Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-03-11

ed and chandeliered at such expense,
no story of other worlds could enchant
U.s. We would say: Let well enough
alone. If you want to die and have
your body disintegrated in the dust
and your soul so out on a celestial adj
venture, then you can go, but this
world is good enough for me-" You
might as well go to a man who has
Just entered the Louvre at Paris and
tell him to hasten off to the picture gal
ieries of Venice or Florence. why
he would say, what is the use of my
going there? There are Rembrandts
and Rubenses and Titians here that
have not looked at yet" No man
wants to 80 out of this world or out
of any house until he has a better
house.
Ministry of Tears.
To cure this wish to stay here God
must somehow create a disgust for our
surroundings. How shall he do it? He
cannot afford to efface his horizon, or
to tear off a fiery panel from the sun
set, or to subtract an anther from the
water lily, OF to Danish the pungent
the robes of the morning in mire. You
cannot expect Christopher Wren to
mar his own st. PauTs cathedral, or a
Michael Angelo to dash out his own
Last Judgment,' or a Handel to dis
cord his ''Israel In Egypt" and you
cannot expect God to spoil the architec-
ture and music of his own world.
How, then, are we to be made willing
to leave? Here is where trouble comes
in.
After man has had a good deal of
trouble he says: 'Well, I am ready to
go. If there is a house somewhere
whose roof does not leak, I would like
to live there. If there is an atmosphere
somewhere that does not distress the
lungs, [ would like to breathe it. If
there is q society somewhere where
there is no title tattle, I would like to
live there. If there is a home circle
somewhere where [ can find my lost
friends, would like to go there" He
used to read the first part of the Bible
chiefly; now he reads the last part OF
the Bible chiefly. Why has he changed
Genesis for Revelation? All, he used
to be anxious chiefly to know how this
world was made and all about it's geo.
logical construction. Now he is chiefly
anxious to know how the next world
was made, and how it looks, and who
live there, and how they dress. He
reads Revelation ten times now where
he reads Genesis once. The old story,
''In the beginning God created the heav
ems and the earth,' does not thrill him
half as much as the other story, Il
saw q new heaven and new earth.
The old mans hand trembles as he
turns over this apocalyptical leaf, and
he has to take out his handkerchief to
wipe his spectacles. The book of Rev
elation is prospectus now of the cOun-
try into which he is soon to immigrate,
the country in which he has lots all
ready laid out and avenues opened and
mansions built.
A Willing Friend.
1t is trouble, my friends, that makes
us feel our dependence upon God. We
do not know our own weakness or
Gods strength until the last plank
breaks 1t is contemplate in us that
only when there is nothing else to take
hold of we catch hold of God. Why,
do you know who the Lord is? He is
not an autocrat seated far up in pal
ace, from which he energies once
year, preceded by heralds swinging
swords to clear the way. No; he is a
father, willing at our call to stand by
us in every crisis and predicament of
life. | tell you what some of you bust
ness men make me think of. A man is
unfortunate in his business. He has to
raise a good deal Of money and raise it
quickly. He borrOws on word and note
all he can borrow. After awhile he
puts a mortgage on his house; after
awhile he puts a second mortgage on
his house. Then he puts a lien on his
furniture; then he makes over his life
insurance; then he assigns all his prop
erty; then he goes to his father-in-law
and asks for help. Well, having failed
everywhere, completely failed, he gets
down on his knees and says, 80 Lord,
1 have tried everybody and everything;
now help me out of this financial trou-
blew He makes God the last resort in
stead of the first resort.
A young man goes off from home to
earn his fortune. He goes with his
mothers consent and benediction. She
has large wealth, but he wants to make
his own fortune. He goes far away,
falls sick and gets out of money. He
sends for the hotel keeper where he is
staying, asking for lenience, and the
answer he gets is, eff you do not pay
up Saturday night, you'll be removed
to the hospital" The young man sends
to a comrade in the same building; no
help. He writes to banker who was a
friend of his deceased father; no relief.
Saturday night comes, and he is moved
to the hospital. Getting here, he is fren-
zied with grief, and he borrows a sheet
of paper and a postage stamp, and he
sits down, and he writes home: Dear
T ~, CioI< 11nfa doof -