Nebraska Newspapers

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DECORATING THE LIVING.
klAWb'W'K
KHK ere the eomrades
onoo hn knew
When war swept o'er
the land,
Who followed where
the btxrlon blew
Their echoes of com
mand? In nntnclc ft-ravc lie
Homo nlcc,
Hurled where tlicy
worn slain,
And sonic In ocean'
mighty itect.
Knritotten, long have
Uln.
Te day the npletl iotdlcr eomM
Where noma era Inld to rest;
lie hear In dream the distant drum
From North, Roiith, Kest, and Wait,
And on the Abaft that point ahove '
Mo sees the tiannerit farlae,
In tokonoteNatloa'eloru -.,
And peace throughout tho wiirld.
Which fluff was their It miittera eoti-
The Mho coat or thn urny ;
A common Krlef all pIho forgot
Helen to thnm to day:
Above the graven of thoso who felt
Upon tho battle field.
In town and etty, bill uud dell,
Hprlng weave her irraty shield.
And while we deck our hcroc' totnba
Their deed rrmeinlwrliig,
Tho children crown tho veteran
With wot en liltsmi of nprlng.
Please (tod wo never will fnrirt
To let our garland fu
17Min thosivhcrnc living yd :
Ood Mrs tlietn, one and nil'
-Vrnnk Dempster Hlieriiiiui, III Harper'
llaiar.
"AFTER MANY DAYS."
Doooratlon Dny Was to Hor Ros
urrootiOD Day Also.
OU aro not doing
It for my sake,
HiiKliV" said tlio
sweet Ineislvo
volco.
"nod forbid!
There Is noqucs
Hon of thut, Mil
rioti. "i could not love
Hire, dear, no
imirti.
l.ovcdl not honor
mure,
I mn ono of 'Ma
rlon'ti nion,' us
tho hoys call mo
now.by birth and
brooding, for my
groat grandfa
ther wps sworn
nldn iuid ally of
tho Swain p Fox.
Hugh Harlot, of that day, was his load
er's right hand all throuirh that long
lildlng and skirmishing that ao har
assed tho llrltlsh from swamp to morass.
Many a tain has my grand tathur told mo
liy tho big tire-plane at Hnrlot of thoso
old days, till my heart and houd were
full of patriotism. was fed on love for
my country from my first remembrance;
do you think it will fall mn now?"
Marlon Lancaster's dark eyes Unshod
back tho look ot hor lovor's. "No! hut
then Will It scent'1 patriotism to them.
Hugh to your people at tiomV
"I don't know. I havn it horrid doubt
aomotltne. Hut It la niy country. I
haro no other my own grand, magulfl
cent t. eettatry Kaet, Woat, .North or
(South. I fight for (U unity, against lu
aeparatlon, for no latttudo or longltudo.
If my own pcoplo ftavo lived so long In
Oeorglu that tliolr gins! Scotch blood
runs thin with tho languor of luxury, I
havo boon horo In thoso bills long
enough to got bank tho Iron into initio
that lay only In uboyanro. I must go,
Marlon; und I must go on tho aide of
right You could not keep mo, dour, and
I know you would noU"
A spasm of anguish quivered over hor
lioautlful proud face, but hor volco wus
true and clear. "I dnrti not keep yon,
Hugh. Women havo a simso of honor,
loo a lovn of country."
"Somo of thorn," said Hugh, bitterly.
Ho wae thinking of his classmate nud
chum, whoso weak, lovely little fiinvr
wus doing hor almost to keep him out
of tho army day after dny. ,'lugh looked
at Marlon with lovo and prldo In his
yos. "You aro tho rlght'sort," ho said,
ns hn draw lier luoro closely against his
hhouldnr. "I wish I knew how things
wore, with Sandy," ho wont on. "Mother
has tio oao elso on tho plantation but
Cornelia. My cousin, I know, havo
joined tho army of tho South. Coorgl
una born and bred, though Aunt Cnrr
was a Connecticut woman like mother,
thoy ore typical Southerners;, tLoy have
neither my Scotch blood nor my North
am education. 1 know well which way
Jm.AW
1 1 f! -MM
5rWF
wm:
"How do you know?" said Marion,
half smiling.
