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HE BED CLOUD CHIEF.
A. O. HOSMER, Publisher.
RED CLOUD,
NEBRASKA
THE LAND OF LONG AGO.
Sometimes, when thrushes sing, or sweet bells
chlmo
Par off ami faint ncross the silent sen,
Or south wind wafts tho breath of sunny clime,
Or ring-doves coo their lovo by babbling rills,
Or tho fair priestess of tho dawn, star-eyed.
Trails her whlto robo obovo the cistern hlllsi
Down n dim way where stately lilies blow
I sco tho lar.tl tho Land of Long Ago.
'Then memory beckons, and with trembling feet
I tread the ways where llfo win onco so sweet:
Sco this dear face, that sleeps where marbles
shlnf,
And that but oceans 'twUt us roll their brine.
"Hear ones, will you not comu to mo onco inoru
And smlln and Itln mo us In days of yorcl"
"Ah, foolish heart! when will you learn to know
None o'er roturn from tho dead I.ong Ago!"
"Hut give me back my Joy, thn dreams of youth,
Hopo's rosy lnlons, or tho lamp of Truth!
Itoll back Tluio's record fiom tho dlalplato
And snatch u trophy from tho grasp of Fate."
Again I gated with wildly streaming cyos
On the drend nngcl that so much denies
Again tho still volco breathed o'er fields of
snow:
"These nro tho treasures of tho Long Ago."
Alas, that landl that I,nnd of Wn.t Ago:
No resurrection shines above Its snow:
Memory may enter, but u (taming sword
Vorblds w 1th menace stern Hope's tender word,
The I'ust Is gone the Now we grasp full fond,
And tho To lie loolis darkly from beyond
And r till tho years roll on with ceaseless flov?
Into tho silence of tho 1.0ns Ago
Oh. Land of Long Ago!
JIary C. Francis, In Detroit I'rco Prow.
lOrlglr.nl.
UE ROGERS
was about us
puny iv irai
a c v o r
sunned her
on the l u
clflo slope
hue wus n
kinder d o
ccivin' critter, not that bhe mciint to
be dcccivln' but licr disposition was iio
different from her looks. Her hair was
brown, and lior eyes was blue an' in-
ncrccnt lookln' as u baby's, an' she lied
a little inoutli tliet ullers looked Into it
was jest ready to curve into ti cry.
Sho looked us timid as a mouse, but
6uo was as uravo as any woman ever
was.
llcvln' almost grotved up amongst ua,
we all liked an' respected licr. which
them thct knowed her couldn't help
ctoln Wo all felt kinder near to lies, a
mlnglin' of ntvo an pity together. Yon
Know now men win icel toward u
bravo llttlo woman thct's pot a lot of
s rouble to contend with. Au' thct was
"Sue's trouble. Her father would
gamble and drink.
( There wasn't a cleverer man in tho
jiiuuc men vn oi uogors. Jlo was a
good workman, an' made good mono.v.
But keep it, ho couldn't. Ho was
death on playin' poker, an' when he
ployed he lied to drink to steady his
nerves.
But even in his most reckless drink
in' tantrums ho never forgot his lovo
for Sue. An' ho licdn't ought to,
nuther, for she was as faithful an' lov
in' to him as of ho didn't hev a fault in
tho world. Tho' it was sometimes
purty tryln' fur her, when things was
needed in tho house, to hev tho ol' man
lose every cent ho hud in u jack-pot an'
comn homo Btuggorln', stone-blind
drunk. But thct's what often hap
pened. When folks'ud try terpersuado
her to leave him, sho giv' 'ein cold en
couragement an' arter awhilo they jest
got to lookiu' on in a kinder silent re
iipcct an'-hhakin' their hcuds when any
thing particular bad turned up.
