Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-05-08

Death in slippered feet walked round
about the cradle. You did not hear the
tread, but after awhile the truth fash
ed on you. You walked the floor. Oh,
if you could, with your strong, stout
hand have wrenched that child from
the Destroyer You went to your room
and you said: ''God, save my child
God, save my childl' The world seem
ed going out in darkness. You said, ST
can't bear it, can't bear it. You felt
as if you could not put the long lashes
over the bright eyes, never to see them
again sparkle. IF you could have taken
that little one in your arms, and with
it leaped the grave, how gladly you
would have done it'll If you could let
your property go, your houses go, your
land and your storehouse go, how glad
ly you would have allowed them to de-
part if you could only have kept that
one treasured
Gods Consolation.
But one day there came up chill
blast that swept through the bedroom,
and instantly all the lights went out
and there was darkness thick, murky,
impenetrable, shuddering darkness
But God did not leave you there Mercy
spoke. AS you took up the bitter cup
to put it to your lips God said, ''Let it
| pass, and forthwith, as by the hand
of angels, another cup was put into
| your hands. It was the cup of Gods
consolation. And as you have sometimes
lifted the head of a wounded soldier
and poured wine into his lips, so God
| puts his left arm under your head and
| with his right hand he pours into your
| lips the wine of his comfort and his
consolation, and you looked at the emp
ty cradle and looked at your broken
heart, and you looked at the Lords
chastisement, and you said, Given so,
Father, for so it seemeth good in thy
sight"
All, it was your first trouble. How
did you get over it2 God comforted
| you. You have been a better man ever
since You have been better woman
ever since. In the jar of the closing
gate of the sepulcher you heard the
Changing of the opening gate of heaven,
and you felt an irresistible drawing
| heavenward. You have been spiritually
better ever since that night when the
| little one for the last time put it's arms
around your neck and said: Good
night, papa Good night, mamma
| Meet me in heavenl'
But I must come to your latest sor-
row. What was it2 Perhaps it was
sickness. The child 8 tread on the stair
| or the tick of the watch on the stand
| disturbed you. Through the long weary
days you counted the figures in the
carpet or the flowers in the wall paper.
| Oh, the WEAKNESS of exhaustion Oh.
| the burning pangsl Would God it were
morningl Would God it were night
was your frequent cry. But you are
better, or perhaps even we'll Have you
| thanked God that today you can come
out in the fresh air; that you are in
| your place to hear Gods name, and to
sing Gods praise, and to implore Gods
help, and to ask Gods forgiveness
| Bless the Lord who healeth all our dis
| eases and redeemeth our lives from de-
structionl
Tears Wiped Away.
Perhaps your last sorrow was finan-
| cial embarrassment. l congratulate
some of you on your lucrative profess
sion or occupation, on ornate apparel
| on commodious residence-everything
you put your hands on seems to turn to
gold. But there are others of you who
are like the ship on which Paul sailed
where two seas met, and you are bro
| ken by the violence of the waves. By
an unadvised Endorsement, or by con-
junction of unforeseen events, or by fire
or storm, or senseless panic, you have
been flung headlong, and where you
once dispensed great charities now you
have hard work to win your daily
bread. Have you forgotten to thank
God for your days Of prosperity, and
that through your trials some of you
have made investments which will con-
tinue after the last bank of this world
has exploded, and the silver and gold
are molten in the fires of a burning
world2 Have you, amid all your losses
and discouragements. forgot that there
was bread on your table this morning,
and that there shall be a shelter for
your head from the storm, and there is
air for your lungs, and blood for your
heart, and light for your eye, and
glad and glorious and triumphant reli-
gion for your soulP
Perhaps your last trouble was be-
reavement That heart which in child
hood was your refuge, the parental
heart, and which has been source of
the quickest sympathy ever since, has
suddenly become silent forever And
now sometimes, whenever in sudden
annoyance and without deliberation you
say. 'tI will go and tell mother" tn
thought flashes on you, ST have no
MOTHER Or the father, with voice less
tender, but with heart as loving, watch
full of all your ways, exultant over your
success without saying much, although
the old people do talk it over by them