"Oh Handy and I aro twins all through,
except for his delicate, organization. Hn
nnd I liked tho same things, dreamed
tho samo dreams, read the samo hooks,
aro so alike, oven mother was at times
puw.lod to toll us npart. Old Dr. .Sever
ance used to say that we were, after all,
only one boy, without physlijtio enough
for tho two bodies wn 'materialised' In
to. 1 always felt ashamed, In a dull
aort of way. to be so robust when Hnndv
could not keep up with trie; but ho Is far
the awootcr-fsaturcd of tho two. lou
would have, loved him tho hotter, Mar
ton." "Never!" was tho snlft, Indignant
answer.
Ho Hugh Ilerlot enlisted with a
.northern regiment, parted with his
sweetheart bravely, and left her to wait
us hundreds like her wero loft In thoso
dreadful days.
Old wo know thon, shall wo over
know wo who camo out scathloss
what thoso women suffered, who, tied
hand and foot, maddened by the poor
recurrent routine of dally life, filled
with vague imaginative terrors, had yet
to live and do their petty duties under
tho edge of u sword worse than the
fithtcd blade of Damocles?
Honor forever to that noble army of
martyrs! To them, no le.ss than to
thoio who lost their lives on the actual
haltle-lleld, should monuments urine
und wreaths bo ottered. They were
the hontlug heart that sent strong life
blood Into Dm battling hand, and, oh!
how often perished with It! not in tho
pallor and decay of physloal death, not
In tho rest and shelter of the Mower
strewn grave, but In tho broken heart,
the joyless life, tho desperation of
memory, tho "dying, yot behold we
live," that death In lifo that is the
greatest If not tho lost enemy!
If there wore other women who suf
fered more than Marion Lancaster in
this dlro suspense she did not know It;
It seemed to her no heart could be more
torn with anxiety, more tortured by
the silence that yot thrilled with dread
ful possibilities than hers. Hho did
not consider that her love for Hugh
Ilerlot was a young passion scarcely
rooted in her breast; that Hho was
hound to hi in by none of tho strong
ties of those who had sent their hus
bands out to wur, and crouched on deso
late hearth-stones with clinging chil
dren about them, who might the next
hour bo walling orphans; she thought
shesutfured all she could, and as week
after week grew into month after
month, uud tho second year camo lin
gering on, she grew, thin, pain and list
less. For Hugh Ilerlot had yot no fur
lough; tho fow times Marion had heard
from him hn had spoken of his Inten
tion to apply for one at the year's end,
hut hn had enlisted for the war, and
felt that while his strength lasted ho
must light; he was more needed on the
field than even Marlon needed hint.
Yet after that tlrst year began there
wero no mom letters, and, after the
battle of Lookout Mountain, the lists
of killed and wounded came lu so slow ly
that It was a long week before the
"very last" showed among tho list of
"missing" "Hugh Ilerlot. Major l
Tenth Infantry."
"Missing!" Can words expound what
that one word meant In those days?
Not tho sharp blow of "Wounded,"
which Implied possible life, and oven a
hope of Immediate repair totbnsutfcror,
and all the gentle ministries to relieve
one nnd console the other, Messed in
giving or taking. Not tho stun and
desolation of "Dead," that left no uorsn
to fear, nor tautill.ed with thn ijni
fiitutit of hope; but that one fatal word
that tortured hut did not slay; that
bound the victim to tho stake anil piled
the fagots, hut delayed to light the tire
till the waiting grew to ho madness.
Marlon was a warm-hearted Imagi
native girl, nnd "Missing" meant to her
a long chapter of surmised agonies. In
her waking hours she figured so many
and such dreadful possibilities that her
sleep renewed and exaggerated, hIio
painted such sufferings for her lost
lover, such terrillc and harassing situ
ations, that It would havo been a pos
itive relief to her to know of his death;
yet she would not admit It to herself.
She lost all that held her to life, when.