Sho never minded none o' thct but
just went on in the snmo way lavlshin'
hor affeotlons upon thot of' hulk of a
father o' hers. But tho young fellers,
when they seen that shu was good an'
faithful as well as purty, commenced
to hanker arter her moro an' more. But
'twasn't no use, fcreverybody cao'lated
thct of Suo over hot her affections on
any man that one would bo Jim Mace,
which the tamo lied kinder growed up
in her favor. Most all the follows hod
learned to content themselves, leavin'
the Held to Jim, fur none of them
thought they was man cuough to cut
him out. Jim was a mighty nice fel
low, Btcady an easy goin'" with no
HUK I'ASSKI).
grudges ngln nobody and not a blamed
vnemy in tho world, I reckon. Ho was
as quick to help an honest man out of a
tight place as ho was to holp string up
a boss thief; an' bquar', 1 reckon ho
was tho squarest man thet ever owned
u shooter. None o' yoro quarrolsomo
kind, nuther, though ho did always
carry a pretty mean looking gun. But,
thou, you know, most all of us did thct
in them days. It was downright neces
sary in a time when bhootla' was
almost as common as catin',
'Bout this time, all tho camps in a
clrclo o' boventy or eighty miles was
Levin' a rood dcul o' trouble with a
I Miiifcaj,.!
band o' pcrfcsslonal gamblers thct lied
settled among 'cm.
Now wo miners ain't overly ticklish;
but wo do reckon thct n porfc&slunnl
gambler Is about as desperate a critter
as ever held down a claim on this 'ere
earth.
Well, our camp como In fur Its share
o' this calamity, fur onco' thorn coyotes
settled right down amongst us nn' com
menced operations, lie was u remark
ably slick lookln' chap, more gentle
manllko then tho most of his class;
I hero wasn't thct Mash o' gold an' jew
els about him that alius makes n decent
man tired; though he did wear one big
iilimoud ring on his little linger thet
looked llko tho real stuff an' 1 reckon it
was. Ho called htsself Jack Custer,
and ho had been amongst us only n few
days when wo learned soinothln' about
him thnt was very funny fur a porfos
slonal gambler: ho didn't client. No,
sir, he played as fa'r as a parson an'
took his losses with his gains. Hut I
will say this fur him thet although ho
didn't cheat, he won a good deal moro
'n ho lost, an' when in the course o'
time men began to sco It they kinder
dropped off an' let him alone. Ills busi
ness growed small an' waverln' like.
The men thet did play with lilin didn't
play reg'lar with one exception ol' SI
Bogcrs. He was as reg'lar as mealtime;
never failed, Custer seen he lied a vic
tim, an' he knowed jest how to work
him. Every night nt seven o'clock
they'd sit down to play In tho llttlo
room o' the tavern which was kept fur
thet purpose an' Rogers 'ud never move
from tho table until he got up to slink
home through tho darkness with his
bloodshot eyes, throbbin' temples an'
with not n cent In his pocket. But
sometimes ho would win, and then he
went on like a crazy man; lie would bo
so happy that ho'd drink an' treat all
his winnln's away beforo ho left.
Things was gettln' puity low at his
house; they was almost In need. But
through it all Suo never blamed nor
scolded him.
"Try an' come home without stoppln',
father," sho used to say. An' he'd go
off in tho niornln' prointsln' faithfully
"to do It," But his road homo run
right past tho tavern an' he jest hod to
stop In fur n minute, an' thet minute
'ud btrctch out to nigh next niornln'.
Nobody interfered, 'cause it wasn't no
body's bus'ac.ss.
One night tho ol' man failed to show
up at tho usual time; half-past seven
come; eight; half-past eight. Eyes be
gan to turn in Custer's (Erection an' he
seemed kinder oneasy. But jest ilvo
minutes beforo thu clock struck nine
ol' SI lingers' shulllln' step was hoard
in the entry. It soun'ded u little quick
cr'n usual. Custer brightened up nil of
u sudden as ho heard it an' took a .step
toward their table. But the minute
the ol man struck the room everybody
could sco thet somctliln' was wrong.
His face was haggard an' pale an' thero
was u hkecrcd look in his eyes.
"Boys," says he, in a husky voice, "is
thero ono of you thot'll lend a feller a
llttlo cash in"an emergency?" The men
looked up qucstionln'ly from their
cards. "Sue's down sick," he went on,
"an' I'm clear out o' money."
Every hand went down into its own
er's pocket, un' silver, gold -an' bills
come up, but Jnck Custer was beforo
us nil. He was at the ol' muii's sldo in
about threo shakesnnd, prcssln' a roll
o' money into his hand, ho said: "1 think
I've got a right to help you." The rest
wanted to chip In, but llogers said he
lied enough, and we could only hold
him long enough fur him to tell us part
o' tho story. Ono o' Mike Jasper's kids
met him on his wny from work to tell
him that Suo was sick; hurryln' home, he
found her ragln' with fever. Somo o'
tho neighbor women was a workin'
with her, but ho wouldn't leave her
sido until he was jest compelled to go
fur a doctor. Thet was why he dropped
in there; 'euuse as tho doctor would hev
to come somo distance, ho might
want to seo tho color of his cash before
startln'.
