The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-07-28
A HAPPY RELEASE.
By REV. GEORGE II. HEPWORTH.

But it passed from death unto life-John,
D., "a
A very dear friend of mine has Just
left this world behind him in his ira
wells. lie has gone beyond the reach
of my vision. His fourscore years
were spent in the sunshine of con-
socrated life, and he constantly re-
minded me of a wheat field whose
grain had ripened and was ready for
the reapers sickle or scythe.
When I head that he had fallen
asleep and could not be awakened, that
the voice of loved one had called
him, but he had not answered, knew
that he was enjoying repose after
hard days work. His earthly life had
suddenly become reminiscence. He
had gone elsewhere, had solved the
great problem, and was in the midst
of scenes about which he had dreamed
from his .1onth. He had discoved that
the faith on which he builded was
surer foundation than the bold head
land which juts into the sea and which
the storms of ages have not displaced
When l heard of his departure l
was shocked, because his absence
would be a personal loss, but to my sur
prise my eyes were unwet with tears.
He was glad that it was all over, and
why should | not be also? felt like
congratulating the dear ones who
were left, but their grief restrained
me. And yet it was the right thing
to do. The old idea of death which
has prevailed for so many generations
that it has become sad heirloom put
its finger on my lips, and l was dumb.
but the larger confidence in immortal
ity which of late has fallen upon the
race like refreshing shower prompt
ed me to say that my friend had been
wonderfully blessed by his transfer
from the lower to the higher existence
from the beauties of earth to the glo-
ries of heaven.
believe that one should be cheerful
all through life, but especially so in
advanced age. In our youth we have
the world before, but our capacities,
our faculties, are all undeveloped. We
neither know what we are nor what
we can do. Hardship is our school
master, and only through our mistakes
do we learn how to live. We put
pleasure, excitement, perhaps passion,
to the test, end find at last that the
soul is still hungry and unsatisfied.
When we reach middle life we become
philosopers and logicians. We pass
from the radiant realm of imagination
into the domain Of reality, and for the
first time know how to live in order to
make the most and the best of life. By
that time our whole outlook and our
whole inlook have changed. The in
ner man has matured, while the body
suffers decadence The one has learn
ed wisdom. The other recognizes its
doom. The soul has become stalwart,
is armed and equipped for achieve
ment, while the body suffers pain
which points to dissolution.
These are the stern facts of the case.
But they are not more stern than pro-
phetic. If, therefore, we superadd to
our philosophy and logic the faith
which opens the door Of Immortality,
then we become happier and more
CHEEKY and peaceful and contented as
we approach the end. 1t is in the ma
tural order Of things that it should be
so. And it will be so if keep company
with the Christ If it is not so,
then we are in an abnormal and un-
neal-nI state OF mlHd.
How suggestive it is that we are
Just ready to live nobly and have just
learned from our blunders how to do
so when the Strong Messenger knocks
at our door with writ of eviction in
his hand What is the meaning of
it all Simply this, if l read the
scriptures Alright, that we get our pri-
mary education here, and equip our
selves to make use Of the larger op-
portunties which another life will af-
ford. Death is an introduction to
higher privileges and wider field of
labor.
In the forest one happy afternoon,
just as the sinking sun colored the
clouds With crimson glory, | came
upon ground birds nest. | stopped
to examine the four little eggs which
lay therein. | was a pretty sight, for
nature in all its phases is beautiful and
instructive. | soon found, however,
that the eggs were empty. Perhaps
some despoiicr had been there, some
robbcr reptile. But no. The mystic
rious life within those eggs had ma
tured. The shell was no longer fit
residence for it ; it had broken through
its confinement, and had taken wing
Possibly the bird that had perched on
a fallen log near me had lived in that
narrow home and was now chirpng
cheerily at its release. Happy bird,
thought Shall | be sorry that it is
enjoying forest life instead of an egg
life Is it time to weep because the
shell is empty? Shall | not rather be
glad that another songster has been