Just as tho war ceased, her widowed
mother died siiddunly and without one
farewell wonl. It would have been better
for Marlon had necessity forced her to
exertion, but she had enough money to
live on comfortably, nnd so she shut
herself In her tiny hoiiMi with her old
servant, nnd madu herself a solitary
mourner. Her beautiful nud abundant
brown hair grew white as snow, and
her eyes lost their sparkle; but her
health gradually asserted Itself anew,
her constitution was strong, and shoal
most lived out of doors, either in her
hlch was her sole amusement
pleasure, or walking over tho
zy hills of tho country about. She
never been halt so beautiful when
h Ilerlot knew her us she was,
t years after, when, one exiulslte
ling In May, she stood by her door
ting boughs of hawthorn from her
cherished tree, nnd placing them
do tho apple blossoms she had al-
y gathered in a largo basket. There
were sheave of pale narcissus,
a of heaven blue myrtle, bunches
o later snowdrops and gorgeous
s; for tt was Memorial Day, and
r alnco Its tlrst observance had
ion failed to carry whatever bios-
she could nnd to tho cemetery,
add her share to the honor of the
dead soldier who slept in that
11 and shaded place of rest.
suioto her every year to think of
unhonorcd place whew hor lover's
' rested, for long ago alio had given
topo for his life. Who covered his
o with flowers or foliage? vho
icd over hi last sleep? The thought
g her again as she took from the
r-step a Mitallcr basket of wild
ers, with which she always dressed
low mound aliovo her mother, and
lug the larger one on her arm, went
r to tho school-bouse. whore the
n g village girls were making wreaths
tKiiKluots. rrom there she went to
mother's grave, and liegan to adorn
lth all the blossoms ot wikhI and
her mother bad loved jo uiueh lu
I her life: she heard thn distant tntisln at
thn band begin to send its walling re
quiem from thn church steps, whero thn
procession was just entering; she heard
thn slow toll of thn boll that always
rung n knell In Alton on Decoration
Day; she knelt by tho head-stono of her
mother's resting place, and leaning her
head against It sobbed blttorly.andsjHiko
aloud In her roawakoned sorrow, know
ing there was no ear to hoar: "Oh
Hugh! my Hugh! if I could but know
where you are lying! If I could only
see your grave, It would bn a help! Hut
you have gonn out into darkness, and
thn place of your sopulchcr no man
knoweth unto this day. Why, why, can
not I go, too?"
"Marlon," said a volcn. Bhn lifted
her quivering lid. Hugh stood before
her. With a low cry tho foil across bur
mother's grave and lay at his foot.
She knnw no more till she name back
to life on har own sofa, with Hugh
kneeling beside her and tho village doc
tor dropping somo pungent fluid slowly
Into her lips. Shn looked at her dead
alive lover with anxious, asking eyes.
"I am not Hugh; I am Sandy," hn
said, sadly but distinctly. Yet ho waa
Hugh to her eyes and heart; every lino
answered to linn in thn strong, line face,
except that It was older, darker, moro
worn, as It well might be after the stress
of war; thn smile wassadder und sweeter
than ever Hugh's had been, but It was
Hugh's volco In tone and nccent.
There was a long story to tell when
Marlon could listen; but through It all
she felt a strange nnd ghastly sense
that she was listening to a tale from
another world, was following a sound lu
the dark.
Alexander Ilerlot was Indeed the Iron
imago of his brother; be had been tall
and pale and delicate lu his youth; hut
when the war broke out, and hn openly
avowed his opMtsltlon to the course ol
the South, he was obliged for hi
mother's and his life's sake to take
refuge In tho mountains till he could
II ml a way to join tho army of the
North, as ho knew Hugh had done. The
outdoor life and enforced exercise re
stored him to perfect health, and In six
months he had found the Cnlon army,
but not Hugh; and volunteering into
the ranks, had fought well and bravely
till peace came; then hn wivnt back to
his native place only to find his mother
dead, und his sister, the brldn of a day,
widowed and alone, but bitter against
him with that intense bitterness that
only exists between those who are kin
dred, and have been dear to each other.