Ho left as soon as ho told ns thet,
turrlblo worked up; an', in fact, he loft
us purty much excited, not knowin'
how bad siclc Suo was.
But it turned out, nrter all, thet it
wasn't no th in' serious, jest a light
spell. But I toll you ol' man Rogers
was skitorcd purty bad. Ho strnlirht.
oncd up an' didn't gamble fur a week,
an' fur a tlmo folks begun to think thct
ho lied renlly reformed. So did Custer:
an' ho packed up hls.things to leave.
Ho wab btandin' nt tho door ono day
when Suo passed, an' ho asked who sho
was. When ho found It was Rogers'
darter Sue, ho whistled long an' low.
Ho took a good look ut her when sho
comn back thct wny. Thet cvcnln ho
unpacked his traps an' settled himself
to stay. Tho boys winked their eyes
nti' whispered to each othor thet "Cus
ter was goln' to play fur higher stakes,
but 'twasn't no use, fur tho cards wns
stacked agin him dead sure." Custer
jest wen right on mnkln' no secret of
his intentions, but workin' fa'r an'
squar'. Ho began to try and draw Suo's
attention, nn' everybody looked on in
interest.
Join Maco only laughed very quiet.
He reckoned ho'd fixed them curds him.
self nn' knowed Jest what chance tho
gambler stood fur drawln' a Hush.
Ol' SI Rogers, artor his week's spell
o goodness, como back to his table as
eager us over an' jeat about as on
lucky. Thot is, at tlrst; later on ho be
gan to sorter win.
"Custer s luck has changed," some
ono whispered. An thct'B tho way it
looked. But them thot tried to take
advantago o' tho change soon found
thct somehow ho didn't losu to nnim.iv
but ol' man Ilogcrs. It got clearer,
though, ono night, when, arter tho ol'
man lied made a big wlnnin', Custor
leaned across tho tablo and said: 'I'll
bo down to yoro houso aforo long. I
want to talk over Homo business with
you." O' courso Rogers couldn't re
fuse, an Custer's gamo showed out
plain: Jle'd been buy tn' tht oV man' rmv.
A good deal of ndvlco wus whispered
to
ooiu iiiace, out no wasn't slreorml.
nn' saul thot ho wouldn't interfero as
long us things wont on straight nu'
honest. An' thoy seemed to be goln'
on thot way to a very bad cndln' for
pore Jom.
Custer's bus'uess with ol' Rogers
must V turned out mighty satisfac
tory, 'cause ho kept goln'.
In the meantime ho n' the ol' man
lied kinder quit playin' so reg'lar, but
one night when they'd lioen talkln' to
gether earnest'llke fur a long time tho
ol man got no excited thet he Jest
bawled out without thlnkin': "No! I
won't try to persuade her to do nothlii'
bhe don't want t' do."
They both shut up right uwny, but It
looked llko tho gambler was tryln' to
get ol' Rogers to persuado Sue to mar
ry him, an' everybody looked at Join
Mace. He was perfectly cool. Custer
went up to him an' said: "Ef a man
kin win tho girl ho loves, all fa'r uu'
squar', why shouldn't he?"
"Why shouldn't he?" says Jem.
"Hev you any objections to bolti' cut
out In an honest way?"
"Wall, no."
We all began to look at Jem nu'
wondered of ho hedn't got spliced on
the sly, but of anything uncommon
was up he didn't show It,
Arter tliet talk Jack Custer got moro
desp'rate. He commenced dilnkln'
hnnler an' drnwed tho ol' man back
again Into the snmo ol" ruts, drinklu'
an' loslu' his money. But it was all
brought to a sudden hold-up one night
'long toward the end of August.
It was one. o' them creepy, quiet
summer nights thet u man fools away
down an' all over; there wasn't much
nolso in the little gamblin' room o' tho
tavern except tho lllp-llap o' tho cards,
the occasional shulllln' o' feet as some
man changed his position fur luck, an'
now un' then nu oath tliet told thot
somebody was busted.
