Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-04-06

old country meeting house.
was one Thanksgiving day I'm my
pulpit In Syracuse. and Rev. Daniel
Waldo at 9S years OF age stood be-
side me. The choir sang n tune.
said: II am sorry they sang that new
tune Nobody seems to know it."
BLESS you. my son." said the old man.
Il heard that 40 years agor'
There was song today that touch
ed the life OF the aged with holy fire
and kindled a glory on their vision
that your younger eyesight cannot see.
II was the song of saivation-Jesus.
who fed them all their lives long: Je-
suS, who wiped away their tears; Jesus.
who stood by them when all else fail
ed; Jesus, in whose name their mar
riage was consecrated and whose res
direction has poured light upon the
graves of their departed. do you
know mef' said the wife 10 her aged
husband who was dying, his mind al
ready having gone out. He said, mo"
And the son said. Father. do you
know neT He said. "No." The
daughter said. Father. do you know
aaS ctihs W. nc munster
Of the gospel. standing by. said. do
you know Jesus?" Lob, yes" he said;
Il know him. chief among 10000, the
one altogether lovelyp" Blessed the
Bible in which specialized old age reads
the promise. 81 will never leave you.
never forsake your Blessed the stan
on which the wornout pilgrim totters
on toward the welcome of his Redeem
err. Blessed the hymn book In which
the faltering tongue and the failing
eyes find Jesus, the old mans song!
When my mother had been put away
for the resurrection. we, the children,
came to the old homestead, and each
one wanted to take away a memento
Of her who had loved us so long aud
loved us so well. | think l took away
the best OF all the mementos. 1t was
the old fashioned, round glass spec
tacles. through which she used to read
her Bible, and | put them on, but they
were too old for me, and could not
see across the room. But through them
| could see back to childhood and for
ward To the hills OF heaven, where the
ankles that were stiff with age have
become timber again. and the spirit,
with restored eyesight. stands In rapt
exultation, crying, This is heavenr'
Sing the Praises.
] speak to you again OF Jesus as the
night song. Job speaks of him who
giveth songs in the night. John WEIGH.
the old Scotch minister, used-to put n
plaid across his bed on cold nights.
and some one asked him why he put
that there. He said: "Oh, sometimes
in the night | want to sing the praise
of Jesus and to get down and pray:
then just take that plaid and wrap
1t around me to keep myself from the
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 mt
out thousand 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
midnight TO wrap itself in
more unbearable darkness. but Christ
has spoken peace to your heart, and
you sing.
Jesus lover OF my soul.
Let me to thy bosom A.
While the pillows near me roll
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, my Saviourl Hide
Till the storm OF life Is past.
Safe into the haven guide;
oh. receive my soul at last.
Songs in the night Songs In the
MI r1a To- q Ill
TO turn the hot pillow. no one TO put
the taper on the stand. no one 10 put
ice on the temples or pour out the
soothing anodyne or utter one cheer
full word-yet songs In the night, For
the poor. who freeze I'm the winters
cold and swelter In the summers heat
and munich the hard crusts that bleed
the sore gums and shiver under blan.
kets that cannot any longer he patched
and trembie because rent day Is come
and they may be set out on the side.
walk aE1 looking into the starved face
OF the child and seeing famine there
ana death there, coming home from
the bakery and saying In the presence
OF the little famlshed ones, "oh, my
God, hour has gone upv' Yet songs In
the night! Songs In the night For
the widow who goes 10 get the back
pay OF her husband. slain by the
sharpshooters," and knows IL is the
last help she will have, moving out of
comfortable home In desolatlon.
death turning back from the exhaust
ing cough and the pale cheek and the
lusterless eye and refusing all relief.
Yet songs in the night Songs I'm the
night For the soldier In the field hos.
pitai, no surgeon to bind up the gun
shot fracture. no water for the hot Inns.
no kind hand to brush away the flies
from the fresh wound, no one to take
the loving farewell, the grooming OF
Others poured into his own groan, the
blasphemy OF others blowing up his
own spirit, the condensed bitterness OF
dying away from home among stran-
gers. Yet songs in the night Songs
In the night! "Ah," said one diving
soldier, tell my mother that last night
there was not one cloud between NV
soul and Jesusw Songs In the night!
Songs in the night
inc clIence.
This Sabbath day came. From the
affairs OF 10000 churches has smoked
up the SAVIOR of sacrifice. Ministers OF
The gospel preached in plain English.
n broad Scotch. In flowing Italian, In
harsh Choctaw. Gods people assem-
)ied In Hindoo temple and Moravian
,hurch and Quaker meeting house and
sailors bethel and kings chapel and
high lowered cathedral. They sang.
IND the song foated OFF amid the
pice groves or struck the icebergs or
ioated OF into the western pines or
vas drowned in the clamor of the
treat cities. Lumbermen sang II and
he factory girls and the children In
ne Sabbath class and the trained
hoirs In great assemblages. Trappers
WITH the same voice with which they
houted yesterday In the stag hunt
md mariners with threats that only a
ew days ago sounded In the hoarse
,iast OF the sea hurricane, they sang It.
Ine theme for the sermons. One bur.
len for the song. Jesus for the inyo-
alton. Jesus for the Scripture lesson.
Jesus FOR the baptismai font. Jesus
or the sacramental cup. Jesus for
he benediction. But the day has
zone 1t rolled away on swift wheels
u light and love. Again the churches
ire lighted Tides of naonla n c.o:.> -.