Then too he found the report of Hugh
as "missing;" and having no homo for
his sister had gouu to her husband's
"MAHfON," SAIIt A VolCK.
friends lu Savannah and no means to
make the plantation remunerative, he
sidd It for a small sum, and dividing
thn proceeds with t'ornella. devoted
himself to tracing Hugh. At last, by
one of those accidents we ought to call
"provldents," he discovered his broth
er's knapsack In thn hut of a poor man
not far from the battle-Held, und by
dint of rewards olTerod learned that tho
man from whom that knapsack was
taken had crept away mortally wound
ed to the shelter of a few bushes during
the light, and had been found there by
thn "cracker," who tisik possession ot
hpt arms and his accoutrements.
"Hut he made u grave for our poor
Hugh, Marlon," Alexander said, with a
trembling volco "n grave where deco
rations never fall. The fellow showed
mn where he hurled him, Isitweeu two
pine trees. On ono of them climbs a
t'horokco rose that drops its thick white
(totals on the sod, uud wild blossoms
have trailed all over tho mound, till It
Is fair as your mother's grave to-dav. I
could but think when I saw It that the
thxl of the brave and the loyal had not
forgotten Hugh s lonely pillow in thn
wilderness."
After leaving hi brother's place ot
rest, Alexander had opened his knap
sack and found In It Marlon's letters
and her picture. As Hugh bad said, tho
twin brothers wero alike In every tlhor,
and Alexander's heart opened at once to
enshrine the lovely woman Hugh had
adored and left for his country.
Hut what had he to olfor her? Heforo
ho dared endeavor to till his brother's
place ho must have a bom to which be
could ask Marlon; he could not honora
bly ask her to sham his poverty, for It
was utter.
Heforo long, however, ho found a
place In some of tho new enterprises ot
the South; worked them as manfully as
he had fought, and Just as soon as hi
position was assured, and he could ask
an absence from thn work, ho came to
the North, and arriving at Alton on
Memorial Day, was directed where to
find Marlon at her mother's grave.
Her whole heart wont out to him as
soon aa he spoke; for to her he was
Hugh, and no other the aspect, the
voice, the manner, oven thn very
thoughts he shared with her, w em all
Hugh's, and the man's nobility forbad
him to feel one jealous png when, with
out even knowing It, over and over she
gave him hi brother's name.
Nor did she delay her marriage, aa lie
feared might bo her wish.
"Wo have Wen engaged so long," he
answered him, w hen hn asked her, that
I do not feel It Is haste. Dear Sandy,
Hugh told me 1 should lovo you, tf I
knew you, better than I loved bins.
IVrhaps I shall; yot always l shall think
that Decoration Day wa also Kcsurrte-
Itlou Day to me." Ko) Tsrry CvKkt a
Uarpcr'a Uasar.
k ,,r,v ,.l
nnlifeSv.
PKIDfi BEFORE A FALL.
Dr.Talnaagoon theliOsnonaTauRht
By tho Fato or Haman.
How Intla-nlllrsnt Matter May Affect thn
Heart Thit Is Wrong-The Arrogance
of Worldly Vanity t'ltlmate
Triumph orthrlstlanlly,
In a recent sermon at llrooklyn upon
the subject of Worldly Vanity. Ilev. T.
DeWItt Talmage preached from tho
text: "So they hanged Haman on tho
gallows that he had prepared for Mor
decal." Kslher vll. 10. Following Is his
sermon:
Hero is an Oriental courtier, about the
most offensive man In Hebrew history,
Hainan by name, tin plotted for thn
destruction of tho Israelltlsh nation,
and I wonder not that In some of thn
Hebrew synagogues to this day when
Hainan's name Is mentioned, the con
gregation clench their fists and stamp
their feet and cry: "Let his name bn
blotted out!" Haman was I'rlme Min
ister In the magnificent court of Persia.