01" man Rogers was all innervod
thet night, cause- ho was loslu' ho ivy
un' hed been fur near two weeks,
while Custer set thero lookln' us cool
an' handsome as could bo. But thero
was a glitter In his eyes when ho fixed
'em on the ol' man, thet inado a body
think of :i sualio charmln' a bird. Ho
was playin' fur n purpose, it showed
In his face an' the eager grasp of his
long, blender white fingers as they
r.r.n iir.n aci:os tub itoojf.
touched tho cards. Tho men nt th
other tables were finally aroused by
tlio deck being dashed on tho tablo an'
a groan from Rogers. Ho wns busted.
This was common; so tho men jest
went on with their own bus'ness. But
them thot was wntchln' saw tho
ol' man lean ovor the tablo us ho said:
"You uskeil mo fur my darter, tho
other day; stake mo fifty against her
until I try my luck once more, un' of 1
lose, sho's yorc'n'."
"Done." An' Caster laid down tho
bills.
Tho news soon got around an' tho
men left their own games to watch
this one. Jem Maco among 'cm.
Jest as thoy began playin', with n
sort of unconscious impulse, wo looked
toward tho door an' there stood Sue.
It wasn't no place fit fur a woman,
but bho hud como fur her father, an'
there wasn't a man but what hed too
much natcral gent'maushlp to aay a
wrong word in her presence.
At first sight of her, Custer started
an' then dropped his eyes on his cards.
Sho como down, tho room an' lay in' licr
hand on her father's shoulder called
him by name, but tho gamo hed begun
an' he didn't notico hor; bIio stood by
silent whilo thoy played an' not ouo of
us hed tho heurt to toll her what was
the stakes.
Tho game seemed nn ago long; but
blmeby it was finished an' ol' Hoc-ors
hed lost. Ho fell back in his chair in a
faint, but rcvivin' in a minute, ho
kinder moaned: "Oh what hev I done?
Gambled oven my darter away!"
Jem Maco stood Hire stone.
It wns somo minutes before Suo un
derstood tho awful truth, an' sho liked
to fainted. She cried un' rocked her
self back an' forth but not a word did
sho say agin her father.
Jem's eyes were fastened on tho
gambler.
Custer roso nn' goln' to Sue's hldo
took her hand. "You'ro mine," says he,
"I gambled fa'r fur you." an' slinnln'
tho rlug from Ills finger, ho put it on
burs.
She looked at It fur a minnto an' then
scroamed: "Take it off! Take it off,
it burns mo!"
Such a look of inUory camo into tho
poro feller's eyes thet would 'a' made a
dog pity him. "You won't wear my
ring," says ho, takin' it off, "but you
nro no loss miiio."
Sho shrunk from him an' I seen Jem'u
hand slide back to hLs gun an stop.
Custer's grip tightened on her arm, an'
ho said in a kind o' fiorcoly gentlo way:
--.-juc.you aro mine as ra'r as ovor worn
un was, but 1 lovo you too much to
break yoro heart."
Ho led hor across the room an' nut
lior hand in Jem's.
Almost nfore wo knowe,d what hed
happened, Custer hed slipped out tho
door an' the boys' cheers rung out, oven
nbovo them bounded n pistol shot out
side.
Wo riish(;d out an plckln' poro Ciibter
up carried him into tho room. A re
volver was clinched In his hand, an' a
bullet hed gone through his brain.
l'AUI. liAWIlKXCK Du.snAiL
Younghusband "If I were ybu,
my dear, 1 wouldn't tell my friends I
Jiad trimmed that hat mysolf." Mrs.
Youngliusband "Why. love, would it
bo conceited?" Younghusband "Xo
superfluous." Llfc'A'alcudar.
m:
ALL IN ALL.
Dr. Tnltango Again Pronchoo in Hln
. Tnbornaclo.
Christ Alt mill In All-Tlinw ,lr
Into Mm lliwirt nr Onil'it Truth
Who Ciiiiin S'nckluK
CItUL
it
Upon his return from Eurta Rey, T.
DoWltt Talinngu preached his first ser
mon In Brooklyn upon tho mihjcct "All
in All." Text, Colovdnns 111. 11: "Christ
IhAIHiiAII." lie said:
Returned, after the most eventful
summer of my life, I must shortly and
us soon as I recover from the sea voy
age, give you an account of our mission
of brood to famine struck Russia and of
my preaching tour through Germany,
Euglnud, Scotland and Ireland; but
my first sermon on reaching hero must
bo u hov.mna of gratitude to Christ, anil
from thu text I havo chosen I have
found that tho greatest name In the
ocean shipping, and from Liverpool to
Moscow, and from Moscow to London
and Edlnburg and Belfast and Dublin,
is Jesus.
