The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-04-14
Difficulties OF

And wonder Wien l1t w."
end. Ny friende, the brightest crowns IN
heaven Will not b given TO those who IN
stirrups dashed to the cavalry charge,
while tie General applauded and the souna
OF clashiug sabers rang through the lana.
but the brightest crowns IN heaven, L De-
lieve, will be given to those who trudSeo
on amid chronic ailments which unnerved
their strength. vet all the time Ealntain-
Ing their faith in Goa. Itls comparative
~ easy to fight in a regiment OF u thousand
men, charging up the parapets TO the
SOUND OF martial music, bu: 1t Is not so
easy to endure when no one but the nurse
and the doctor are the witnesses OF the
Christian fortitude. All the pangs OF all
the nations OF all the ages com pressed in
TO one sour cup. He took the VIM
egar.
There is also the sourness OF poverty.
Your income does lot meet your outgoings,
and that always gives an honest man anx-
ietv. There is no sign Of deStitutiOn about
you-pleasant appearance and a cheerful
nome for ou-bu God only knows what q
time you have had to manage your private
finances. Just as the bills run up the
wages seem to run down. You may say
nothing, but life TO you is a hard push, and
when YOU sit down with your wife and talk
over the expenses you both rise up dis
couraged. You abridge here, and you
abriige there. and you get things snug Tor
smooth sailing. and, 10, suddenly there is a
l.l - uOctDt : blti - td., u YOU Lave loSI
your pocketbook. or som debtor has failed.
and NOu are thrown abeam end. Well, brorn-
er, you are in glorious company. Christ
owned not thahouse in which He stopped,
or the colt on which He rode, or the boat
in which H sailed. He lived il q Dor
roved house. lie was buried in a Dor
rowe. grave. Exposed to all kinds of
weather, yet lie had only one suit of
clothes. lie breaktasteI in the morning,
and no one could possibly tell where He
could get anything TO eat before night.
He would have been pronounced a nnan-
cial failure. He had to perform a miracle
y get money to pay a tax bin. Not a dol
lar Gid He own. Privation Of domesticity;
lrivatlon Of nutritious TODD; privation OF a
comfortable couch on which to sleep; pri-
Walton Of Al worldly r%eSOurces! Tho
kings Of the earth had chased chalices our
~ which to drink, but Christ had nothing
out "a plain cup set before Him. and it was
gerv sharp, and it was very sour. He took
.he vinegar.
There were years that passed along be-
Tore Your family circle was invaded by
death, but the moment the charmed circle
was broken everything seemed to dissolve.
Hardly have you put the black apparel in
the wardrobe before you have again to
take it out. Great and rapid changes in
Your family record. You got the house
and rejoiced in it, but the charm was eone
as soon as the Grape hung on the doorbell.
4 ~ ot'A "hCHA yOA AAAoDH
was taken away from YOU. A cold marble
slab lies on your heart to-day. Once, as
the children ro.nped through tbs house,
you pat ;our hand over your aching head
sEd said. "Oh. il | could only have it
still,' Oh, it is too still now. You lost
your patience when the tops and the
strings and the shells were left amid floor;
bat, oh, you would be willing to have tho
trinketS scattered all over the floor again
if they were scattered by the same hands.
With what a ruthless plowshare bereave-
ment rips up the heart! But Jesus knows
all about that. You cannot tell Him any
thing now in regard to bereavement. He
had only a few friends. and when He lost
one it brought tears to His eyes. Lazarus
had often entertained Him at his house.
Now Lazarus is dead and buried, aud
Christ breaks down with emotion, the con-
vulsion OF grief shuddering through all the
ages OF bereavement. Christ knows what
it is to go through the house missing q
familiar inmate. Christ knows what it is
to see an unocoupied place at the table.
Were there not four OF them-Mary and
Martha and Christ and Lazarus? Four OF
them. But where is Lazarus? Lonely and
afflicted Christ, His great loving eyes filled
with tears! Oh, yes, yes. He knows all
about the LONELINESS and the heartbreak.
He took the vinegar!
Then there Is the sourness OF the death
hour. Whatever else We may escape, that
aclu sponge VIII De pressed 10 our ups. 1
sometimes have q curiosity to know how
I will behave when come to die. Whether
l will be calm or excited, whether / will be
filed with "reminiscences or with aaticipa-
ton. I cannot say. But come to the
point I must and you must. An officer
from tho future world will knock at the
door o; our hearts and serve on US the
writ OF ejectment, and we will have 10 sur.
render. And we will wake up after these
autUmnal and wintry and vernal and sum
merry .glories have vanished from our
vision. We will wake Up into a realm
which has Only one season, and that the
season Of everlasting love.
But you say: II don't want to break out
from my present associations. 1t is SO
chilly and SO damp to go down the stairs