Thoroughly appreciative of the honor
conferred, he expects everybody that he
passes to be obsequious. Coming In one
day at the palace the servants dropthnlr
heads In honor of hlsoltlce: but a He
brew named Mordecal ga.es upon the
passing dignitary wltnou. bonding bis
head or taking olf his hat. He was a
good man, ami would not have been
negligent of the ordinary courtesies of
life, but he felt no respect either for
Haman or the nation from which he bad
come. Hut he could not be hypocritical;
und while others made Oriental salaam,
getting clear down before this I'rlme
Minister when ho passed, Mordecal, the
Hebrew, relaxed not a muscle of bis
neck and kept his chin clear up. He
catisoof thatalTiontllaman getsadecreo
from Ahasuorus, the dastardly King, for
the massacre of all tho Israelites, and
that, of course, will Include Mordecal.
To make u long story short, through
(Jiioon F.sthor this whole plot was re
vealed to tier husband, Ahasuorus. One
night Ahasuerus, who was atlllcted with
Insomnia, In his sleepless hours calls
for his secretary to read to him a few
pages of Persian history, and so while
away the night. In the book read that
night to the King an account was given
of a conspiracy from which Mordecal.
the Hebrew, had saved the King's life,
and for which kindness Mordecal had
never received any reward. Haman,
who had been fixing up a nice gallows
to hang Mordecal on. was walking out
side the door of tho King's sleeping
apartment and was called In. The King
told him that he had Just bad read to
him the account of some one who had
saved his, the King's, life, and he asked
what reward ought to be given to such
a one. Self-conceited Haman. suppos
ing that he himself was toget the honor,
and not Imagining for a moment that
the deliverer of the King's life was
Mordecal, says: "Why, your Majesty
ought to make a triumph for him, anil
put a crown on him, and st him on a
splendid horse, high-stepping and full
blooded, and then have one of your
princes lead the horse through the
streets, crying: "How the kt hero
conies a man who has saved the King's
life!" Then said Ahasuerus In severe
tones to Haman: "I know all about
your scoundrolism. Now you go out
and make a triumph for Mordecal, the
Hebrew, whom you hate. Put the best
saddle on the finest horse, ami you, the
prince, hold the stirrup while Mordecal
gets on, and then lead his horse through
the street. Make haste!" What a
spectacle! A comedy and a tragedy at
one and the same time. There they go!
Mordecal, who bad been despised," now
starred and robed. In the stirrups.
Hainan, the Chancellor, afoot, holding
thn prancing, re.irinir. champing stal
lion. Mordecal bends his neck at last,
but It is to look down at tho degraded
Prime Minister walking beneath him.
Iluza for Mordecal! Alas for Hainan!
Hut what a pity to have the gallows, re
cently built, entirely wasted! It Is llfty
cubits high and built with care. And
Haman had erected It for Mordecal, by
whose stirrups he now walks as groom.
Stranger and more startling than any
romance, there go up the steps of the
scaltohllng, side by side, the hangman
and Haman, the ox-Chancellor. "So
they hanged Haman on the gallows
that ho prepared for Monlecall"
Although so many yoars-havo pasted
since cowardly Ahasuerus reigned, and
the beautiful F.sthcr answered to his
whims, and Persia perished, yet from
the life and death of Hainan we uiav
j draw living lessons of warning and In
struction. And, llrst, we come to the
practical suggestion that, when tho
lieart Is wrong, things very Inslgnlllcaut
will destroy our comfort. Who would
have thought that a great Prime Min
ister, admired and amtluudcd bv millions
'of Persians, would have boon s nettled
and harassed by any thing trivial?
What more could the great dignitary
have wanted than his chariots and at
tendant, and palaces and banquets? If
afltucnco of circumstances can make a
mancontentcd and happy, surely Hainan
should have been contented and happy.
No; Mordecal's refusal of a bow takes
the glitter from the gold, and the rich
ness from the purple, and the speed
from the chariots. With a heart puffed
up with every Intlatlon of vanity und
rovengo, it was imMsshle for him to te
happy. Tho silence of Mordecal at the
gate was louder than the braying ot
trumis'ts In the palace. Thus It shall
always I if the heart is not always)
right. Circumstances the most trivial .
will disturb the spirit. '
It is not thn great calamities of llfe
that create the most worrlment. I have
seen men, felled by repeated blow ot t
misfortune, arising from the dust, never
desponding. Hut the most ot the dls-1
quiet which men suffer is from lnstg-.
nltlcaut cause; as a lion attacked by
somo Wast of prey turns easily around '
and slays him, jet runs roaring through I
k... ..., n, ,!. ill. t.,(. . kli. '
till lMV, l d- Mil), ,1,!, V,i 1111,
brawny neck of a few Insects. You meet
some great loss In business with com
parative composure, but you ran think
ot petty trickeries Inflicted urstn you
which rouse all your capacity for wrath
,,i.t M,m.itn In v.Mlr tit, Art in ii)i., i M.
a anoyance.
