Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-04-09
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF Gazette ana journal

told the meaning Of the hot cross buns,
and somebody's baby had been raptur-
ously kissed because she said, banging
her rosy little fist on the table, II
wouldn't hurt the Good Man; and I'D
kill the naughty people who did it. P"
Then came Saturday, and there was Il
quiet over all the house as IL some one
we loved had said good bye to us for
ever: and yet, there was hope. Sat
urday evening found three women
meditating-fur we belonged to that
faith which values most Of all quiet
ness and meditation, and which teaches
that the greatest sermon is preached by
one's own heart. AT last | was left
alone. Because the night was chilly
there was a bright fire, and as looked
at it l raised my eyes to the clock
above it, and saw that 1t was the elev
enth hour OF The night. The chime
rang out as softly as if in the presence
of the dead, and l fell into my own
comfortable chair and looked at tho
fire; in it seemed to glow in letters of
deeper fire, and deeper red, "And the
sea gave up the dead which were in it ;
and death and hell delivered up the
dead which were in them; and they
were Judged every man according to
his works. -
My heart repeated the last line,
According TO his works" And then
there came over me great awe, and
saw all the world standing before the
Maker of it to be judged. And some
trembled and were frightened; and
many hoped; and some acted as il they
cared for nothing, but as they separated
and each went toward the great white
throne, alone, to stand before God and
be judged according to his works, there
came "A horror like unto nothing that |
can describe. And some one standing
near me said. 81 am not afraid to be
judged before the whole world but oh !!
the awfulness Of that time. alone with
God, with only my sins to face me. "
And the man went by me, one whom
bad known as kind hearted, pleasant
and of whom nothing worse was said
than that he was his own worst enemy.
Some one asked him, could it have
bnen the Judge, in rich, beautiful
voice, "Where are the gifts that were
yours? Where is the great talent that
was given unto you? What have you
done with that ability TO speak and
persuade men to do the right? Buried
it under the sins Of the flesh killed it
by gluttony and lust. " And the man
passed on with dropping head, and |
saw him no more.
Then there came another, man who
was known to the whole world because
of his great wealth. The Voice asked :
"What have you done with that which
was given unto you? Where are the
poor that you have helped? Where are
the hungry that you have fed2 Where
are the sick that you have helped to
heal? You speak of hospitals built by
your money--but they bore your name.
You speak of great gifts that endowed
homes or children-was there ever a
gift that all the world did not know
about? What did you do for the poor
of your own household? Where is the
unfortunate brother whose chief fault
was that he had not your accumulative
spirit, and in what spirit did you think
of him? Where is the helping hand
at the gate, and you did not care
whether he even got the crumbs from
your table; but now he shall be your
Judge" And the rich man went his
way with naughty head bowed, and
the tears were new to him--coursing
down his checks Then saw woman,
beautiful to look upon, and yet we had
all heard of her as leading wicked
life. And the Voice said, with tender
ness "Come, daughter, and fear not. 1t
is true that you have sinned-sinned
grieviously; but whore is the man who
first taught you to sin? Where is the
one, who. with loving words, gentle
fiattery and persuasion, that sounded
so sweet, made you believe right was
wrong, and who led you into sin, and
called it love? He should stand beside
you. lilo made you an outcast. Every
woman's heart was against you, though
every man "a arms were open to you but
you were never cruel; you never forgot
the sick and poor, and you were never
hypucrite. A Just punishment will
lie given to you; but beside you,
through it all, will be kindly spirit
to console, since you were more sinned
against than SHINING.
Then came another woman. The
world knew her name as leader in
great charitable works.
The church knew her name as one
ever ready to pray, and of her it wac
said that she led what was called a
strict life. And the Voice demanded
"Where ere the little children / put
into your armsI l gave them TO you
soft, loving and pure; in return they
have come to me women hard of heart,
full of vanity, and despising every
thing that bears the name of religion.
They are men who joy in having no be-
lief, and who count life as of no worth
except for the pleasure to be gained
from it. This Is your work. You
taught them, not the love. but the
vengeance of God. You taught them,
not the gentleness but the severity Of
that Father to whom they had right
to turn in their hours of sadness or
gladness. They asked you for motherly
love and sympathy; you gave them a
hurried answer, and reminded them of
your duties to the outside world. You
were eager to save the souls OF the
heathen in far of lands, and you gave
no thought to those young creatures
who had been put in your charge You
lived wicked life, you were an un
kind mother, an unloving wife, and
/ see no page in the book of your life
that can make the judgment waiting
for you any less severe than it is. -
And this woman looked around for her
children, but they were strangers tu
her. And she looked for the societies
over which she had presided, but here
there were none. Every man was try
ing to care for his own soul, knowing
that he would lie judged according IL
his works.
And there was another. One of whom
the world had said that harm WAS moi
in him. But he was reprimanded foI
Incidence, for lack OF thought, and
reminded that at ease with himself he
never allowed himself to be troubled
about the sorrow of any one else,
Thon | looked at the skies above me,
and they were BLACKLIST over those mer