Newspaper Page Text
the best part of ray fortune, and his loving
letters are more precious than his gifts. His
brother, Ferdinand, writes equally often to me
and with equal warmth. The French king
invites me to Paris. The king of England
(Henry VIII) writes to me often."
CHOOSE YOUR GUESTS.
By the Rev. A. Messier Quick.
Bar out the discord and the strife,
That turn to dregs the wine of life;
Let in the love that fosters peace.
And thoughts that sting and smart will cease.
Bar out the tempests who with wiles,
And robes of light the soul beguiles.
The advocates of truth let in.
They'll spur us on the goal to win.
Bar out deceit, distrust and hate,
To foes of light bar well the gate,
Unbar the door and welcome him
Who comes with love to dwell within.
Well-chosen guests we entertain
Will not be fellowship in vain.
The magic touch of Christian hearts,
A flow of living truth imparts.
Turn out the guests who faithless prove,
They'll sour and curd the sweetest love,
And welcome those who lineage trace
To birth anew, through wondrous grace.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
THE SENTINEL AND THE SCOUT.
By E. L. Byers.
What is related in the first four stanzas of
the following poem was a matter of occurrence
during the "Civil War," and was brought to
light by the meeting of the persons concerned
after peace was restored. In a company of
travelers npon a Mississippi River steamboat,
the sentinel sang the hymn, beginning "Jesus,
Lover of My Soul." The scout was present,
and thought he must be the same who sang
on that memorable night. Upon inquiry this
was found to be true. The singer remembered
well the time, and the sad, disconsolate feeling
that prompted him to sing the prayer of his
heart. The two armies were not far apart,
and pickets were killed nightly. The scout,
being a "dead shot," was sent to that senti
nel's post to "pick him off," but upon hearing
what he sang could not, although he had crept
up very close to him and covered him with
his gun. He withdrew unobserved as he had
come, and never until they met upon that boat
had told the story to mortal ears.
Theodore Noel, of Vitae fame, and an old
Confederate, who was with Sibley's brigade in
Arizona, says that the scout was living in
Atascosa County, Texas, in 1875. His name
was J. B. Bailey, and he belonged to Hood's
brigade, and that the sentinel's name was John
W. Wilson, and he lived at Akron, Ohio, in
1878.
"Jesus, lover of my soul,"
Sang a sentinel one night
As he walked his lonely beat
In the waning moon's pale light.
"Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let Ee to thy bosom fly,"
Plaintively he sang and low,
For he felt that death, was nigh.
"Cover my defenseless head" ?
Softly on the still night air ?
"With the shadow of thy wing,"
Sacg he thus his sad heart's prayer.
Trustingly he sang the words,
Think Ing only God would hear.
But the night winds wafted them
To a hidden foeman's ear.
Through the murky shades of night.
Prom a reconnolterlng band,
There had crept ft daring scout
To that picket's lonely stand;
And with sure, unerring aim
On his heart had drawn a bead,
When in suppliant tone he heard,
"Cover my defenseless head."
Down his deadly rifle came,
He himself a man of prayer
Could not take the life of one
Trusting in his Saviour's care.
Softly from his covert, then.
In the shadows he withdrew,
leaving still that heart to beat.
Which he knew was brave and true.
"Jesus, lover of my soul,"
In life's battle be thou nigh,
And amid its gathering gloom
"Let me to thy bosom fly."
When the final day is come,
When thou shalt to Judgment bring.
"Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of thy wing."
Madisonville, Texas.
Selections
WHAT THE KING OF GLORY DID FOR
JIMMY SMITH.
Jimmy Smith in 1862 was the terror of his
regiment. He could cause his officers more
trouble to the square inch, could drink the
most whiskey, swear the loudest, and fight the
hardest of any man in his company.
One day quite a number of new recruits
came to the regiment, among whom was a
Methodist class leader. One of the first things
this Methodist leader did upon reaching camp
was to organize a prayer-meeting. And one
of the first things that Jimmy Smith did upon
hearing of this innovation was to resolve to
break it up. With this purpose in view he
called to his assistance two boon companions
and started for the prayer tent to put his reso
lution into execution. The plan was to turn
over a rail fence upon the praying band.
Reaching the place of prayer, Smith and his
companions were arrested by the sound of the
leader's voice in earnest supplication.
