The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-08-20

heavy hearted. The light is fading from the
sky. The air is chill, it 10 toward evening
YOU had d considerable estate and ielt in-
dependent. In five minutes OF one fair pal.
ance sheet you could see just how you stooo
in the world: But there came complications.
Something that YOU imagined impossible
harpehed. The best friend you had proved
traitor to your interest. a sudden crash OF
National misfortunes Frustrated your creait:
You may to-day be going on in business, put
Won feel anxious about where you are stand
ing and fear that the next turning OF Inc
wheel will bring you'prostrate You Ioresee
what you consider certain defalcatlon. lou
think of the anguish of telling your rienos
YOU arc not worth dollar. You know NOT
how YOU will ever bring your children home
from school. You wonder how you VIII
stand the selling Of your library or the NOV
ing into palmer house. The mIsIortuneo
Of life have accumulated. You wonder what
makes the sky sd dark. 1t Is toward even'
ing.
listen I'd Paul's battle shout with rnisfor-
tune. Hark to mounting Latimers 1re song;
Look at the glory that has reft the dungeon
and filed the earth and heavens with the
crash OF the falling manacles of despotism.
And then look at those who have tried to
cure themselves by human prescriptions, at
tempting to heal gangrene with patton OF
court plaster and to stop the plague OF dying
empires with the quackery OF earthly WIS
dom. Nothing can speak peace to the SOUL
nothing can unstrap our crushing puroens,
nothing can overcome our spiritual Toes,
nothing can open our eyes to see the sur
rounding horses and charlots OF salvation
that M all the mountains, but the voice and
command of Him who stopped one night at
Emrnaus.
Tina words of tho text ere pertinent to us
ali. from the fact that we arc nearing the
evening Of death. have heard it said that
we ought to live as though each moment
were to be our last. do not believe tnat
theory As far as preparation is concerned;
we ought always to be ready; but we cannot
always be thinking of death, for we nave
duties in life that demand our attention.
When a man is selling goods, 1t Is his busi-
ness to think of the bargain he Is making.
When man Is pleading in the courts, it Is
his duty to think Of the interests OF MS
clients. When clerk is adding up his &C.
counts, it is his duty to keep his mind upon
tbe column of figures. He who fills up his
life with thoughts of death is fur from being
tho highest style of Christian. knew a
man who Used TO often say at night. II Wish
might die before 1tornihg" Hebecame an
inlidel
But there are times when we can and ought
to give ourselves to the contemplation OF
that solemn moment when to the soul time
ends and eternity begins. We must go
through that one pass. There is no round
about way. no bypath, no circuitous route;
Die we must; and it will be to US shameful
occurrence or a time of admirable behavior.
Our frendsmay stretch out their hands to
keep us back, but no importation on their
part can hinder us. They might offer large
retainer5, but death would not take the Zee.
The breath will fail; and the eyes will close,
and the heart will stop. You may hang the
a 10, buf what does
death cara for beautiful curtains9 You may
hang the room with the finest works OF art,
but what does death care for ptcturesf You
may fill the house with the Wail1ngs OF
widowhood and orphanage; does death mind
weeping?
This ought not to be a depressing theme:
Who wants to live here forever The world
has always treated me well, and every day 1
feel less and less like scolding and complain
ing. But yet would not want to make this
nv eternal residence l love to watch the
clouds and bathe my soul In the blue sea OF
heaven but expect when the armament is
rolled away as scroll to see new heaven,
grander, higher and more glorious. You
| ought to be willing to exchange your body
that has headaches and sideaches and weak
ness innumerable, that limps with the stone
| bruise or testers with the thorn or flames
| on the funeral pyre of fevers for an incor-
| ruptibe 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 not your courage, but
tell you that you will want something bot
| ter than q strong arm, q good aim ana a
| trusty sword when you come to your last
battle. You will need better robethan any
YOU have in your wardrobe to keep you
warm in that place.
| Circumstances do not make so much difs
| ference. 1t may be bright day when you
push off the planet, or it may be dark
might 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 censers in the way. 1t may
be winter and the earth in a snow shroud.
1t may be autumn and the forests set on fire
| by the retreating vear-dead nature laid ont
| in state 1t may be with your wife's hand in
your hand, or you may be in strange hotel
| with u servant faithful to the last. 1t may be
in the rail train, shot Off the switch and
tumbling in long reverberation down
the embankment-crash, crash! I know
not the time, I 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-fve minutes, four min
utes, three minutes, two minutes, one minute.
Then only seconds left-four seconds. three
seconds, two seconds, one second. Gone!
The chapter of life ended. Tho book closed.
The pulses at rest. The feet through with
| the journey. The hands closed from oil
work. No word on the lips. No breath in
the nostrils. Hair combed back to Ito IN.
| disheveled by any human hands. The mus
cles still. The nerves still. The lungs still.
The tongue still. ALI still. You might put
tine stethoscope to tho breast and hear no
sound. You might put q speaking trumpet
to the ear, but you could not wake the deaf
ness. No motion, no throb, no life. Still,
still.
So death comes to the disciple! What il
the sim of life is about to set2 Jesus is the
day spring from on high, heperpetual morn
ing of every ransomed spirit. What il tho
darkness comes? Jesus is the light OF .he
world and of heaven. What though this
earthly house does crumble? Jesus has pre-
pared house Of many mansions. Jesus Il
the anchor that always holds. Jesus IL tho
light that is mover eclipsed. Jesus 10 the
fountain that is never exhausted. Jesus .a
the evening star, hung up amid the gloom Of
the gathering night.
You are almost through with tho abnse
and baokbiting Of enemies. They will call
you no more by evil names. Your good deeds
will no longer be misinterpreted nor your
honor filohed. The troubles Of earth will
end in the fsiicities. Toward evening. The
bereayements of earth will soon be lifted.