The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-10-12


independent In five minutes ON one tair
balance sheet YOU could see Just how YOU
stood with the world. but there came
comphcations. Something that YOU Inn.
agned impossible happened, The best
friend YOU had proved traitor 10 your IN
tcrcsts. \ sudden crash of national mis-
fortune Frustrated your credit. los may
too day he gong on IN business but YOU
feel anxious about where YOU are stand
ing aud fear that the next turn of the
commercial wheel Will bring YOU prostrate.
Nou foresee what YOU consider certain
defalcatisn: YOU think of the anguish of
telling your friends that you are not
worth a dollar YOU know not how YOU
will ever bring your children home from
school; YOU wonder how YOU w,ll stand
the selling Of your library or the moving
into a palmer house The mis,ortunos ot
HE have accumulated. You wonder what
makes the sky 50 dark. lt Is toward
evening.
Trouble is an apothecary that mixes 4
great many drafts, bitter and sour and
nauscous, and YOU must drink some one
OF them. Trouble puts up great maia
packs, and YOU must carry some one ot
them. There ~ no sandal So thick ana
we'll adjusted but some thorn Will strike
through It; there is no sound SO sweet but
the undertaker's screw driver crates
through it. In this swift shuttle of the
heart some of the threads must break.
The Journey from Jerusalem To Emmaus
will soon be ended Our Bible, our COM
mon sense, our observation, rcIteratc IN
tones that we cannot mistake and ought
not TO disregard-it ~ toward evening.
The words of the text are pertinent TO
us all from the fact that we are nearing
the evening OF death. | have heard 1t
said that we ought To live as though each
4 l.. 4 "A ,...N la.
hcvc that theory. As far as preparation
is concerned we ought always to be ready,
hut we cannot always bc thinking OF
death. for we have duties IN life that de-
mand our attention.
When a man is selling goods II is his
business TO think of the bargain he is
making; when a man Is pleading IN the
courts, It is his duty 10 think of the IN.
terests of his clients when a clerk is add.
ing up accounts II is his duty 10 keep his
mind upon the column of figures. lie who
fills up his life with thoughts of death ~
far from being the highest style oi Chris
tlan. | knew man who used often 10
say at night, Il wish | might die before
morning." lie is now an inhdcl
But there are times when we can and
ought TO give ourselves TO the contcmpa-
ton of that solemn moment when TO the
soul time ends and eternity begins. We must
roundabout way no bypath, no clrcultous
route Die we must, aud It viii be 10 us
a shameful occurrence or a time OF admir-
able behavior Our friends may stretch
out their hands TO keep us back, but no
importation on their part can hinder us.
They might offer large rctainers, but
death would not take the fee. The breath
will fail. and the eyes will close, and the
heart will stop. You may hang the couch
,ftth innpgIfNs lint Whut Inp4
death care for bed curtains You may
hang the room with the finest works OF
art. but what does death care for pictures
You may I'LL the house with the wailngs
of widowhood and orphanasc. Does death
mind weeping
Listen To Paul's battle shout with mis-.
fortune, hark 10 mounting Latimcr's fire
song; look at the glory that hath reit the
dungeon and filled the earth and heavens
with the crash OF the falling manaclcs OF
despotism and then look at those who
have tried TO cure themselves 10y human
prescriptions, attempting TO heal gan
creme with patch Of court plaster and to
stop the plague of dying empires with the
quackery of earthly wisdom. Nothing can
speak peace 60 the soul, nothing can un-
strap our crushing burdens, nothing can
overcome our spiritual foes, nothing can
open our eyes To- see the surrounding
horses utl1 fuhilOlN OF hhlNhllOn lilhA M
all the mountains but the voice and COM
mand of Him who stopped one night at
Emmaus.
You ought 20 he willing TO exchange
your body that has headaches and side
aches and weaknesses lnnumerablc, that
llmps with the stone brulse or Testers with
the thorn or flames on the funeral pyrc
of fcvcrs for an incorruptble body and an
cyc that blinks not before the jasper gates
and the great white throne. But between
that and this there ~ an hour about which
no man should be reckless or foolhardy.
/ doubt not your courage, but ] tell you
that you will want something better than
n strong arm, good aim aud a trusty
sword when YOU come 60 your last battle
You will need a better robe than any you
have in your wardrobe TO keep you warm
in that place.
Circumstances do not make 30 much dif-
ference. IL may be bright day when you
push of from the planet, or 1t may be
dark night and while the owl ~ hootlng
from the forest. IL may be spring aud
your soul may go ont among the blossoms,
apple orchards swinging their censcrs IN
the way. IL may be winter and the earth
in a snow shroud. IL may be autumn and
the forests set on fire by the rctrcating
ycar--dcad nature laid out IN state IL
may be with your wiic's hand IN your
hand, or you may be IN a strange hotel,
with a servant faithful 10 the last. il
may be IN the rail train, shot oH the
switch and tumblng IN long reycrbcratiOn
down the cmbanlment-crash,c crash!
! know not the time, ! know not the
mode, but the days Of our life are being
subtractcd away, and we shall come down
10 the time when we have but ten days
left then nine days, then eight days, then
seven days, six days, hvc days, four days,
three days, two days, one day. Then
hours,-three hours, two hours, one hour.
Then only minutes lcit--hve minutes, four
minutes, three minutes, two minutes, one
minute. Then only seconds lcft-four sec
onds, three seconds, two seconds, one sec.
oud Gone! The chapter Of life ended
The book closed, The pulses az rest! The
feet through with the journey! The
hands closed from all work No word on
the lIpsi No breath IN The nostrilsi Hair
cDmbcd back 10 lie undishcyccd by any
human hands. The mugcies still The
nerves still. The lungs still. The tongue
It'll. All still. You might put the steth.
OscOpe 80 breast and hear no sound. YOL
might put a speaking trumpet 90 tho ear,
but you could not wake the dcaincsL No
motion. No thrOb. No life. Etlll Ftili!
On earth with many oil you the cycnng
Is the happiest part Oi the twcnty.ioJr
hours. You gather about the stand. You
talk and laugh and sing. You rccOJ.t the
day. You plan for the morrow You
have games and rcpartces. Amid all the
tyIl oi the day that j. the goal for which
you run, and a. you take ont your watch
Or look at the descending sun yJu thrill
with the thought that u IL toward even.
ing. So death comes 10 the disciple.
What II the sun Of life is about 10 set?
Jesus IA the daysprlng from on high, the
perpetual morning Of every ransoned
spirit. What II the darkness comesy
Jesus is the light Of the world and of
heaven. What though this earthly house
does crumbley Jesus has prepared a house
of many mansions. Jesus u the anchor
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