The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-07-12
BENTON, LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, JULY r., 1900

and constant maltreatment, which
have left her only wreck of what
she was on that day when in the
midst of brilliant assemblage the
vowswere taken, and full organ played
the wedding march, and the carriage
rolled away with the benediction of
the people. What was the burning
of Latimer and Ridley at the stake
compared with this? Those men soon
became unconscious in the fire, but
there is 30 years martyrdom, 50
years putting to death, yet uncom-
planning. No bitter words when the
rollicking companions at two o'clock
in the morning pitch the husband
dead drunk into the front entry. No
bitter words when wiping from the
swollen brow the blood struck out in
a midnight carousal. Bending over
the battered and bruised form of him
who when he took her from her
fathers home promised love and kind
ness and protection, yet nothing but
sympathy and prayers and forgive
ness before they are asked for. No
bitter words when the family Bible
goes for rum and the pawnbroker's
shop gets the last decent dress. Some
day, desiring to evoke the story Of
her sorrows, you say: "Wen, how
are you getting along now?" and,
rallying her trembling voice and
quieting her quivering lip, she says:
pretty well, thank you; pretty
WELL" She never will tell you. In the
delirium of her last sickness she may
tell all the other secrets Of her life
time, but she will not tell that. Not
until the books of eternity are opened
ON the throne of judgment will ever
be known what she has suffered Oh,
ye who are twisting garland for the
victor, put it on that pale brow!
When she is dead the neighbors will
beg linen to make her a shroud, and
she will be carried out in plain box,
with no silver plate to tell her years,
for she has lived thousand years of
trial and anguish. The gamblers and
swindlers who destroyed her husband
will not come to the funeral. One car
riage will be enough for that funeral
-one carriage to carry the orphans
and the two Christian women who
presided over the obsequies.
But there is flash, and the opening
of a Celestial door and shout: Lift
up your head, We everlasting gate, and
let her come int" And Christ will
step forth and say: "Come in. Ye
suffered for me on earth; be glorified
with me in Heaven" What is the
highest throne in Heaven? Yoti say:
1.-The throne of the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb" No doubt about it
What is the next highest throne in
Heaven? While I speak it seems te
me it will be the throne of the drunk
ards wife, if she with cheerful pa
thence endured all her earthly torture
Heroes and heroines!
}. I find also in this roll the heroes o.
Christian charity. We all admire th>
George Peabodys and the James Len
oxes of the earth, who give tens ant
hundreds of thousands of dollars tt
good objects. But I am speaking nov
of those who out of their pinched pov
erty help others-of such men as thos
Christian missionaries at the ives
who proclaim Christ to the people, on
of them, writing to the secretary II
New York, saying: II thank you TO
that $25. Until yesterday we hav
had no meat in our house for thre
. months. We have suffered terribly
NY children have no shoes this win
, ter" And of those people who hav
only half loaf of bread, but give
!. piece of it to others who are hungriel
, and of those who have only scuttl
, of coal, but help others to fuel, an
! of those who have only dollar 1
their pocket and give 25 cents to some
! body else, and of that father VIII
/, wears shabby coat, and of that motf
er who wears faded dress, that thei
children may be well appareled. Yo
; call them paupers or ragamuffins
emigrants. / call them heroes an
heroines. You and 1 may not kno'
where they live or what their name i
God knows, and they have more ange
:. lowering over them than you and
have, and they will have higher ses
in Heaven. They may have only
= cupful of cold water to give q poo
i traveller or may have only picked
splinter from under the nail of
child's finger or have put on'y tw
mites into the treasury, but the Lo1
8 knows them. Considering what the
had, they did more than we have ev'
done, and their faded dress will b
e come a white robe, and the small roo
will be an eternal mansion, and Il
$ old hat will be exchanged for coron
y of victory. and all the applause
n earth and all the shouting OF Heave
IL will be drowned out when God ris
IS up to give His reward to those humb
e workers in His Kingdom, and say
n them: "Well done, good and faithf
q servant"
You have all seen or heard OF tt
ruins of Melrose abbey. l suppose
e some respects they are the most e
auisite ruins on earth. And yet. loo