The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-05-10

that child. Then there will be q
soundless step in the dwelling, and |
the youthful pulse will begin to flut-
ter, and the little hands will be lifted |
for help. You cannot help. And a
great agony will pinch at your heart.
and the cradle will be empty, and the
nursery will be empty, and the world
will be empty. No little feet standing
on the stairs. No toys scattered on
the carpet. No quick following from
room to room. No strange and won
dering questions. No upturned face
with laughing blue eyes come for a
kiss, but only grave and a wreath Of
white blossoms on the top of it and
bitter desolation and a signing at
with no one to put to bed.
The Heavenly Shepherd will take that
lamb safely anyhow, whether you have
been faithful or unfaithful, but would
it not have been pleasanter if you could
have heard from those lips the praises
of Christ? Inever read anything more
beautiful than this about child's de-
parture: The account said: "She fold
ed her hands, kissed her mother good
by, sang her hymn, turned her face to
the wall, said her little prayer and then
died.
Oh, it could gather up in one para
graph the last words of the little
ones who have gone out from these,
Christian circles, and could picture
the calm looks and the folded hands
and sweet departure, methinks it would
be grand and beautiful as one of Heav-
ems great doxologies! In my parish in
Philadelphia a little child was depart
ing. She had been sick all her days and
a cripple. 1t was MONDAY when she
went, and, as the shadow of death
gathered on her eyelid she thought it
was evening and time to 60 to bed. and
SO she said: "Good night, papa! Good
night, mammal" and then she was
gone! It was goodnight" to pain
and goodnight" to tears and "good-
night" to death and goodnight to
earth, but it was "good-morning" to
Jesus - it was "good-morning' to
Heaven. I can think of no cradle song
more beautiful than Jesus.
1 next speak of Christ as the old
mans song. Quick music loses its
charm for the aged ear. The school
girl asks for a schottish or glee, but
her grandmother asks for "Balerma'
| or the Portuguese Hymn" Fifty years
of trouble have tanned the spirit, and
the keys of the music board must have
"a solemn tread. Though the voice may
be tremulous, so that grandfather 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 40 years ago in the old country
meeting house. Some day the choir
Isings q tune so old that the young peo
pie do not know it, but it starts the
tears down the cheeks of the aged man
for it reminds him of the revival scene
in which he participated and of the ra
diant faces that long since went te
dust and of the gray-haired minister
leaning over the pulpit and sounding
the good tidings of great joy.
/ speak to you again of Jesus as the
night song. Job speaks of him wht
giveth songs in the night. Johr
Welch. the old Scotch minister, uset
to put plaid across his bed on colo
nights. and some one asked him why
; he put that there. He said: "Oh
.. sometimes in the night want to sins
the praise of Jesus and to get dow1
and pray. Then just take that plait
; and wrap it around me to keep my
self from the cold" Songs in th'
; night! Night of trouble has conn
down upon many of you. Commercial
losses put out one star, slanderou
abuse puts out another star, domesti
bereavement has put out 1000 lights
: and gloom has been added to gloon
I and chill to chill and sting to sting
! and one midnight has seemed to boz
I row the fold from another midnigh
to wrap itself in more unbearabl
: darkness, but Christ has spoken peac
to your heart, and you sing:
Jesus, lover of my soul,
d Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the billows near me roll.
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me. o my Saviour! Hide
9 Till the storm Of life ts past,
Safe into the haven guide;
s Oh, receive my soul at last
u Songs in the night! Songs in tn
e night! For the sick, who have no on
d to turn the hot pillow, no one to pu
l. the taper on the stand, no one to pr
e ice on the temples or pour out tn
e soothing anodyne or utter one chez
y full word. Yet songs in the night
l, For the poor, who freeze in the vii
IS ter's cold and swelter in sthe sun
IS mer's heat and munich the hard crus
j! that bleed the sore gums and shiv'
+ under blankets that cannot any lon
) er be patched and tremble becau'
It rent day is come and they may
q. set out on the sidewalk and lookir
% into the starved face of the child Al
3. seeing famine there and death ther
d coming home from the bakery al
u saying in the presence Of the lit
h famished ones: 'Oh, my God, fo1
L. has gone up!" Yet songs in Il
G, right! Songs in the night! For Il
I widow who goes to get the back p'
~ ae ho, h,,cJ,opd claim Inv the UShar