The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-08-17
HE WAY TO RleHTEousNEss.

There is an old, old woman, and al
\ old, old man, husband and wife, whit
Z live in a neat, humble cottage of thei
Y own, in this city, together with eacl
other. Once the prattle of children
\ made music to the mother ear; and
I then they grew up larger, and the ROM
\ of boys and girls was heard all about
4 the place And then some of then
I married and went away to homes Of
their own, and Death claimed some Of
them, and now the old people are
tlalone; and the man is away from home
much of the time; and the old woman
lis she lonely?
Why, no, child" she says, Il never
lget lonesome; when my friends call
II am always glad to see them, but
when no one else is here / talk with
Jesus, or sing to him, and I feel his
presence every hour
Do you believe that? Well, that de-
ponds. That is one of the mysteries
of the christian religion. Your spir-
itual vision may be so darkened by
sin that this old woman's simple faith
will seem to be all foolishness to you;
but then you must remember that she
knows some things you do not know;
just as you, doubtless, may know some
things she does not know. You, or If
not you, some other reader of the
Herald, could give her "cards and
spades" and beat her at knowing
things Of the world; but wnen II
comes to knowing Jesus, whom she
talks to and sings to and lives with
every day, you don't know anything
about it, as compared with that old
woman. And that is just one of the
mysteries of life and religion, thick
about you every day and everywhere,
of which you know so little. And be-
cause you don't know, you don't be-
lieve; and because you won't know,
you can't believe And you can never
know until you will believe; and when
YOU believe, then you can come into
the full realization of the truth of the |
fact that this old woman feels and en-
joys The very presence OF her Saviour
every day and hour of her life; and
that his presence is an ever present
presence, and there is no gloom or 1
darkness there, nor neither is there /
any loneliness where the Saviour is.
There is another sweet conceit this /
old woman has: She has raised a
large family of children, but like birds
they have all taken wings and flown
away They are scattered here and
there over this old world, and some
have gone to another world; but
mothers love is immortal; and a man
can never grow so STEPPED in sin or
so bent with age that he is not his |,
child. And so this old wo-
man talks about the children" just
Is they though they were all there :
still, and all children still And when
The comes to put the plates upon the ,
able, and the chairs to the table, she
las plate and chair for each child; 1
moving perfectly well that she and \
he old man will eat their simple meal 4
lone. But 'the children's chairs" are
egularly there, and when the dear old
amt is asked why she does this, she
miles like the angels smile, and says, I
/ love to do 1t; it some how keeps
trong the tie that binds; they will all
ONE back some day, somehow; we'll
leet again; in spirit and love they
re still here; want to keep their r
laces for them; it makes the memory
their early childhood ever fresh and
reen and sweet"
What beautiful thought that is; 8
must have been inspired. In our :
ather's house there are many mans
ms, and there are plates and chairs y
nd room for us all. And we'll meet -
gain, some day, all our loved ones =
lere. That is the hope of the chris "
an. What dark and dreary world -
lis must be to those who are without =
lat hope. =
THE hoary head is a crown of glory, J.
it be found in the way of righteous !
ess." What a crown of glory this !,
ear old woman has What an orna-
ent to her life, and how it must light
D the dark places of doubt and disap- ),
ointment What would the world be -
ithout the mellowing influence, the :
eacon light of their hoary heads of =,
ghteousness? There is no sweeter
usic than the joyous prattle of child )
,od And youth furnishes the in =
'iration and ambition of the worlds n,
'ogress; but great and good God =,
is never given a sweeter benediction -
this old world, than the influence -
at comes from those who have IT.
own old in the way of righteousness. 80