The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-03-15

The gray ShddOl0 of the last enemy aUas
projected into the room.
was sinking rapidly. He was conscious,
however, and at Philips quiet question
concerning his peace with God a smile
passed over his face, and he moved his
lips. Philip understood him. A sud-
den thought occurred to Philip. He
opened the basket, took out the bread
and wine, set them on the small table
and said:
disciple of Jesus. would you like to
partake of the blessed communion
once more before you see the King in
his gloryT
The CLEAN of satisfaction in the
mans eyes told Philip enough The
sexton said in a low voice, HE be-
longed to the southern Episcopal
church in Virginia" Something in the
wistful look of the sexton gave Philip
an inspiration for what followed.
Brother" he said, turning to the
sexton, what is to hinder your bap-
tism and partaking of the communion?
Yes, this is Christ's church wherever
his true disciples are"
Then the sexton brought a basin of
water, and as he kneeled down by the
side of the bed Philip baptized him
with the words: Il baptiZe thee,
Henry, my brother, disciple of Jesus,
into the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen"
Amen" murmured the man on the
bed.
And Philip, still standing as he was,
bowed his head, saying, BLESSED Lord
Jesus, accept these children of thine,
bless this new disciple. and unite our
hearts in love for thee and thy king
dom as we remember thee now in this
service"
He took the bread and said: Take,
eat. This is my body. broken for you
In the name of the Master, who said
these words, eat, remembering his love
for us"
The dying man could not lift his
hand to take the bread from the plate.
Philip gently placed crumb between
his lips. The sexton, still kneeling,
partook and, bowling his head between
his hands, sobbed. Philip poured out
the wine and said. ''In the name of the
Lord Jesus, this cup Is the new tesla
ment in his blood shed for all mankind
for the remission of SINS" He carried
the cup to the lips of the man and then
gave to the sexton. The smile on the
dying mans face died. The gray
shadow of the last enemy was project
ed into the room from the setting sun
of deaths approaching twilight. The
son of the old slave master was going
to meet the mother of the man who
was born into the darkness of slavery,
but born again into the light OF God.
Perhaps. perhaps. he thought, who
knows but the first news he would
bring to her would be the news OF that
communion? Certain 1t Is that his
hand moved vaguely over the blanket.
1t slipped over the edge of the bed
and fell upon the bowed head of the
sexton and remained there as If in ben
ediction. And so the shadow deepened,
and at last it was like unto nothing
else known to the sons Of men on
earth, and the spirit leaped out OF its
clay tenement with the breath of the
communion wine still on the lips OF
the frail, perishable body.
Philip reyerently raised the arm and
laid 1t on the bed. The sexton rose,
and, while the tears rolled over his
face, he gazed long into the counte-
nance of the son of his old master. No
division Of race now: no false and self
ish prejudice here. Come, let the
neighbors of the dead come In 10 do
the last sad offices to the casket, for
the soul of this disciple is In the man
sions of glory, and 1t shall burger no