The diamond drill., 1902-08-23

ory. | looked down into the iurid
depths upon an incandescent lake. a
melted fire. seething sea. The bill
lows rolled from side 10 side. and on
their fiery cresfs tossed the white skel-
eton OF the suicide. The heat had
burned the flesh from OF rhe bones
They lay as a light cork upon the melt
ed fiery waves, One skeleton hand
was raised upward the finger pointing
10 heaven. the other. with outstretch
ed tinger, pointing downward, as
though il would say, Il so below. but
YOU. Bonaparte. may soar above 1
g.Ared; stood cntranced. At that In
slant there was q crack In the lurld
lake. Ii swelled. expanded. and the
skeleton OF the suicide disappeared to
be seen no more 10y mortal eye"
Here again Bonaparte rested ond
then continued:
"The lake OF melted stone rose In the
crater. 1t swelled higher and higher at
the side; it streamed forth at the top.
| had presence OF mind. Near me was
rock | stood upon Il. The lery tor
rent was Yomited out and streamed on
either side OF me. And through that
long and terrible night | stood there
alone upon that rock, the glowing fiery
lava on every hand, a monument of the
long suffering and tender providence of
the Lord, who spared me that | might
this day testify In your ears of him.
Now, my dear friends, let us deduce
the lessons that are TO be learned from
this narrative.
Firstly, let us never commit suicide.
That man is fool, my friends. that
man is insane. my friends, who would
leave this earth, my friends. Here are
| joys innumerable, such as IL hath not
/ entered into the heart OF man TO un-
derstand. my friends. Here are clothes,
my friends; here are beds. my friends:
here is delicious food. my friends. Our
precious bodies were given us 10 love,
TO cherish. oh, let us do SO! Oh. let
us never hurt them, but care for and
love them, my friends
Every one was impressed. and Bona
parte proceeded:
Thirdly, let us not love too much
If that young man had not loved that
young woman, he would not have
jumped into Mount Etna. The good
men OF Old never did so. Was Jere
miah ever i'm love. or Ezekiel. or Hosea
or even any OF the minor prophets? No
Then why should we be? Thousands
are rolling IN that lake at this mo
ment who would say. 1t was love thai
brought us here Oh. let us think al
ways Of our own souls first.
"a charge to keep have.
God TO glorify,
never dying soul 10 save
And III il for the sky.
ooh, beloved friends, remember tn
little boy and the 'meiboss:' remembe
the young girl and the young man. re
member the lake. the fire and tn
birthstone; remember the suicf1e'
skeleton on the pitchy billows Of Noun
Etna remember the voice OF warning
that has this day sounded In your ears
And what ! say TO you say 10 all
watch. May the Lord add his bless
ing"
Here the Bible closed with trc
mendous thud. Tant' Same loosene
the white handkerchief about her nee
and wiped her eyes. and the coore
girl. seeing her do so, snitiled. They di
not understand the discourse. whc
made IL the more affecting. Their
hung over 1t that inscrutable charr
, which hovers forever for the huma
r intellect over the lncomprehensibl
and shadowy When the last hym
was sung the German conducted ia
oilicator To Tant' Sannie. who gri
! ciously extended her hand and offcre
1 coffee and seat on the sofa. Lca'
! ing him there. the German hurrie
3 away 90 see how the little plum puC
ding he had left az home was adyan'
Inc, and Tant Sannle remarked tia
: il was n hot day. Bonaparte gatherc
4 her meaning as she fauned herse
2 with the end OF her apron. He bOwe
: low IN acqulcscence. A long silenC
followed. Tant' Sannle spoke agail
! Bonaparte gave her no ear. His ey
was fixed on small miniature on tl
opposite wall, which represented Tan
Sannie as she had appeared on ii
day before her confirmation. 10 yeai
!. DelOfc, dltlTtu III BIeen iHushus ou'
: denly he started to his feet. wake
, up to the picture and took his stan
before IL. Long and wistfully he gaze
into its features. It was easy 10 s,
that he was deeply moved. With
sudden movement, as though no long
y able to restrain himself, he seized Il
picture, loosened IL from Its nall an
:, held II close TO his eyes. At lengt
turning TO the Boer woman, he said
a voice OF deep emotion:
" "You win. trust, dear madame, e
cuse this exhibition OF my feelings, b.
this--this little picture recalls TO u
a my first and best beloved. my dear d
y parted wife, who is now saint
heaven"
10 Tant' Sannie could not understan
"a but the Hottentot maid, who had tak'
" her seat on the floor beside her mi
l0 s.o..tntoI fha In