Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-04-04

birdcages are hanging in the windows
through whics the sun is shining Then
one birds note will inspire the other
birds. One birds song will make the
other birds sing. So men and women.
singing Christ's songs. will inspire
other men and women to sing them.
Men and women pray better and often.
er if they pray together. They love
God more and are more willing 10
make sacrifices for the Master. if they
love and serve him in groups, as the
little company gathered in the upper
chamber, to await the coming of the
Holy Ghost. They are more WILLING
TO go out into the byways and hedges
and carry the gospel to the blind. the
deaf, the dumb, the crippled and the
poor. if they go forth as Christ sent his
disciples. two by two, and not alone,
Oh, my brother and sister, in Gods
great chorus of redemption, will you
not sing and inspire your neIghbors
and loved ones to sing also?
In Christ's Name.
During the dark days of the Amer.
lean civil war, after the two opposing
armies had been watching each other
for months upon the opposite banks
of the Potomac river, there came q
night Of strange song, which will al.
ways be remembered by those who
were participants in the scene The
moon was shining brightly. The sur.
face Of the river was rejecting the
I;rb+ &c Of
two armies, but also the starry lights
from above. The only sounds to be
heard were the going forth of the relief
guards and the call of the sentries
'All's we'll along the Potomac" While
the stiffness of death seemed to pre-.
vail, a northern soldier was writing to
his mother. AS he wrote he became
very homesick for the sight of the old
farm. He softly began to sing the
words which John Howard Payne
wrote when he was helpless, sick
friendless, lonely exile. He sang the
words all Americans have sung a hun.
dred times. AS the homesick boy sang
the men in the next tent took up the
refrain. Then the song went from
y.
ment, brigade to brigade. until it leap
ed across the river, and the Confeder
ate army sang it as we'll as the Fed.
eral army. Then the war hounds,
which had been growing in rage and
showing their white teeth and tuggina
at their chains, turned and went into
their kennels and lay down to listen
to the music.
AS thatone homesick boys song founo
it's echo in the song of his company
and in the song of his regiment, and in
the song of his army. and in the song
| of the great host which were lying
upon the opposite side of Virginia's
| bank, shall not our Christ's song in.
spire others to sing? One bird can
make a whole forest sound with inspir
| ing songs. Shall not we inspire those
| in our homes and stores and churches
to sing? Sing in Christ's name. Sing
as the song birds sing. Sing as the
| psalmist bids us sing. "Let every
| thing that hath breath praise the
| Lord" Sing. Sing. Triumphantly
and everlastingly sing. Sing, for the
time of the singing of all Christians as
| we'll as of birds has come
! Our lives are songs. God writes the words
| And we set them to music at leisure
| And the song is sad or the song is glad
AS we choose to fashion the measure.
we must write the song, whatever the
| words.
Whatever it's rhyme or meter
And if it is sad we must make it glad.
| w 20 nj fon
copyright, 1904, by Louis Klopsch.l