; and
it viii be to us shameful occurrence
or time of admirable behavior. Our
friends may stretch out their hands to
keep us back, but no imploration on
their part cam hinder us. They might
offer large retainers. but death would
not take the fee. The breath will fail,
and the eyes will close, and che heart
will stop. You may hang the couch
with gorgeous tapestry. but what does
death care for beautiful curtains? You
may hang the room with the finest
works of art, but what does death care
for pictures? You may fill the house
with the wailings of widowhood and
orphanage; does death mind weeping?
This ought not to be adepressing
theme. Who wants to live here forever?
The world has always treated me well,
and every day feel less and less like
scoldirg and complaining But yet /
would not want to make this my eternal
residence. / love TO watch the clouds
and battle my soul in the blue sea of
heaven, but | expect when the firma-
ment is rolled away as a scroll to see a
new heaven, grander. higher and more
glorious. You ought to be willing to
exchange your body that has headaches
and sideaches and weaknesses innumer-
able, that limps with the stone bruise or
testers with the thorn or flames on the
funeral pyre of fevers for an incorrupt-
ible body and an eye that blinks not be-
fore the jasper gates and the great
white throne. But between that and
this there is an hour about which no
man should be reckless or foolhardy. /
doubt net your courage, bat l tell you
that you will want something better
than a strong arm, good aim and a
trusty sword when you come to your
last battle. You will need better robe
than any you have i'll your wardrobe to
keep you warm in that place.
The Gathering Night.
Circumstances do not make so much
difference. 1t may be bright day when
you push off from the planet, or it may
be dark night and while the owl IS
hooting from the forest. 1t may be
spring, and your soul may go out among
the blossoms, apple orchards swinging
their eensers i'll the way. 1t may be
winter and the earth III snow shroud.
ON fire by the retreating year-dead ma
ture laid out in state. 1t may be with
your wife's hand in your hand, or you
make be in a strange hotel with serv-
ant faithful to the last. 1t may be in
the rail train, shot off the switch and
tumbling i'll long reverberation down
the northumberland, crash know
not the time, / know not the mode, but
the days of our life are being subtracted
away and we shall come down to the
time when we have but ten days left,
then nine days, then eight days, then
seven days, six days, five days, four
days, three days, two days, one day.
Then hours-three hours, two hours,
one hour. Then only minutes left-five
minutes, four minutes, three minutes,
two minutes, one minute. Then only
seconds left-four seconds, three Sec
onds, two seconds, one second. Gonel
The chapter of life ended. The book
closed. The pulses at rest. The feet
through with the journey. The hands
closed from all work. No word on the
lips. No breath i'll the nostrils Hair
combed back to lie undisheveled by any
human hands. The muscles still The
nerves still. The lungs still. The tongue
still. All still. You might put the steth-
oscope to the breast and hear no sound.
You might put speaking trumpet to
the ear, but you could not wake the
deafness. No motion, no throb, no life
Still, still!
So death comes to the disciple What
if the sun Of life is about to set? Jesus
is the day spring from ON high, the per-
petual morning of every ransomed spirit.
What if the darkness comes? Jesus is
the light of the world and of heaven.
What though this earthly house does
crumble? Jesus has prepared house of
many mansions. Jesus is the anchor
that always holds. Jesus is the light
that is never eclipsed. Jesus is the
fountain that is never exhausted. Jesus
is the evening star, hung up amid the
gloom of the gathering night.
You are almost through with the
abuse and back biting of enemies. They
will call you no more by evil names
Your good deeds will no longer be mis-
interpreted nor your honor fiIched. The
troubles of earth will end i'll the felici-
ties. Toward EVENING" The bereave-
uents of earth will soon be lifted. You
will not rach longer stand pouring
your gries in the tomb, like Rachel
weeping for her children or David
mourning for Absalom. Broken hearts
bound up. Wounds healed Tears wiped
away. Sorrows terminated No more
sounding of the dead march. Toward
EVENING" Death will come, sweet as
slumber to the eyelids of the babe, as
full rations to a starving soldier, as
evening hour to the exhausted workman.
The SKY will take ON its sunset glow,
every cloud a fire psalm, every lake
CLASSY mirror, the forests TRANSPORTED,
delicate mists climbing the air. Your
friends will announce it; your pulses
will beat it; your joys will ring it; your
lips will whisper it, Toward eveningr'
The Story of the Salmon
In the autumn time, and onward to
the beginning of the next year, the
mother aa 1r,1o,, acoo,,dc 4l,o II