Again, I learn from the life of the man
under our nollco that worldly vanity
and sin are very anxious to have piety
bow before them. Hainan was a fair
emblem of entire worldllness, and Mor
decal the representative of unflinching
godliness. Such wero the usages of so
ciety In ancient times that, had this
Israelite bowed to the Pr.me Minister,
It would have been an acknowledgment
of respect for his character and nation.
Mordecal would, therefore, have sinned
against his religion had he made any
obeisance or dropped his ehln half an
Inch Imfnro Haman. When, therefore,
proud Hainan attempted to coiiih)I an
Homage winch was not felt, ho only did
what the world ever since has tried to
do. when It would force our holy relig
ion In any way to yield to Its dictates.
Fagot and rack and halter In all ages
havo been only the diffident wavs In
which the woild has demanded obeis
ance. It wasonco away upon the top of
tho temple, that Satan commanded the
Holy Onn of Nararcth to kneel Imforo
him. Hut it Is not now so much on the
top of churches as dow n in the aisle and
the pew and pulpit that Satan tempts
the espoiisnrsof the (hilstlan faith to
kneel before liliu. Why was It that the
Platonic phllosopers of early times, as
well as Tolaud, Splno.i mid Holing
broke of latter days, were so madly op
IMtsed to Christianity? Certainly not be
cause It favored Immoralities, lr arrest
ed civilization, or tho dwarfed Intellect.
The genuine reason, whether admitted
or not, was because the religion of Christ
paid no respect to their Intellectual vau
lt e.
Satan told our llrst parents that they
would become as gods If they would
only retich up nud take a taste of the
fruit. They tried It and failed, but their
descendants are not yet s.ttlslled with
the experiment. We have now many
desiring to be us gods, reaching up after
yet another apple. Hum. in reason,
scornful of (lod's word, mav foam and
strut with tho proud wrath of a Hainan,
and attempt to compel the homage of
tho good, but in the presence of men
and aiik'cls it shall be confounded, "liod
shall smite thee, thou w hi ted wall."
When science began to make Its bril
liant discoveries there were great facts
brougt to light lhatscoincd to overthrow
tho truth of tho llihle. The atel il-
oglst with his crowbar, and the geol
ogist with bis hammoi, and the chemist
with his batteries charged upon
the lllhlc. Moses' account of the
creation seemed denied by the very
structure of the earth. Tho astronomer
wheeled miiiel his telescope until the
heavenly btslles seemed to marshal
themselves against tho Itlble, as the
stars In their courses fought against
Slsera. Observatories and unlveisitles
rejoiced at what they considered past
victory, and pressed on their conquest
Into the kingdom of nature until, alas
for them' they discovered too much,
(list's word had only been lying lu am
bush that, in some unguarded moment,
with a sudden bound, It might tear in
Udell ly to pieces.
It was as when Joshua nt tacked the
city of Al. lie selected itO.OoO men. and
concealed most of them; then with a
few men ho assailed the city, which
iNtured out Its numbers and strength up
on Joshua's little band. Accmdlng to
previous plan, they fell back In nlng
defeat, but, after all the proud Inhabit,
ants of the city had lson brought out of
their homes, and had Joined in tho pur
suit of Joshua, suddenly that brave man
halted In his flight, and with hi spear
pointing toward the city. .".o,(NK) men
bounded from the thickets as panthers
spring to their prey and the pursuers were
dashed to pieces, while the hosts of
Joshua pressed up to thn city, and with
their lighted torches tossed It Into the
flumes. Thus It was that the discov
eries of science seemed to give tempo
rary victory against Cod and the lllble.
and for a while the church acted as if
she were on a retreat; but, when all tho
opposers of Cod and truth had joined
In pursuit, and were sure of the Held,
Christ gave the signal to His chinch,
and turning, they drove hack their foes
In shame. There was found to bo no
antag nlsm between nature and revela
tion. The universe and the lllble were
found to be the work of the same hand,
two strokes of tho same pen. their au
thority the same Cod.
