The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-04-05


and sweet departure. methinks it
would be grand and beautiful as one
of heavens great doxologies! In my
parish in Philadelphia a little child
was departing. She had been sick all
her days and cripple. 1t was noon
day when she went, and, as the shad-
ow Of death gathered on her eyelid
she thought it was evening and time
to go to bed. and so she said, Good
night papa! Good night. mammal"
And then she was gone! 1t was
good night" to pain and good night"
to tears and good night to death
and good night" to earth, but 1t was
good morning" to Jesuit was good
morning" to heaven. I can think of
no cradle song more beautiful than
Jesus
Songs for tho Old.
next speak of Christ as the old
mans song. Quick music loses its
charm for the aged ear. The school,
girl asks for schotttsch or glee,
but her grandmother asks for "Baler-
ma" or the Portuguese Hymn" Fifty
years Of trouble have tanned the spirit,
and the keys of the music board must
have solemn tread Though the
voice may be tremulous. so that grand
father will not trust it in church, still
he has the psalm book open before
| him, and he sings with his soul. He
huns his grandchild asleep with the
same tune he sang forty years ago in
the old country meeting house. Some
day the choir sings a tune 50 old that
the young people do not know it, but
it starts the tears down the cheek of
the aged man, for it reminds him of
the revival scene in which he partici-
pated and Of the radiant faces that
long since went to dust and of the
gray haired minister leaning over the
pulpit and sounding the good tidings
of great joy.
l was one Thanksgiving day in my
pulpit in Syracuse, and Rev. Daniel
Waldo, at 50 years Of age, stood beside
me. The choir sang tune. said,
Il am sorry they sang that new tune;
nobody seems to know it." Bless you,
my son" said the old man, Il heard
that seventy years ago."
There was song today that touched
the life of the aged with holy fire
and kindled glory on their vision
that your younger eyesight cannot see.
1t was the song of salvation-Jesus.
who fed them all their lives long;
Jesus, who wiped away their tears;
Jesus, who stood by them when all else
| failed; Jesus, in whose name their
marriage was consecrated and whose
resurrection has poured light upon the
graves of their departed. do you
know me?" said the wife to her aged
husband, who was dying. his mind all
ready having gone out. He said, ''No."
And the son said, Father, do you
know me?" He said. No" The
daughter said. Father, do you know
me?" He said, NO" The minister
of the gospel, standing by, said, DO
you know Jesus?" ooh, yes" he said,
Il know Him, chief among 10000, the
one altogether lovely!'" Blessed the
Bible in which specialized old age reads
the promise, II will never leave you,
never forsake you!' Blessed the staff
EG which the worn out pilgrim totters
er! BlesIh the Gymmn # f his Redeem
the faltering tongue and II N wa.cn
eyes find Jesus, the old man -
When my mother had been put ava.
for the resurrection, we, the children
came to the old homestead, and eacl
one wanted to take away mement,
of her who had loved us so long AM
loved us SO well. think took ava.
the best Of all the mementoes; it wa
the old-fashioned round-glass specta
cles through which she used to rea,
her Bible, and l put them on, bu
they were too old for me, and | coult
not see across the room. But through
them could see back to childhood ant
forward to the hills of heaven, wher,
the ankles that were stiff with ag,
have become timber again, and tn,
spirit, with restored eyesight, stands
in rapt exultation, crying, This Il
/ heaven!"
+. Words OF Peace.
| l speak to you again of Jesus as tn,
night son. Job speaks of Him who
giveth songs in the night. John WEIGH
the old Scotch minister, used to put
plaid across his bed on cold nights
ana some one asked him why he pu
that there. He said, "Oh, sometime.
IN the night want to sing the praise
OF Jesus and to get down and pray
Then / just take that plaid and wrar
1t around me to keep myself from thu
| cold" Songs in the night! Night Of
trouble has come down upon many OF
you. Commercial losses put out one
star, slanderous abuse puts out another
star, domestic bereavement has put out
1000 lights, and gloom has been added
to gloom and chill to chill and sting
to sting, and one midnight has seemed
to borrow the fold from another mid.
night to wrap itself in more unbeara.
BILE darkness, but Christ has spoken
peace to your heart, and you sing:
Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the pillows near me roll;
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Saviour! Hide
Till the storm of life is passed,
Safe into the haven guide;
Oh. receive my soul. at last.
Songs in the night! Songs in the
night! For the sick, who have no one
to turn the hot pillow, no one to put