Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-10-12

snroud. IL may De autumn anu T1e
forests set on fire by the retreating
year-dcad nature laid out I'm state. IL
may be with your wife's hand in your
hand. or you may be In strange hotel.
with servant faithful to the last II
may be in the rail train. shot or the
switch and tumbling In long reverbera-
ton down the northumberland,
craShi l know not the time. l know
not the mode. but the days OF our life
are being subtracted away. and we
shall come down TO the time when we
have but ten days left, then nine days.
then eight days. then seven days. six
days, i've days. four days. three days,
two days, one day. Then hours-three
hours, two hours one hour. Then only
minutes left-five minutes, four min
utes. three minutes. two minutes. one
minute. Then only seconds left-four
seconds, three seconds. two seconds.
one second. Gone, The chapter of
life ended, The book closed. The
pulses at resti The feet through with
the journey! The hands closed from
all work! No word on the lips. No
breath in the nostrils, Hair combed
back to lie undisheveled by any human
hands. sThe muscles still. The nerves
still The lungs still. The tongue still.
All still. You might put the stathoscope
TO breast and hear no sound. You might
put a speaking trumpet to the ear, but
you could net wake the deafness. No
motion. No throb. No life. Still Still
The Happiest Hour.
On earth with many of you the even
Ing is the happiest part of the "a hours.
You gather about the stand. You talk
ana laugh and sing. You recount the
Gay. You plan for the morrow. You
have games and repartees. Amid oil
the toll OF the day that is the goal for
which you run, and as you take out
your watch or look at the descending
sun you thrill with the thought that IL
is toward evening SO death comes to
the disciple. What If the sun of life is
about to set? Jesus is the dayspring
from on high. the perpetual morning of
every rensomed spirit What If the
darkness comes? Jesus is the light of
the world and of heaven. What though
this earthly house does crumble? Je-
sus has prepared q house of many
mansions. Jesus is the anchor that al
ways holds. Jesus is the fountain that
Is never exhausted. Jesus Is tie even.
ing star hung up amid the gloom CT the
gathering night
You are almost through with the
abuse and backbiting of enemies. They
Will call you no more by evil names.
Your good deeds will not longer be mis-
interpreted or your honor filched. The
troubles of earth win end in the felici-
ties OF heaven. Toward evening, The
bereavements of earth will soon be
lifted. You will not much longer stand
pouring your grief in the tomb like Ra-
chel weeping for her children or David
mourning for Absalom. Broken hearts
bound up. wounds healed. Tears
wiped away. Sorrows terminated. No
more sounding of the dead march. To-
ward evening. Death will come. sweet
as slumber to the eyelids of the babe,
as full rations to starving soldier. rs
evening hour to the exhausted work
man. The sky will take on it's sunset
glow, every cloud n fire psalm. every
lake CLASSY mirror, the forests trans
figured. delicate mists climbing the air.
Your friends will announce It. your
pulses Will beat ii, your joys will ring
1t, your lips will whisper it, Toward
evening"
Copyright, 1900. By Louis Illopsch.l