Every ago of the vyorld liahud its
historians, its philosophers, Itft.nrtlstR,
its thinkers und Its teachers. Wore
thero histories to bo written, there has
always boon n Moses, or u Herodotus,
or u Xenophon, or a Joscphus to write
them. Wero there poema to bo con
structed thero bus always been u Job or
a Homer to construct thoiu. Wore
thero thrones, lustrous and powerful,
to be lifted thero lian ,nJwajB bocn a
David or a, Cius-.ir '(o'llft thorn, Wero
thero teachers demanded for the Intel
lecta and the hearts thero has been a
Socrates and a Zono and a Cleiinthcu
and u Marcus Antonlus coming forth
on tho grnud und glorious mission.
Every ago of the world has had its trl
.umphs of reason and morality. There
has not been n single ago of tho world
which has not had boiiio decided
system of rollglon. Tho I'latoulsm,
Orientalism. Stoicism, Brahmlulsm
and Buddhism, considering tho
nges In which they were estab
lished, were not lucking in In
genuity and force. Now, in this line
of beneficent institutions und of noblo
men there appeared a personngo moro
wonderful than any predecessor. Ho
came from a family without any roynl
nrlstocratio pretensions. Ho becamo a
Galilean mechanic. Ho had no advan
tage from the schools. Thero were peo
ple ucshio mm aay after day who had
no idea that Ho was going to be any
thing remarkable or do nnythlng re
markable. Yet, notwithstanding ull
this, and without uuy tltlo or scholarly
profession or flaming rhetoric, Ho
tartlcd tho world with tho strangest
announcements, ran m collision with
solemn priest and proud ruler, and with
a voice that rang through temple and
pnlacu 'and over ship's deck and
mountain top proclaimed: "I am the
light of tho worldl" Men were taken
all aback at the idea that that hand,
yet hard from tho uso of tho ax, tho
Baw and adze and hatchet, should wave'
the scepter of authority, and that upon
that brow, from which they had so
often seen hln wlpo tho sweat of toil,
thero would yot como tho crown of un
paralleled splendor and of universal
dominion. Wo ull know how difficult
i It is to think that anybody who wns at
scnooi witn us in boyhood has got to be
anything great or famous; and no won
der thnt thoso who had been boys with
Christ in tho streets of Nazaroth and
seen Him in after years in the days of
Ills complete obscurity should have
been very slow to acknowlodgo Christ's
wonderful mission.
From this humblo point tho stream of
llfo flowed out. At first it was juat a
faint rill, hardly abla to find its way
down tho rock, but tho tears of a weop
ing Christ added to It volume, and it
flowed on until, by tho beauty and
greenness of tho banks, you might know
tho path tho crystal stream was taking.
On and on, until the lepers wore brought
down and washed off their leprosy, and
the dead wero lifted Into tho wator
that they might have life, and pearls
of joy and promise wero gatherod from
tho brink, and innumerable churches
gathered on either bank, and tho tide
flows on decpcr,andstrongor,and wider,
until it rolls into tho river from under
tho throne of God, mingling billow with
billow, and brightness with brightness,
and joy with joy, and hosanna with
hosanna!
I was looking at somo of tho paint
ings of tho artist, Mr. Kensott I saw
somo pictures that wero just faint out-
' lines; in boiiio places you would sco only
ino orancnes or a tree and no trunk;
and in another case tho trunk and no
branches. Ho had not finished tho
work. It would havo takon him days
and months, perhaps, to have com
pleted IK Well, ray frlonds, In this
world wo got only the faintest outline
of what Christ Is. It will take all
eternity to fill up tho picture so lov
ing, so kind, so merciful, bo great!
Paul doeB not, in this chaptor, say of
Christ Ho is good, or lie is loving, or Ho
is patient, or Ho is kind; but in his ex
clumutlon of tho toxt ho embraces
every thing when ho Bays: "Christ is all
and in all."