Again: Learn thn lesson thnt pride
goes before a fall. Was any man ever
so far up us Hainan, who tumbled so far
down" Yes. on a smaller ealo every
day the world sees the same thing.
Against their very advantages men trip
Into destruction. When Cod humbles
proud men It Is usually at the moment '
or their greatest arrogancy. If them
boa man In jour community greatly
pulled up with worldly success, vi il
havo but to stand a little while and vou
will see him come down. You sav, l!
wonder that CimI allows that man to go I
on riding over other's hendsaud unking
great assumptions of piwer There Is
no wonder about It. Haman has not yet '
got to the top. Pride Is a commander,
well plumed and caparisoned, but It i
leads forth a dark and Imwnlng host. I
We have the best of authority for sav
ing that "Pride gcsvth lefom destruc
tion, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
The arrows from the Almighty's quiver
are apt to strike a man when on the
wing.
Again: This oriental tale reminds us
of tho fact that wrongs we prepare for
others return upon ourselves. Thn gal. '
lows thai Haman built for Mordrs-al l-'
camo the Prime Minister's stranguU-1
ion. ItoWsplerre, w ho Mnl so many to
the guillotine, had his own head chopped
orr ny mat noma, instrument Theevll
you practice on others will teroll upon
your own pate. Slanders come home.
Cruellies eome home. You will vet Im
a lackey walking betide the very charger
on which you expected to ride others'
down. When Charles I, who had de-'
strojs Strafford, was alstut to be t.
headed, he said "1 basely ratified an
unjust sentence and the similar injiis. I
tlco I am now to undergo Is a cm.lble
retribution for tho punishment I Inflicted
on an inuocont man " i
Furthermore, let the story of Haman
teach us how quickly turns the heel ot
fortune One day, excepting tho King,
Hainan was the mightiest man In Per
sia, but the ncM day, a lackey. Si we
go up. and owe come down." You U
Uom find any man twenty year In the
samo circumstances. Of those who, la
political life twenty years ago, were the
most prominent, how few remain In con-
splculty. Political parties make cer
tain men do their hard work, and then,
after using them as hacks, turn them
out on the commons to die. Kvery four
years there Is a completo revolution,
and about 5,000 men who ought certain
ly to be the next President aro shame
fully disappointed; whilo some, who
this day are obscure and orrty
stricken, will rldo upon tho shoulders
of tho people, and take their turn at ad
miration and the smjI1s of ofllce. O,
how quickly the wheel turns'. Hallot
boxes are the steps on which
men come down as often d
they go up. Of thoso who were long
ago successful In the accumulation of
property, how few have not met with
reverses' while many of those who tben
worn straitened in circumstances now
hold bonds and thn bank keys of thn
Nation. (If all fickle things In tho
world, fortune Is the most tickle. Kvery
day she changes her mind, and woe to
the man who puts any confidence In
what she promises or proposes! Shn
cheers when you go up, and she laughs
when you come down. O, trust not a
moment your heart's nlfoctioh to this
fhungoiiil world! Anchor your soul in
Cod. From ( hrist'.s companionship
gather your satisfaction. Then, cooio
sorrow or gladness, success or defeat,
riches or poverty, honor or disgrace,
health or sickness, life or death, time
or eternity, all are yours, and ye aro
Christ's, and Christ is Cod's.
Again: this Hainan's history shows ns
that outward possessions anil circum
stances can not make a man happy.
While jet fully vested in authority atid
Ihochlcf adviser of the Persian monarch,
and every thing that equipage ami pomp
and splendor of lesidenco could do worn
bis. he is an object lesson of wretched
ness. There are today more aching
.sorrows under crowns of royalty than
under the ragged caps of the houseless.
