Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-03-27

M
have repented of my past SINS"
nearing Burdens In Heaven.
your father and mother beyond the
burden of your sins? Friend, / do not
knov about that. Even in heaven I
think they are still longing and hoping
for our salvation. / for one cannot un-
darstand how there can be joy in heav-
an over one sinner that repenteth and
NOT any thoughts about US who are
still unrepentant. One of the greatest
of New York pastors once told me that
whom ANYTHING went wrong in his life
no used to feel the warm, loving arms
of his redeemed daughter about his
necI, and he could hear her dear Inns
sneak to him words Of counsel which
would bring him to his better self. | do
not believe it beyond the range of pos
sibilities for our dear ones to be anx-
ious about our unrepentant souls Even
now | would not be surprised if they
wore sending forth an angelic messen-
ger to find out what our decision is to
he Heaven. beautiful heavenl Have
our redeemed parents any burdens
about our unpardoned sins in heaven?
Perhaps by taking you on a past
Journey to the place where spent
most of my boyhood days l might help
you to a decision to give your hearts
to Jesus Christ. The journey which
you are to take occurred a short time
after my fathers burial. After his
body had been laid away to sleep by the
side of my mother l said to my sister,
"Come. let us go and look at the old
house." We walked down the street
where we both had played many years
before. AS 1 went along 1 began to
call up the names of the different
neighbors But the houses now had
strange faces looking out of the win
dows. The little children who were
playing in the street looked much like
my old playmates. They laughed and
shouted and jumped just as we used
to jump, but their eyes were different
They edged off from the sidewalk as
we came along. We were strangers to
them. They were strangers to us.
All, yes, here is the old house. It
stands as a sentinel overlooking Fort
Green park, where one of the old Revo-
lutionary battles was fought and where
some of the old Revolutionary veterans
lie buried. From the outside the old
house looked about the same There
was the vine mother planted still,
crawling over the side and clinging to
the roof and trying to cover up the
windows. Indeed, the house looked Sc
much like the past that I thought for
an instant mother would be waiting
for me in the front room to welcome
me home from college. Just to the rear
Of the house was the old grapevine ar
Dor built by Captain Spicer before he
lost his wife and manly son, whom I
can just remember. 1 had often taken
my dessert of fruit there before | an
swer the dinner bell But. come: I
must not linger outside. Here, let me
take peek in at the window. I won
der if yonder policeman will think I
am a thief. He wears Just the same
kind of brass buttons as did the officer
Who used to chase me off the park
hares" and climbing up yonder walls
more like trapeze performer than a
hare scurryi1g for her burrow.
Visiting the Old Hsme.
Yes, here is the parlor There I saw
my first Christmas tree There they
laid me as a little baby in a basket as
a Christmas present for my father.
There, In that same room, | first saw
the dead face of a relative Ny broth
er's casket lay there. Mothers body
was covered with flowers there. And
there we met to laugh as we'll as to
weep.
Up and through the house we went.
Each room had for US history. In
each place we could see the living and
the dead side by side. Now 1t was a
sister In her bridal robes, now a death
bed scene, now-but stop; 1 cannot go
further. You would not have me if
you could. The history of my old home
was merely the history of yours, only
under other names. With us it was
Jessie, De Witt, May, Edith, Frank.
Daisy, Maude. With you it was Ger
trude, Sarah, Carrie, William, John,
Walter. Names different; scenes all
the same.
That afternoon 1 went away from
the old homestead with a sad heart.
''All that scene Of love gone forever
kept saying. "All gone, all goner is
It all gone forever? But that night as
sped on west toward my own home,
where my wife and children were wait
ing to greet me, l was looking out of
the train window. I had my cheek
resting upon my hand 1 know not
l was asleep or awake. But.
whether asleep or awake, suddenly q
strange vision came to me. | seemed
to see the dear faces of my loved ones
who are gone. Among the twinkIing
stars of the night I saw their bright
eyes and heard them speaking to me
They seemed to say: "The past is not
dead We are going to have our re-
unions again. We are here waiting
We are waiting for you. Will you live
for Christ as we lived that u-o NOV