I remark, In tho first place, Christ Is
everything In thd Blbje. I do not caro
whero I open tho Blblo I find Jesus. In
whatever path I start I come, after
awhile, to tho Ucthlohcm manger. I
go back to tho old dispensation and boo
a lamb on tho altar, and say: "Behold
tho Lamb of God which takcth away
tho nin of the worldl" Then I go and
bco tho manna provided for tho Israel
ites in tho wilderness, and Bay: "Jesus,
tho bread of life." Then I look at tho
rock which was smitten by tho prophot's
rod, and ns tho water gushes out, I say;
"It is Jesus, tho fountain opened for
sin und for unclcunness." I go back
and look at tho writings of Job, and
hear him exclaim: "I know that my
Redeemer llvcth." Thon I go to Ezo
ktel, and I find Christ presented thoro
as "a plant of renown;" und then f turn
over to Isuiah, and Christ is spokon
of "as u aheep beforo her shear
ers." It Is Jesus all tho way be
tween Genesis and Malachl. Thon
1 turn over to tho Now Testament,
and It Is Christ in tho parable, ft
Is Christ In tho miracle, It Is Christ lu
the evangelist's story, it Is Christ in tho
apostle's uplsthis. and it Is Christ In tho
trumpet peal of tho Apocalyp.se. I know
there aro tv great many people who do
not find Christ in the Bible. Here Is n
man who studies tluo lllblo ns u his
torian. Well, If you como us a historian
ytm will find In this book how tho world
was made, how tho seas lied U their
places, how empires were established,
how nation fought with nation, j.ivolln
ringing ngnlnst harbegeon until tho
varth was ghastly with tho dead. Yon
will soo tho coronation of princes, the
triumph of conquerors, and this world
turned upsldodownatid back ngnln and
down again, cleft and M-urrcd with
great agonies of earthquake, and tem
pest, and battle. It Is a wonderful his
tory, putting to blush all others In tho
accuracy of Its reclliil and tho stupend
ous events It records. Itouiernnd Thu
eydtiles nnd Gibbon could maku great
stories out of llttlo events, but it took
a Moses to tell how tho heavens and tho
earth wero mnilo luono chapter, and to
give tho history of thousands of yours
upon two leaves.
Them are othern who como to the
Blblo merely as antiquarians. If you
como us an antiquarian yon will find a
great many odd things In tho Bible;
peculiarities of manner mid custom,
marriage and burial; peculiarities of
dress, tunics sandals, crisping pins,
amulets and girdles, and tinkling orna
ments. If you will como to look ut
military arrangements, you will find
coats of mall, and javelins and engines
of war, and clrcumvallallon and en
campments. If you look for peculiar
musical Instruments, you will find
psalteries, and stilglonoths, and rams'
horns. The uutiqtiarl.ia will find in
tho lllblo curiosities In agriculture, and
In cqinmeree, and in art, ami in relig
ion, that will keep him absorbed a
great while. There tiro thoso who
como to this Blblo us you would to a
cabinet of Curiosities, ami you pick up
this and s.iy, "What a strange sword
that Is!" and "What a peculiar hat this
Is!" and "What an unlookcd for lamp
that is!" nud the Blblo to such becomes
a British museum.
Then there nro others who find noth
ing in tho Blblo but tho pootry. Well,
if you como us a poet, you will find in
this book faultless rhythm, und bold
Imagery, and startling antithesis, and
rapturous lyric, and sweet pastoral, and
Instructive narrative, and devotional
psalm; thoughts expressed In a 'style
more solemn than that of Montgomery,
moro bold than that of Milton, moro
terrlblo than that of Dante, moro
natural than that of Wordsworth, more
impassioned than that of Pollook, moro
tender than tlmt of Cowpcr, moro weird
than that of Sponsor. This great poem
brings all tho gems of the earth into
its coronet, and It weaves tho flames of
judgment In its garland, and pours
eternal harmonies in its rhythm. Every
thing this book touches it makes beauti
ful, from tho plain stones of the summer
threshing floor, and the daughters of
Niihor filling the trough for tho camels,
nnd tho fish pools of Hcshbon, up to
the psalmist praising God with diapa
son of storm and whirlwind, and Job
leading forth Orion, Arcturus and the
Ploiadcs. It is a wonderful poem and
a great many pcoplo read It as thoy do
Thomas Moaro's "Lalla Itookh," and
Walter Scott's "Lndy of tho Lake,"
and Tennyson's "Charge of tho Light
Brigade." Thoy sit down and nro bo
absorbed in looking nt tho shells on
tho flhoro that they forget to look oft
on tho great ocean of God's mercy and
salvation.
