Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-12-31
wALHALLA. SOUTH oARoLINA. DEC. an, 1900
"sInu 10 No. NJ chIla.y

An old man past the four score
mark of life with his locks whitened
by the frosts of more than 80 win,
ters sits in his chamber helpless,
while his son, the staff and support
as well as the delight of his old age,
lay dying in q room below. Distress
AZ the prospect of the tendor parental
tie being sundered The uncomfortable
grief of his heart bursts forth into
tears and like David of old he sobs I,
"My son, my SON" And turning to
his gentle companion who had been
reading to him coss oiling passages
from:the Divine Revelation, he said,
aSing to me, my child" And the
sweet, gentle voice warbled out on
the air the old familiar notes of the
songs of long ago and the weary
spirit of the old man was comforted
and calmed. "Sing to me, my
Child" earth's ties are breaking
away. He who was the strength OF
my youth is departing to the unseen
shore and the old man is left totter-
ing on the brink. My heart is sorely
troubled, then "sing to me, my
child" the songs of yore that my
heart may be soothed and "the peace
that passeth all understandings may
come into it. Call up from the
past with music's subtle strains the
long forgotten songs, the songs that
his mother sang to him when he
played around her knees and her
hand wandered lovingly through his
flowing tresses. He is man now
and he is dying and. | cannot go to
him. He is depsrting to the echo
less shore and / can only follow
him to the brink and strain my ears
to catch some word from the other
side that he may watt back to me.
None comes, but clear across the
rolling stream of death / hear the
voice of "the Lion of the tribe of
judah, am the resurrection and
the life. He that believeth on me
though he were dead yet shall he
live again." Then "sing to me, my
child" for 81 am Christian" And
the voice of the sweet songstress
rises and swells with the pent up
motion of her own heart and the
old man is comforted and soothed.
What subtle power there is in
music to still the raging pillows of a
troubled heart. Life's storms NAV
beat and serge upon it like mighty
wave and the wand of the musician
can still the troubled waters and
guide into the haven of rest. Stand
ing on the border land with a long
and troubled life hehind and great
eternity before the soul of man who
can say, 81 know l am a Christian, /"
would fain burst into song and cry
out, "sing to me, my child" The
aged saint about to depart and he at
rest forever almost shouts
"Oh, sing to me of heaven,
When am called to die;
Sing songs of holy ecstasy
Towaft my soul on high"
We are told there is music in
heaven and we read of the hundred
and forty and four thousand who
join in the new song end make the
vaults {gk heaven ring with the song
of "AllGfG Allelula, the Lord
omnipotent reigsett." We are told
that they play upon harps and Tyres
and some of earth's sons and daugh-
ters in the last moments of dissolu-
tion just before taking their eternal
flight, have had their mortal ears un-
stopped and have heard the ecstatic
strains of the heavenly choir. Then
it is not strange that the aged pill.
grim who has nearly finished his
course and has kept the faith should
say, "sing to me, my child" AS the
music of heaven will be the first
sounds that ravish the ears then
"sing to me, my child" and let the
curtain drop on the scenes of earth
with the strains of music. Let earth
and heaven begin with MUSICIAN
derson Daily Mail.