Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-10-31

falling leaf docs not shake the Adiron-
dacks \ ship is not well manned unless
there hc an extra supply Of hands-somo
working on deck, some sound asleep in
their hammocks. God has manned this
world very well There will he other sea
men ON deck when You and are down in
the cabin sound asleep in the hammocks.
The Dead Leaves.
Again. ~ with the leaves, we fade and
fall amid myriads Of Others. ore cannot
count the number Of plumes which these
frnsts are plucking from the hills. They
Will Strcw all the streams, they Will drift
into the cnNerus, they will soften the wild
beasts lair and iii the eagles cyric.
All the aisles uf the forest will Inc cover
cd with their carpet and the steps OF the
hills glow with wealth of color and shape
that will defy the looms of Administer.
What urn could hold the ashes Of all these
dead leaves Who could count the hosts
that burn ON this funeral ryrc of the noun
tains.
30 we die in concert. The clock that
strikes the hour Of our going will sound
the going Of many thousands. Keeping
step with the feet of those who carry us
out will bc the tramp of hundreds doing
the same crrand. Between 30 and 80 peo-
pie every day lie down in Greenwood. That
place has over 200, 900 Of the dead said
To the man at the gate, Then, If there are
so many here, you must have the largest
cemetery" He said there were two Roman
Catholic cemeteries in the city each of
which had more than this. We are all dy
ing. London and Picking are not the great
cities of the world The grave is the great
city. 1t hath mighticr population, longer
STREETS. brighter lights, thicker darkncsscs.
Caesar is there and all his subjects. Nero
is there and all his victims. City Of kings
and paupcIS! IL has swallowed up in its
immigratious Thehes and Tyre and Baby
Ion and will swallow all our cities. Yet
city of silence. No voice. No hoof No
wheel. No clash. No shifting Of ham
mer. No clack of flying loom No jar No
whisper. Great city Of silence! OF all its
million million hands not one Of them is
lifted. or all its million million eyes not
one Of them srarklcs. OF NIL its million
million hearts not one pulsatcs. The living
are in small minority.
IT, in the movement of time, some great
question between the living ard the dead
should Lc put and God called up all the
dead and the living to decide it, as we lift
cd our hands. and from all tho resting
places of the dead they lifted their hands,
the dead would Cutvotc us Why, the null
titudc OF the dying and the dead are as
these autumnai leaves drifting under our
feet today. We march on toward eternity,
not by companies of 100. or regiments OF
1000, or brigades II 10, 600, but ], 500, COO,
900 abreast. Marching on Marching on
Great Variety.
Again, as with variety of appearance the
Il.
that some trees at the first touch Of the
frost lose all their Lcauty. They stand
withcred and uncomely and ragged wait
ing for the northeast storm TO drive them
into the miro. The sun shining at noon
day gildS them with no beauty. Ragged
leaves Dead leaves. No one stands TO
study them. They are gathered in no vase.
They are hung on no wall. 80 death
smites many. There is no heauty in their
departure. one sharp frost OF sickness or
one blast OF the cold waters ami they are
gone No tingc Of hope No prophecy of
heaven. Their spring was all abloom with
bright prospects. Their summer thick
foliagcd with opportunities. But October
came, and their glory went. Frosted! In
early autumn the frosts come but do not
seem To damage vegetation. They are
light frosis. But some morning you look
out nf the window and say, There was IA
black frost last night and you know
that from that day everything will withcr.
SO men seem 10 get along without religion
amid the annOyanccs and Vcxations of life
that nip them slightly here and nip them
there. But after awhile death comes. IT
is u black frost, and all is ended.
Oh, what withCring and scattering
death makes among those not prepared TO
meet it. They leave everything pleasant
behind thcm--their house, their families
their friends, their books, their pictures,
and step out of the sunshine into the shad-
ow. They quit the presence Of bird and
bloom and wave to go unlcckoncd and un-
welcomed 1 he bower in which they stood
and sang and wovc chaplcts and made
themselves merry has gone down under
an awful cquinoctcal M bell can toll
one. half the dolefulncss NJ their condi-
ton. Frosted
But, thank God, that is not the way peo-
pie always die, Tell me on what day Of
all the year the leaves Of the woodhine are
as bright rs they are today! 20 Christian
character is never so attractive rs in the
dying hour. such go into the grave, not
as "A dog with frown and barsi voice,
driven into kennel, hut they pass away
calmly, brightly, swcctly, grandly. AS the
leaf AS the leaf!
Why go TO the dcathbcd Of distinguished
men when there is hardly house on this
street but from il u Christian has departed?
When your baby died there were enough
angels in the room to have chanted a coro-
nation. When your father died you sat
watching, and after awhile felt of his
"A A.
arm To see IL there were any warmth left
and placed the mirror to the mouth 10 SEQ
II there were any sign OF breathing, and
when all was over you thought how grand
~ he slept-a giant resting after n battle.
oh, there are many Christian dcathbedsl
The chariots of God, come To- take his chill
drcn home, are speeding every whittier.
This one hnlts ut the gate of the aims
house, that one at the gate of princes. Tho
shout Of captives breaking their chains
comes on the morning air. The heavens
ring again and again with the coronation
Tho II gates Of heaven are crowded with
the ascending righteous. | see the accumu-
lated glorics Of "a thousand Christian dcath-
beds-an autumnal forest illuminod by an
nutumnal sunset. They died not in shame,
but in triumph. As the leaf As the leaf
The Resurrection.
Lastly. ms the leaves fade and fall only
to rise, so do we. All this golden shower
of the woods ia making the ground richer,
and in the juice and sap and life Of tho
tree the leaves will come up again. Next
May the south wind will blow the rcsur-
rccti0n trumpet, and they will rise 30 we
fall in the dust only 10 rise again. 1.-The
hour is coming when all who are in their
graves shall hear his voice and come forth. =
1t would be horrible consideration To
think that our bodies were always To lie in
the ground However beautiful the flow
ers you plant there, we do not want To
make our everlasting residence in such
place.
/ have with these eyes seen so many Of
the gluries Of the natural world and tho
radiant faces of my friends, that do not
want Ia think that when close them in
death shall never open them again. 1t is
sad enough To have n hand or foot ampu-
tated. In u hospital, after "A soldier had
had his hand taken of, he said, "Goodby,
dear old hand, you have done me great
1..f.