Then there aro others who como to this
book as skeptics. They marshal pas
sago against passngo and try to get Mat
thew and Luko In a quarrel und would
havo a discrepancy between what Paul
und James say about fulth and works
and thoy try tho account of Moses con
corning tho creation by modern deci
sions in sclcnco, and rcsolvo that in all
questions between tho sclontlfio ex
plorer and tho inspired writer they will
givo tho profcrenco to tho geologist
These men these- spiders, I will say
supk poison out of the sweetest flower
They fatten their Infidelity upon tho
truths which havo led thousands to
Heaven, and in their distorted vision
prophet seems to war with prophet, und
ovangclist with cvnngolist and apostlo
with apostle; and if they can find nomt
bad trait of character in a man of God
mentioned in that Bible, these carrion
crows caw nnd fiap their wings ovor tho
carcass. Because they cannot under
stand how tho whale swallowed Jonah
thoy attempt tho moro wonderful feat
of swallowing tho monster whalo of
modern skepticism. They do not be
lieve it possible that tho Blblo story
should bo truo which says that the
dumb ass spake, while they themselves
prove tho tjilng possible by their own
utterances. I am amused bovond
bounds when I hear ono of thoso men
talking about a future life Just ask a
man who rejects that Bible what Heav
en is and hear him befog your soul.
Ho will tell you that Heaven is merely
tho development of tho Internal re
sources of a man; it is un efflorescence
of the dynamic forces into u state of
othcrial und transcendental lucubra
tion, in close juxtaposition to the over
present "was" and tho great "to bo"
und tho everlasting "no." Cotiblderlng
themselves wiso, they uro fools for time,
fools for eternity. ,
Then thero is another cluss of per
sons who como to the Blblo as contro
versialists. They aro enormous Pres
byterians or flerco Baptists, or violent
Methodists. Thoy cut tho Blblo to suit
their creed, instead of cutting their
creed to suit tho Blblo. If .tho Script
ures thlnh as they do, well; if not, so
much the worse for tho Scriptures. The
Blblo is merely the whetstone on which
they sharpen tho dissecting knife of
controversy. They como to it ns a gov
ernment in time of wur comes to arm
ories or arsenals for weapons or muni
tions. They havo declared cverlu-itlng
war against all othor sects, and they
want so many broadswords, bo many
muskets, so many howltzors, so many
columblads, so much grape nnd canister,
so many field-pieces with which to rako
tho field of dispute, for they menu to
get the victory, though tho heavens be
darkened with tho smoke and the
enrth rent with tho thunder. What do
thoy euro about tho religion of tho Lord
Jesus Christ? I havo seen somo such
men come luck from an ecclesiastical
mtissacro us proud of their achieve
ments us an Indian warrior boasting of
tho nuiulxir of scalps ho has taken. I
havo moro admiration for a man who
goes forth with his fists to get tho
championship than I havo for thoso
theological pugilists who make our
theological inagn.lncs ring with their
war cry. There nro men who seem to
think tho only usuof tho sword of truth
is to stick Homolkody. Thero Is ono
pnssugo of tho Scriptures tint they llko
better than all others, und that is this:
"Blessed bo tho lord which teachcth
my liaiuU to war und my fingers to
fight." Woo to us if wo como to God's
word an controversialists, or as skeptics
or us connoisseurs, or as fault finders,
or merely as pouts!
Tliosu only got Into the heart of God's
truth who como seeking Christ. Wel
come nil such! They will find Hlin
coming out from behind the curtain of
prophesy until Ho stands In thu full
light of Now Testament disclosure,
Jesus, the Sou of God, the Saviour of the
world. They will find him In genea
logical table anil In chronological cal
culation, in poetic stana and in histor
ical narrative, in profound parable and
in startling miracle, Thoy will boo Ills
foot on every sea und His tears In thn
drops of dew on Herinou,
and hear Ills volco in the wind
nud behold His words all abloom
In the valley between Mount Olivet and
Jerusalem. Them aro boiiio men who
come and walk around tho temple of
truth and merely sco tho outside. Thero
arc others who walk Into tho porch and
then go away. Thero uro others who
como In und look ut tho pictures, but
they Itnew nothing about the chief
attractions of the ltlblc. It Is only tho
man who comes nnd knocks ut tho gate,
saying, "I would seo Jesus." For him
tho glories of that book opon and ho
goes In und finds Christ nud with hlin
peace, pardon, life, comfortand Heaven.
