Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 136, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 June 1910 — RELIGIOUS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

RELIGIOUS

Whither, Pilgrims, Are Yon Going! Whither, pilgrims, are you going, Going each with staff In hand? We are going on a journey, Going at our king’s command; Over hills and plains and valleys We are going to his palace, Golhg to the better land. Fear ye not the way so lonely, You a little feeble band? No, for friends unseen are near us, Holy angels round us stand; Christ, our leader, walks beside us, He will guard and He will -guide us. Guide us to the better land. Tell us, pilgrims, what you hope for In that far-off better land. Spotless robes and crowns of glory, From a Saviour’s loving hand; We shall drink of life’s dear river, We shall dwell with God forever. In that bright and better land. Pilgrims, may we travel with you, To that bright and better land? Come and welcome, come and welcome, Welcome to our pilgrim band; Gome, O come, and do not leave us, Christ is waiting to receive ua, In that bright and better land. —Unknown. The Lifting of a. Life. A widow who had to earn her bread obtained employment as an amanuensis. Her work was the answering of replies to a large number of postal cards, sent to remote parts of the country. For the most part, these letters were separated Into convenient groups, and regular forms of answer were provided; hut there were some that required Individual care, and she showed such aptitude for this work that it fell to her as her part of the business of the office. One day there came a postal card from the Tennessee mountains that appealed to her with more than usual Interest. She said to her employer, “I should like to write a letter of my own to that girl.” He consented that she should do so. That was fifteen years ago. Something in the heart of her went out to the mountain girl. A personal letter brought back to her a rather well-written reply from the mountain maiden, telling about her home, her aspirations for an education, her longing for something good to read, and her apparently vain strivings after a larger life. She wanted to paint—a foolish enough desire, perhaps, but it was the thing she had happened to think of. Her new friend had a longdisused paint box, and sent it, with suggestions concerning its use. In itself the paint box led to nothing very great, so far as art was concerned, but it gave point to the correspondence at the outset, and something definite for the girl to try to do. Very eagerly the mountain girl entered into the correspondence. She was hungry for friendship and advice, and she told all her problems, social, religious and intellectual, to this woman, whom she never thought of as a stranger. Silver and gold the widow had none, but such as she had she gave. She put her own heart Into those letters, which were never less frequent than once a month, and at times were much more rapidly interchanged. She advised the young girl as to her dress, her reading, her friendships. She helped her to make the most out of her surroundings, and without weaning her away from them, she gave her other things to think about. She had not been a particularly religious woman, but for this child’s sake she sanctified herself and brightened her own faith. After about two years the young girl went to Berea to school. The friendship of her distant friend and her employer secured for her a modest sum with which to begin her education. She soon reached a point where she was able to teach a mountain school, and then she helped herself and her family. All the time the letters continued.

The young woman was graduated at length and went hack Into her native mountains to be a teacher and helped there. Once she spent a vacation In the North, and passed some weeks with her friend; and the two had known each other so long through letters shared a summer that led - the younger woman through strange experiences of art museums, concerts, and other beautiful things. Then the girl went back. Not very long ago the older woman died. The last fifteen years of her life were blessed by this friendship, and she had the dally Joy of knowing that Bhe had had no inconsiderable share In lifting another life besides her own to a position of large usefulness. She is remembered by the few who knew of this friendship as having made one of the largest and finest contributions to the work of developing a hopeful young life into conscious strength and usefulness. The story Is told here in the hope that other women, —and men, too, —some, perhaps, in far better circumstances than this widow, may find similar opportunities for broadening and enriching their own lives and the lives of struggling youth.—Youth’s Companion.

A Clean Heart. From every point of the subject it appears that the blessing of a clean heart, and the happiness consequent on It, may be obtained In this life, because here, not In the futnre world, are ,we to be saved. Whenever, therefore, such blessings are afforded, they may be received; but all the graces and blessings of the Gospel are ot-

Ifcred at ftU times, ani when they are offered they may be received. Every sinner is exhorted to turn from the evil of hisNvay, to repent of sin, and supplicate the throne of grace for pardon. In the same moment In which he is commanded to turn, in that moment he may and should return. He does not receive the exhortation to repentance to-day that he may become a penitent to-morrow, and believe on the Lord Jesusi that he may receive remission of sins—he does not, he cannot understand that the blessing thus promised is not to be received to-day, but at some future time. In like manner, to every believer the clean heart and the right spirit are offered in the present moment, that they may in that moment be received. For as the work of cleansing and renewing the heart is the work of God, His almighty power can perform it in a moment, In the twinkling of an eye. And as it is this moment our duty to love God with all our heart, and we cannot do this till He cleanses our hearts, consequently He is ready to do it this moment, because He wills that we should in this moment * love Him. Therefore we may Justly say: "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.?’ He wtio in the beginning caused light in a moment to shine out of darkness, can in a moment shine into our hearts, and give us to see the light of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ. This moment, therefore, we may be‘emptied of sin and filled with holiness. A Prayer. We thank Thee, O Lord, that every day begins with a miracle of light, reminding us to arise and shine as we live and work. When the light comes all nature rejoices and everything abounds with the freshness of re-creation. So help us to live, and grant that we may carry into each day the buoyancy and gladness of spiritual health, that will strengthen the weak, console the sad, inspire the despairing, stimulate the irresolute, and heal the sick. We realize that our hands must be busied with the common tasks of daily life, but grant us to convert them Into heavenly music, and so make every place an abode of refreshment and beneficence. Help us to walk in the light as Jesus did; so shall we have holy fellowship one with another and with Thee, and at last attain eternal joy.