Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-08-28
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led the illustrious preacher as he stepped
into it2 Who relaxed not muscle OF
the arm or dismissed an anxious look
from his face until the basket touched
the ground and discharged its magniii-
cent cargo2 Not one Of their names has
come to Us. But there was no work done
that day in Damascus or in all the earth
compared with the importance of their
work. What if they had in their agita-
ton tied II knot that could Slip What il
the sound of the mob at the door had led
them 10 ay, Paul must take care OF
himself and we will take care Q. orr-
selves" No, no! They held the cope.
and in doing so did more for the Chris
tian church than any thousand of us will
ever accomplish But God knows and
has made record Of their undertaking,
Aud they lnow.
How exultant they must have felt when.
they read his letters to the Romans, te
the Corint hians, to the Galatians. to the
EphesianS. to the Philippians, 10 the q :
lossans, the Thessalonians, and when
they heard how he walked out of prison,
with the earthquake unlocking the door
for him. and took command of the Alex
nearly scared to death and preached a
sermon that nearly shook Felix off his
judgment seat. | hear the men and
women who helped him down through the
windoy; and over the wall talking in pri-
yate ofer the matter and saying: How
glad ] am that we effected that rescue,
In coming times others may get the glory
of Palrs work, but no ore shait rob us
of the satisfaction Of knowing that we
held ne rope
Once for thirty-six hours. We expected
every moment to 20 TO the @Jttom of the
oceal. The waves rushed down into the
hold of the ship, and Kissed against the
boilers, 1t was an awful time; but by
the blessing .of God and the faithfulness
of the men in charge we came out of the
cyclone and we arrived at home Each
one before leaving the ship thanked Capt.
Andrews. | do not think there WAS a
man or woman that went off that ship
without thanking Capt. Andrews, and
when years after heard of his death |
was inpelled to write a letter of condo
lenee to his family III Liverpool. Every
body recognized the goodness, the cour-
age, the kindness of Capt. Andrews; but
it occurs to me nov that we never thank
ed the engineer. He stood away down
in the darkness amid the kissing furnaces
doing his whole duty. Nobody thanked
the engineer, but God recognized his he
roism and his continuance and his tideli-
ty, and there will be just as high reward
for the engineer who worked out of sight
as for the captain, who stood on the
bridge of the ship in the midst of the
bowling tempest.
harry Struggles and Sac riiices.
There are said to be about a hundred
and fifty thousand ministers of religion
in this country About $4,000, warrant
came from early homes which had TO
struggle for the necessaries of life. The
sons of rich bankers and merchants gen
orally bee Jme bankers and merchants.
The most of those who become ministers
are the sons of those who had terrific
struggle TO get their everyday bread. The
collegiate end theological education of
that son took every luxury from the pa
rental table for eight years. The other
children were more scantily appareled.
The son at college every little while got
a bundle from home. In it We're the
| socks that mother had knit sitting UP
| late at night. her sight not as good as
| once it was. And there also We're some
delicacies from the sisters hand, for the
voracious appetite of hungry student.
| The father swung the heavy cradle
through the wheat, the sweat rolling from
his chin believing every step of the way,
and then sitting down under the cherry
tree at noon thinking to himself, Il am
fearfully tired, but it will pay if | can
once see that boy through college and
| if | can know what he will be preaching
the gospel after am dead The youn-
ger children want to know why they
can't have this and that, as others do,
and the mother says, BE patient, my
| children, until your brother graduates,
and then you shall have more luxnries,
but we must see that boy through"
The years go by, and the son has been
ordained and is preaching the glorious
gospel, and a great revival comes, and
souls by scores and hundreds accept the
gospel from the lips of that young preac :
! er, and father and mother, quite old now,
are visiting the son at the village parson-
| age. and at the close of a Sabbath of
mighty blessing father and mother retire
| to their room, the son lighting the way
| and asking them if he can do anything to
/ make them more comfortable, saying if
| they want anything in the night just to
! knock on the wall, and then, all alone, IA
| Their and mother talk over the gracious in
/ fiuences' of the day and say: We'll. it
| was worth all we went through to edu-
! cate that boy. 1t was a hard pull, but
| we held on till the work was done. The
world may not know it. but, mother, we
| held the rope. didn't WEI" And the
| voice. tremulous with joyful emotion. re-
| sponds: yes, father, we held the rope.
| feel my work is done, Now, Lord
| lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
| for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. -
| 'Pshaw.' says the father. II never felt
so much like living in my life as now /
! want to see what that fellow is going to
| do. he has begun so we'll"
| Something occurs to me quite personal.
| I was the youngest Of Il large family OF
children. My parents were neither rich
! nor poor -Four Of the sons wanted col
| legiate education. and four obtained il.
but not without great home struggle. We
never heard the old people say once that
! they We're denying themselves to effect
/ this, but | remember now that my par
! ents always looked tired. | don't thinl;
| they ever got rested until they lay down
| in the Somerville cemetery. Mother
! would sit down in the evening and say,
! We'll, / don't know what makes me feel
/ so tired" Father would fall immediate
| ~ to sleep, seated by the evening stand.
! overcome with the days fatigues. Abou;
I e. kss a r,gs