Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-06-16

| the wei beaten path which leads down
To the deer lick. and he grips the tree
and begins TO climb MP. Suddenly
through the leaves are seen the tall ant
lcrs of magnificent stag. lie Is just
ahead of the herd. lie moves quietly
along until hc comes under the out
stretched branch The head Of the ser
pcnt drops IN Il flash and winds itself
about the quivcring flesh. The stag NJ.
tempts 10 make Il leap forward. hut the
tail holds true. The spiral coils of the
serpent begin to stiffen. the bones
crack and the deer drops dead In his
tracks. Thus. my friends when you
think Of God providing the water
brooks for the deer when they are
chased by the hounds. think. too of the
water brooks as the places of danger
and death.
But these water courses suggest nm.
other thought. What bountiful proyi.
sion God has made for the wants OF al
creatures How the forest teens with
heritage for the hungry deer aud water
for him when he Is thirsty Thus rs
God gives drink and food To the deer
find that he Is daily providing for orr
hunger and shaking our thirst. Would
that we might all feel that MS Cod is
feeding the birds Of the air and is max
Ing the grass Of the fields To grow and
is caring for the tImid deer of the for.
est ana the prairicS. so he Is fccding
and clothing us. AS the hart pantcth
after the water brooks for daily sus-
tcnance. So may my heart pant after
thee, o Godr'
But not alone for daily sustcnancc
must the deer 20 To the water brooks.
He must also run there for safety
when the hounds and the hunters get
after him. lie must run even ms tile
human soul must run To the divine
water brooks when temptations and
prosecutions get on his trail
sutan's Pack of Hounds.
Like the noble hind were you start
ed forth In life. Tall. straight, broad
OF antlcrs were you. The rich. good
blood Of many noble generations WAS
flowing in your veins. Your eye was
quick and clear. your ear keen and
wild gaZclle's. If simply one dog had
come near you you could have Crap
pied with him and overcome him, but
Satan as sportsman never hunts his
game with but one NANCY cur. When
he starts forth for his prey he lets
loose Il whole pack of hounds. As you
look back into your past life II Is not
the baying of one dog that you hear,
but of myriads of dogs Their calls
seem To have come from all directions
when one Of these hounds gave the
signal that he had struck your trail.
You knew then, as the stag knows
when he hears the call of the deep
throatcd hound. that your safety is
not in the point of your antlers but in
the swiftncss of your flight.
When the hounds of temptation and
persecution get upon your trail you are
in almost exactly the same position as
the bclated Russian traveller who Is
caught in a snowstorm upon the wild,
desolntc moorS. You have often read
the stories of those tragedies Now we
can see the man bundled up in his
furs In the sleigh quietly driving to
ward his home The hour grows late;
the stars begin 10 come out. Suddenly
there comes cchoin@ over those Rus
sian mOors weird call. The man
shudderS lie turns his head sharply
over his shoulder Ia listen. He won
ders If there il IL mistake. Then comes
that strange call again. He mutters 10
himself: Wolves. Wolves, q God.
save me, The wolves" He grips the
lines and the whip and begins TO beat
his horses into mad run. Nearer and
nearer comes the call. Then Shadowy
forms are seen lcaping after him. The
man turns and raises his rifle and
sends bullet between pair of the
cleaning eyes. For Il little while the
pack halts Ia banquet off the quivcrihg
flesh Of one OF their own dead. Then
on and on comes the pack again. and
again the rifle speaks. Then one horse
is sacrificed Then another. The race
is run for life. If the man is not
able 10 reach the Enclosure of the house
he himself must he offered NJ 10 the
indispensable hunger of the wolves.
Is not that the way trials and tempta-
lions come after you? Did they not
come as n pack of hungry wolves Did
they not come as wild dogs upon the
track of Il deer?
The Coyotes Cali.
You could have stood the poverty.
You could have stood the death of your
child. You could have stood the calum-
MES and the Misrepresentation OF the
world il those mlsfortuncs had nssailed
you singly and alone. but your troubles
tried 10 overthrow you. They came
upon You as pack of wild dogs on the
track of deer. Their voices sounded
like the calls Of the coyotes. rcmem-
Der well when first heard the coyotes
call II was blood cur,lling 10 me. for
| had never heard the like of II before.
| was then novice M camping. We
were away on In the mountains on
the outskirts OF an Indian reservation
was alone IN camp al the time. II is
strange sensation To he alone out In
the woods. To feel that though you may