The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-20
A Lost Opportunity.

.'--.. 80. W. ~. noHeunf y,
Lost Opportunity. 51
It was the Sunday before Christmas,
Christmas cheer was everywhere-in the
fragrant wreaths of evergreen, in the joy
GUS strains of church choirs, in the Emllj
ing faces Of men. women and children. ~
seemed as if pain and loss and struggle
and failure and death were forgotten IN
the joy that Christ was born. ii Z,
But not even Christmas could ease tho
ache of one heart. In al! the great city
there was probably no. woman more
wretched than Agnes Farrar. She had
once had all that seemed best ip MeE
health, beauty, wealth, charm, love. She
had had them, and had spent them: She
had chosen ten years before to. ignore
come a law unto herself. She had found
Who sas 'ae e chooses choose su On chrssMas SUNDAY
she faced the truth. Her money was
gone. She had bartered her health for
pleasure. Only faint traces remained ct
her beauty and her grace. Of the album
Gant loves once given her without STINT
sne had chosen the cheapest and poorest
and the last fragment Of that was gone.
said to herself as she stood before the )
dull mirror in her cheap lodging on Christ
mas Sunday morning. With that word 1
upon her hps she resolved to 60 to church
for the last time. She thought with q
bitter smile that she would at least be
warm there. t
She entered the church as if in dream
As she was shown up the broad aisle
food OF memories swept over her. aAn>
passed unheeded One scene after another
| of her life unrolled before her inward yis9
| ION, until she was suddenly conscious that {,
she was weeping, and that gracious woe
| man beside her looked at her with geDtlel
,pitying eyes. She reused herself and
| turned her face up to the preacher. DE
| had been speaking some minutes, although
she had caught no word of the Sermon
| Now this was what she heard: ~ r.;
Zone night man was cropping hls way
clone across dark and dangerous moor
Suddenly he slipped and fell into "a deep
pit. In vain he cried for help. In: VAIN
| he struggled to climb up the steep sldea
of the pit. Morning broke, and found him
wounded, thirsty, exhausted, despairlng: 5t.
Then there came to the mouth OF tbs
| pit a Buddhist. He looked down at the
broken figure and said, o wretched mans
your struggles are useless, and your sut1i
fering, is because of your struggles Cease
to desire to live and all will.be well. FIX
your thought upon eternity and present
IT, you5will find Nirvana, and the buddhist
| passed; on.
"Then there came student of Confuc-
ius. He also bent over the pit to see
whence the cries came Then he eaid, My
poor man, see plainly that you, have
disobeyed the great moral laws OF. tins
world. You have neglected to reverence
your parents or the state. If you We're
up here i would gladly instruct You IN
these duties, but as. you are quite 1ncap5t
able of getting out, must leave you.
"Then there came Mussulman, and ne
! counseled patience and belief IN zone eods
and also went his way. :. ...; ~ 80
But at last, there came Christian he
leaned over the pit, and he called 70 tne
man, who by this time, was almost dead;
| Courage! Courage, my brother! I'VE Will
help YOU. I was once in that very plt
myself. Be of good cheer; keep your
hope a little longer and l will return:
Then the Christian hurried away, ana
| food and drink. They all worked togeth-
er>to lift the injured man out of the pitt
and among them as they worked his dim
ewes seemed to; gee strange Figure, flke
| az it had been the Son of God. So pres
ently the man was saved from his dlre
extremity, and was carried by strong, iov-s
ing hands to his journeys end"
The woman in the pew hung on tne
preachers words. When theyt ceased sne
fell upon her knees as ne gave the pene,
diction. There was hushed moment, and
then the congregation rose and began to
move slowly. out. The lady in whose pew,
the woman had sat glanced at her lear
stained face. She thought quickly, sIhat
woman is in trouble She looks as II sne
had been hearing her own story. 1 WON
der If I dareSspeak to her| I
While she hesitated a friend whispered,
"What time tomorrow can You come t9
the Christmas sale?" The two moved
down the aisle talking quietly. Agnes
what They halted at the door and 9TH
ers Joined them. What thrilling ser
moni" said one. "I never heard him
more inspired" answered another.
The woman, now very pale: listened for
a few minutes to their friendly chat. She
heard one call back. "A merry Christmas
to you ALL" and then as the vestiDule
was almost empty, she made her way OUT;
A fine, dry snow was falling, and the wind
was bitter cold.
For an instant salvation had seemed
possible to her. although she know not
how. But the moment of hope had passed:
ne black pail of temptation, failure and
| despair wrapped itself again around her,
and hid her forever from the eyes OF thoss
who might have rescued her. .>..t
The next day the preacher said to one
of his most useful parishioners, "Who was
that striking woman in your pew yester-
day." ,.,
II never saw her before" she repfeds
"Do YOU know, was almost tempted to
| speak to her after service; she seemed
much moved by sae, sermon. But some
| friends came up. and she slipped away,
! II wish you had spoken to her" sald
| the preachc-. Youths Companion.