Much of the world's aftlueneoand gaiety
Is only misery in colors. Many n woman
seated In the street at her apple stand
is happier than the gieat bankers.
Were I called to sketch misery in Its
worst form. I would not go up the dark
alley of the poor, but up the highway
over which prancing Hucephall strike
tho sparks with their hoofs .ml between
statuary and parks of stalking deer.
Wretchedness Is more bitter when
swallowed from gemmed goblets than
fiom earthen pitcher or pewter mug. If
there are young pcoplo hero who aro
looking for this position and that cir
cumstance, thinking that worldly suc
cess will bring peace of the soul, let
them shatter tho delusion. It is not
what we get. it Is what we are. Daniel
among the lions is happier than Nebu
chadnezzar on his throne. And when
life is closing, brilliancy of worldly sur
roundings will bo no solace. Death Is
blind ami sees no difference between
a King and his clown, between thn
Nararenn and the Athenian, between a
bookless but and a national library.
Fiom all the heights and depths of my
nature rings down and rings up and
rings out the word "immortal." A good
conscience and assurance of life eternal
through the Lord Jesus Christ are thn
only securities.
The soul's happiness Is too large a
craft to sail up the stream of worldly
pleasure. As ship carsnters say, It
draws too much water. This earth is
a bubble and It will burst. This life la
a vision and it will soon pass away.
Time! It Is only a ripple and it breaketh
against the throne of judgment. Our
days! They tly swifter than a shuttle,
weaving for us a robe of triumph or a
garment of shame. Itegln your life
with repgion and for its greatest trial
you will l ready. Kvery day will be a
triumph and death will be only a king's
servant calling you to a royal banquet.
In olden time the man who was to re
ceive the honors of knighthood was re
quired to spend the previous night fully
armed, and with shield und lance to
walk up and down among the tombs of
tho dead. Through all the hours of
that night his steady stop was heard,
and when morning dawned, amid grand
parade and the sound of cornels tho
honors of knighthood were liestowed.
Thus It shall 1m with the good man's
soul In the night before Heaven. Fully
nrmid with hlcld and sword and hel
met, he shall watch and wait until thn
darkness fly and tho morning break,
and amid tho sound of ce estlal harp
Ings the soul shall take the honors of
Heaven amid the Innumerable throng
with robes snowy white streaming over
seas of sapphire.
Mordecal will only have to wait for
his day of tr umph. It took all the pre
ceding trials to make a proper back
ground for his after success. Thn
scaffold built for him makes all tho
more Imposing and pleturoquo the hor-xt
Into whoso long white mane he twisted
his lingers at tho mounting. You want
at least two misfortunes, hard as flint to
strike tlr-. Heavy and long continued
snows In the winter am signs of gotsi
enqe. next summer. So many havo
yielded wonderful harvests of benevo
lence anl energy ls-causc they were a
long while snowed under. Wemusthavn
a good many hard falls U'forn we learn to
walk straight. It Is on the black anvil of
tmuble that men hammer out their for
tune. Sorrows take up men on their
shoulder and enthrone them. Tonlca
am nearly always bitter. Men. like
fruit tree, am barren, unless trlmWd
with sharp knives. They am like wheat
all the better for the flailing. It re
quired the prison darkness and chill to
make John Hunyan dream It took
Ikelawam Ice and' cold feet at Valley
Forge, and the whli of hullets to make
Washington Paul, when he ctimlied up
on Ihe beach ot Media, shivering In his
wet clothe, was mom of a Christian
than when the ship struck the breakers.
Pmscott, the historian. w better with
out his eyes than he could ever have
seen with them. .Mordecal, despised at
ho gate. U only predecessor ot Morde
cal, grandly mounted.
--- - ST
Ccneral Fremont U livln?on Staten
Island In great tetlremenu Hut he I
apparently go.l for many years yet.
lit form I civet, and hU eye have the
ame flash as when he crusted the lUvk
le and wrote those enchanting report
wh'cb, trlctly true a ihey are. ha
all the frvshnesi and vlyorofa romance.
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