Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-03-29
CHAPTER Y.

SUNDAY SERVICES-SERNICE NO. i.
The boy Waldo kissed the pages OF
his book and looked up. Far over the
fiat lay the "kopje," a mere speck; the
sheep wandered quietly from bush to
bush; the stiffness of the early Sunday
rested everywhere, and the air was
fresh.
He looked down Mt his book. On its
page a black insect crept. He lifted it
off with his finger. Then he leaned on
his elbow, waSching its qulverlng an
tennae and strange movements, smil-
ing.
even YOU" he whispered, "shall not
die. Even you he loves. Even you he
will fold in his arms when he takes
everything and makes 1t perfect and
happy"
When the thing had gone, he smooth
ed the leaves of his Bible somewhat
caressingly The leaves of that book
had dropped blood for him once. They
had taken the brightness out OF his
childhood. From between them had
sprung the visions that had clung
about him and made night horrible.
Adderlike thoughts had lifted their
heads, had shot out forked tongues at
him, asking mockingly strange, trivial
questions that he could not answer,
miserable child:
Why did the women In Mark see only
one angel and the women In Luke two!
Could a story be told in opposite ways
and both ways be truef Could itf
Could It? Then, again: Is there moth
ing always right and nothing always
wrong? Could Jael, the wife OF Heber
the Kenite, put her hand to the nail
and her right hand to the workman's
hammer?" and could the Spirit of the
Lord chant paeans over her, loud
paeans, high paeans, set In the book or
the Lord, and no voice cry out II was n
mean and dastardly sin to lie and XIII
the trusting In their sleep? Could the
friend of God marry his own sister
and be beloved, and the man who does
1t today goes to hell, TO hellf was
there nothing always right or always
wrong?
Those leaves had dropped blood FOR
him once They had made his heart
heavy and cold; they had robbed his
childhood OF its gladness. Now his
fingers moved over them caressingly.
"My Father God knows, my Father
knows" he said. I'VE cannot under
stand He knows" After awhile he
whispered, smiling: 81 heard your voice
this morning when my eyes were not
yet open. | felt you near me, my ia
ther. Why do you love me sor His
face was Illuminated. I'm the last
four months the old question has gone
from me. | know you are good; know
you love everything; / know, l know
knowl | could not have borne 1t any
more, not any more" lie laughed
softly. "And all the while l was SO
miserable you were looking at me and
loving me, and | never knew It, But
/ know It now. l feel itp' said the
boy, and he laughed low. II feel it!'
he laughed.
After awhile he began partly TO sing,
partly to chant, the disconnected verses
Of hymns, those which spoke his glad
ness, many times over. The sheep
with their senselcss eyes turned to look
at him as he sang.
At last he lapsed into quiet. Then
ms the boy lay there staring at bush
and sand he saw Il vision.
lie had crossed the river OF Death
and walked on the other bank in the
Lords land OF Beulah. His feet sank
into the dark grass, and he walked
alone Then, far over the fields, he
saw a figure coming across the dark
green grass. st first he thought 1t
came nearer he began to feel what 1t
was And 1t came closer, closer to
him, and then the voice said, Come"