"O God," said the voice, "bless these manly
boys, who, although far from home, are not so
far away as to be beyond the reach of moth
er's love, and of mother's prayers which still
go up for them at morning, noon, and night,
beneath the roof of the old childhood home.
Some of the boys' fathers have fallen pretty
low in morals and habits, but mother loves
them just the same, and prays on, and hopes.
O God, we beseech Thee, save them every
one."
"Boys!" said Jimmy Smith, a great lump
rising in his throat, "I guess we had better put
oft' this job for another night."
And they went quietly back to their quar
ters, and the little company prayed on and
never thought of danger thus so near.
Strange to say, Jimmy Smith passed a rest
less night. As he would drop into a fitful
>sleep, he would dream of mother and hear,
again that prayer, and then it would come to
him how changed a man he was from what he
used to be; for he had been quite a man at
home, but he was mostly called "drunken
Jim" and "rowdy Smith." He awoke the next
morning with such depression on him that he
felt he must have drink at once to drown his
conscience and release him from his misery.
Now the commissary of the regiment had been
forbidden to sell him liquor of any kind, and
the only way he could obtain it was by getting
a pass and going to Alexandria and purchas
ing it. He accordingly went to his captain
and asked for a pass, and was refused. After
a little he went again, and the captain seeing
that he was depressed iu spirits and seemed
quite anxious to go, said to him:
"Smith, there is one thing I can say in your
favor ? you have always kept your word with
me, and if you will promise not to touch a
drop of liquor while absent from camp T will
give you a pass."
Jimmy at first refused to comply with the
terms, but the desire to get away from his
companions became so strong that he finally
made the promise, received his pass, and start
ed for the city.
After getting a little way beyond the limits
of the encampment there seemed to be two
voices whispering in his ears. One voice said,
"Get gloriously drunk, Jim; drown care;
break your promise; have one more old rol
licking day." The other voice said, "Go into
the woods, Jim; make an effort to be a man;
talk with God; remember mother and home*"
lie turned into a wood, and sitting down be
neath the shade of a tree, the voice whispered,
"Kneel and pray; pray loud." A squirrel flut
tering about caused a moment's hesitation,
and then Jimmy Smith knelt and poured out
his soul to God in confession of sin, in cries
for help in his time of need, and for faith to
believe the promises. And help came, and
Jimmy rose to his feet a saved man.
He hastened back to camp to tell his cap
tain of the change that had come to him,
but not finding him in, went to the first lieu
tenant's tent, who was a Christian, and who
said to Jimmy as soon as he saw him, "Smith,
you are a converted man."
"I am," said Smith, "and I wish you to
aid me with your prayers, that I may let my
life speak well for God as my old life has
for Satan."
Time went on ? the terrible war closed ?
peace, sweet peace, came to heal the wounds
that years of cruel strife had made. In the
meantime Jimmy Smith had been called of
God and set apart by the church for the of
fice and work of the ministry, and had done
good work in the Master's cause. God so
stamped Ilis image pn Jimmy's face that the
people seemed at sight to tell that he was an
ambassador for Christ. The tones of his voice
touched the tender chords of hearts, and the
clasp of his hand was warm and helpful. Go
ing on one occasion to talk with the workmen
of a large foundry, the men excused them
selves from shaking hands because they were
so soiled. Jimmy then rubbed his hand upon
an anvil until it looked like theirs, and then
none refused to shake, and thus he won their
hands and hearts.
But Jimmy Smith had never forgotten the
owner of the voice that offered that prayer
which had resulted in his reformation, and it
so happened one summer day he came to the
place where the class leader lived, and held a
scries of revival services. Of course, one of
his first inquiries was for the man who had
been so great a help to him, and he was
grieved to learn that the man was now him
self a perfect wreck. Trouble and loss had
come to him, and in a weak hour he had taken
to drink and was now a poor backslidden man.
Then Jimmy resolved to try and do for that
man what he had done for him. But the
man avoided him, and managed to keep out
of his sight. When he called where he lived,
he had just gone out, and when he visited
places where he was usually found, he was
not there. Then, in despair, Jimmy asked
God to send the man to him, and God did so.
One night, soon after his having left the
matter with the Lord, as he got up to preach
he spied his man way back in the farthest
corner of the church, and he knew him, not