The Langston City herald. [volume] (Langston City, O.T. [Okla.]) 1891-1902, 1896-08-08

TROUBLE In The CHURCH
There vas trouble In the church, just whnt
about twas hsrd 10 tell.
But the Sethirn IN sns,bIpg brit unity an
dweIlj
Hsrd woi de we're psestd on every hand and
lifelong fficndships trotcn,
TIL ef Lhristisp love aud charity there wrs
ueithcr Align nor token.
Then teachers pYit the Sunday school and
r'neess lei, the cnoir.
Ana Elder eto~p IN public. csiled Deacon
JonsS liar,
And broiber hated brother. aud thugs rev
worse each day.
~ Satan seemed 10 rulc the church WITH
.pdtsrutec swsy.
~ ouprsc each eide was certain that they wcro
IN the right.
Aud eaoh lido wss determined T. tis bitter
end 10 hIh'j
At lerGth the evening cnine around on which
the congregation
ono way az other shodld decido the fatal
complication.
And "a officers and members Med IN and ioch
thoir places,
many Ronisi facctI
And the y yoinr men Ia the gallery commented
on the scene.
WIN many n csrslcss wcrd and lest, icss
Fodiy far than kcen.
And the powers OF sn and e,ii must have
looked on In deisht
And n the blessed Angels weep they surely
wep' that night
For III" minc was charged With ha,rei and
the train wss isid in pride.
And II needed hut Al angry word and tho
match would be nrpieu.
when quietly q stranger rose, With air
subdded and meek,
And ~ low aud trt mbIing voice asked leave
that he might speat,
winch being granted him. be turned aud
faced the reihren there;
His head was wtite as driven snow and
bowed with aEe ana care.
Most forty years ago" he said. our church
had trouble too;
Ihcn was young and strong aud proud.
just like the most OF yosl
Our eide wac bound tc have their way. for We
knew that We were risht.
"ut the Others, they were just ss sure, and we
had bitter nghi,
And cruel words were spoken. aud spitefui
dceds were done.
suoh words ana doeds ss Christians ns bretbrss
should shun;
rhe bande of love were broken that before our
hearts had Knit
In christian peace and fellows ship and at
last our church was split.
Il had q son. )" the old mans volo. we now
could hardly hear.
And with his tremblg hand he wiped from
his withered cheek q tear:
i tsd an onlv son =" he said IA lad so bright
and fair.
'"s' pointing TO the gallery-'iike some
ofyou up there.
'Before the trouble came he mad the yay ~
lie becu seeking.
hhd he mao almost si',n his bcsrt into the 2
ssvior's keepiDsi
'u' "hen the fs ht began / seemed TO clean
forget his state,
>nd ~heo twas over. theu found that 10.
thousht of bim--too Is,e.
'For when ] spoke TO him of God and Of !
eternity,
10 laughed n little ecorpful Iausb and
guessed he'd wait and see
uied most hard 10 save him. for I iovsa
him more than life,
'u' no answered ever With some Jc.t sbou,
our Christian strife. "
he o'd man's head bent lower, and h. tear,
ran down like rain,
Ind In that conErt CATION lew could their ,,sr,
restrain,
% s'i'' they we're. hts brokon words 10 ali
suoib.s:
] buried bim ten years ego-end- ho a,ca
an-irhcei"
ne trouble IN the church is past aud wors
ofgrsce begun.
ina II started with The story OF ,be eqsd
strangers SON.:
or he leaders In The fsb, TONED hands he
fo'e the congregation.
md pledged themselves 10 God ares. An
10 mt recoasecrsuon.