The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-08-15

/ are to DO two trials, and the first trial
! does not amount to much, the second
! trial being everything. everything de-
/ pending upon that. | mus 14re .h'
most elo0uont attorney. ana mus,
! have all my witnesses present. ana !
will CXp2ud my money Oh t"a'' Il
| these men who are impeNltrnt ana " 40
are wicked felt there we're iHp lI'A!S,
! ana the tirst was Of no v"ly great M
Dorta1cc. and tie soCOuu trial was (h'
one II vast aud Infinite imH0Hl2nr",
all the preparations for eternity "0N'o
be vOst-mOrtcm, post funeral, posi-
sepu!2hral. ard this world would DC
ierked off into impenilency and god
| lcssness. Another chance IN another
, world means the Gomiltion OF tlls,
VERDI
A dream. I am in the DurniShe2
.dgmant hall on the last day. Inc
great white throne is lifted. but the
Judge has not yet taken it. While VIC
are waiting for his arrival | hear tn'
immortals in conversation. what are
YOU waiting for" says a soul that went
up from Madagascar to a soul that went
up from America. The latter responds:
Il was in America forty years ago
and heard the Gospel preached, and |
had plenty of Bibles in my house. and
from the time that knelt at my moth
er's knee in prayer until my last hour
I had great opportunities; but | did
not improve them, and | am mere to-,
day waiting for another chance. =
Strange. strange" says the soul just
come I'D from Madagascar. strange:
why never heard the Gospel call but
once in all my life. and | accepted it,
and | don't want another chance
what are you waiting for" says one
who on earth had very feeble intellect
to one who had great brain and whose
voice was silvery. and who had scep-
tres Of power. The latter replies: Il
lad great power on earth. | must admit,
and I mastered languages and | mas
tered libraries. and colleges conferred
upon me learned titles. and my name
was synonym for eloquence and
power, but somehow | neglected the
matters Of my soul, and | must con-
fess to you am here to-day waiting for
another chance" Now. the ground
trembles with the advancing chariot.
The great folding doors of the bur-
n.shed hall Of judgment are thrown
open. Stand back" cry the ushers,
and let the Judge of quick and dead
pass through He takes the throne.
He looks off upon the throngs of ma
tons come to the last judgment. come
to the only Judgment, and one flash
from the throne reveals each mans
history to himself, and reveals it to all
the others. And then the Judge says,
"Divide!' and the FURNISHED walls echo
it, "Divide!" and the guides angelic an
swer. divide" and the immortals are
rushing this way and that. until there
is an aisle between them, a great aisle,
and then a vacuum. widening, and
widening and widening, until the Judge
looks to one side CT that vacuum, and
addresses the throng. and says: LET
him that is righteous be righteous still
and let him that is holy be holy still"
And then, turning to the throng on the
other side of the vacuum. he saws;
Let him that is unjust be unjust still
and let him that is filthy be filthy still"
And then he stretches out both hands
one toward the throng on each side Of
the vacuum, and says: IF the tree fall
toward tho south, or toward the north
in the place where the tree falleth
there it shall be-" And then I hear
something jar with great sound; it is
the closing of the Book of Judgment
The Judge ascends the stairs behind The
throne. The Hall of the last Assize is
cleared and shut. The High Court OF
Eternity adjourned forever.