Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-07-20


cowl. Thus as the corpse OF the friend
less man is carried to the grave these
black robes OF the bearers are the
same, but underneath those robes you
can see the costly shoes of the arlsto.
crat side by side with the hobnaIled
shoes OF the poor peasant. The Broth
erhood OF Misericordia places all its
members upon the same level. There
IS maternal organization, Brother
hood OF Misericordia. in the banquet
hall or the Kings Son. There we shall
lind the rich and the poor man. the in
teilectual man and the humble man.
the master and the servant. There
shall be all social classes sitting side
by side. attired In tho wedding gar.
ments that the King provided. Re.
member ye rot the command. GO We.
therefore, into the highways, and as
many as We shall find bid to the mar
riage?"
Enter the Homes Too.
But while we follow the Kings mes
senger down the highways or the pub.
nc streets and hear him say to men on
the right and to men ON the left.
Come, come. come to the marriage
or the Kings Son." see him dart OF
to the side. He Is about to disappear
In the doorway OF an adjoining house.
Where are you going, messenger" I
cry The King did not bid thee go into
any homes! Thy command reads. Co
ye, therefore. into the highways That
is a private home. That is not the pub
lie street. Every mans home is his
castle, and you have no right to enter
there. NO rightw answers the guide.
why, II did not enter some homes
there would be thousands OF invalhis
who would never be Invited to come 70
the Kings banquet. Did you not see
the pale cheek OF that tired sick WON.
an at the window? / am going to tell
her to come to the marriage banquet OF
the Kings Son."
we enter the house and go into the
sickroom. The nurse meets us AT the
door and says: Hush! Don't make
noise. She is very sick today. She is
failing very rapidly. She has been an
invalid in this room for five, ten OF
even twenty years. Her time of de-
parture Is now not far on 81 know
II, says the Kings messenger. II know
II. She has had too many pains here.
She has suffered enough. She must GET
up out of this bed and put on the bloom
OF eternal youth. She must renew her
strength. She shall mount I'D with
wings-as eagles. She shall run and no, |
be weary. She shall walk, and moi
rant. But says the nurse, ''she |
cannot even move limb. See, she Is |
paralyzed-' Il know it," says the mes |
senger, but remember I have not come |
to bid her crawl around ON q crutch |
Remember have come to ask her to |
attend the banquet of the Kings Son. |
IL my Lord is willing to ask her to
come, surely he will give to her the
needful strength with which to walk to
his banquet hall and attend His Sons
FEAST Would you like to come. SUI.
fering invalidr" asks the messenger.
wen, rise up and come now"
For Invslids Too.
What a blessed and glorious time
that will be when all the sick and the
helpless who for months and years
nave been counted among the shut
ms shall attend the banquet OF the
Kings Son! When one of the greatest
ministers OF the world few years ago
was dying In the east his poor sick suf-
fering grandchild. lifelong invalid. |
was sobbing in the hall AS q friend
or my mother was passing into the
sickroom she stopped and spoke to the
invalid child. rs grandpa better?"
the little girl asked. mo; he is DYING"
was the answer. "Oh," she said swhy
did not God take me and leave him?
L am OF so little use Ia the world, and
he Is Of SO much use" Aye, when the
Kings banquet is TO be spread Gods
messenger will come and get thee,
weak, Invalid grandchild, as we'll as
grandmother. You have been praying
enough In that dark room. God has
heard your prayer. Gods messenger
will come soon, and when he comes
you will not have to 60 into the banquet
hall on crutch. You shall not have
to be carried there on a litter. You
VIII walk there: you will leap there
even as the lame man whom Peter
spoke TO at the beautiful gate went in
TO the temple leeping and singing and
praising God The banquet, the BAN
quet Of the King, Is spread for Gods
suffering ones OF the sick chambers.
But as we come out into the sunlight
from the sick chamber the messenger
OF the King turns down into a dark
street 1 clutch him by the arm as
say: Don't go there. You are evil
IDENTIFY not acquainted with this city.
IL may he all right TO ask the poor to
the kings banquet Poor people may
be just as honorable as the rich. But
do not ask the criminals. Why. those .
people living here belong to what are
called the outcast classes. You are
now going into the depraved districts
or our city. You would not have a
marriott or thief or a drunkard or a
lpertine attend the marriage of the |
kings Son. Yes, i would. re they
repent OF their sins," answers the mes
'enger. do you not remember the
'oyal command, Go We, therefore. into
he highways and hedges, and as many
IS ye shall find bid to the marriarern
fhen l look and find these words I'm
ne biDies SO the servants went forth
'u. INTO the highways and the hedges
ma gathered together all, as many rs
hey found. both bad and good" The
'ad, The depraved, the outcasts. were
invited as well as those who had never
been behind the prison bars and had
never done anything for which thew
ought to have been there II they had
received their just dues.
Crimfnals Were Asked.
mus as ! go to that banquet door
ma push 1t little open i find the
'tfangest assortment OF people. You
would not believe those people are
mere unless you come and look for
'ourseif- But as we are today fol-
owing the Kings messenger around