"All In nil Is Jesus" in the Blblo.
I remark again that Christ Is every
thing In tho great plan of redemption.
Wo arc slaves; Christ gives dcllvcranco
to tho captive. Wo uro thirsty; Christ
is tho river of salvation to slake our
thirst Wo uro hungry: Christ says: "I
am tho bread of llfo." Wo aro con
demned to die; Christ says: "Savo that
man from going down to tho pit; I am
thu ransom." Wo uro tossed on a sea
of troubles; Jesus comes over It, saying:
"It Is I, be not afraid." Wo arc In dark
ness; Jesus suya: "I am the bright and
morning star." We uro sick, Jesus is
tho balm of Gllcad. Wo uro dead)
hear tho shrouds reud and the
grave hillocks heave as ho arlos:
"I am tho rcsurroctton und the
life; ho that belloveth In Me,
though he wero dead, yot shall ho live."
Wo wnnt justltl"ntion; "Being justified
by faith, wo havo peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ" We
want to exorcise faith; "Bel lovo In the
Lord Jcstu Christ, and thou shaltVy
saved." I want to got from under con
demnation; "Thero is now, therefore,
no condemnation to them who are In
Christ Jesus." Tho cross He carried it
Tho flames of hell lie suffered them.
Tho shame He endured it The crown
Ho won It, Heights of Heaven sing It,
and worlds of light to worlds of light
all round tho Heaven cry: "Glory,
gloryl"
I remark again, Christ Is everything
to tho Chlstlan in trouble. We must all
stoop down and drink out of tho bitter
lake. Tho moss has no tlmo to grow on
tho buckets that como up out of the
heart's well, dripping with tears. Groat
trials are upon our track as certain as
greyhound pack on tho scent of deer.
Krom our hearts In every dlroctlon there
nro a thousand chords reaching out
binding us to loved ones, and ovor and
anon some of thoso tendrils snap. The
winds that cross this sea of llfo aro not
all abaft Tho clouds that cross our
sky aro not feathery and nfar, straying
like flocks of sheep on heavenly
pastures: but wrathful, . and som
ber, and gloaming with terror,
thoy wrap tho mountains in Are, and
como down baying with their thunders
through every gorge. Tho richest
fruits of blessing havo a prickly shell.'
Llfo hero is not lying at anchor; it is
weathering a gale. It is not sleeping
In u soldier's tent with our arms
stacked; it is a bayonet charge. We
stumble over gravestones und wc drive
on with our wheel deep in the old rut
of graves. Troublo has wrinkled your
brow and It has frosted your head.
Falling in this battle of life, is there
no angel to bind our wounds? Hath
God inado this world with so many
things to hurt und nono to heal? For
this snake blto of Borrow is thero no
herb growing by the brooks to
heal tho poison ? Blessed bo
God that lu tho gospel wo find the
antidote! Christ has bottled an ocean
of tears. How many thorns Ho hath
plucked out of human agony! O! lie
knows too well what it is to carry a
cross not to help us carry ours. He
knows too well what It is to climb the
mountain not to holp us up the steep.
Ho knows too well what it is to 1ms per
secuted not to holp thoso who aro im
posed upon. He knows too well what
it is to bo sick not to help thoso who
suffer. Ay, Ho knows too well what it
is to die, not to help us in our last ex
tremity. Blessed Jomh, Thou knowest
ItalL Seeing Thy wounded bUIo, und
Thy wounded hand, and Thy wounded
feet, and Thy wounded brow, we
are suro Thou knowst it ulL 01 when
thoso Into whoso bosom wo used to
breathe our sorrows aro snatched from
us, blessed bo God tho henrt of Jesus
Btll beats, and whan all other lights
go out and tho world gets dark, thon
wo see coming out from behind a cloud
something so bright and cheering, we
know It to bo the Morning Star of 'the
soul's deliverance Tho hand of care
may mako you stagger, or tho hand of
persecution may beat you back, but
thero is a Hand, and It is bo kind and
It is so gentlo, that It wipoth all tears
from aU faces.
Golinrd "So old Jaggs Is dead.
Did ho leave many relations?" Gollght
ly "Yes, they aro all loft Ho be
queathed his cntlro fortune to Ui
church. " Doraorcst's Magaslae. .
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