"They all laughed and said: 'It never grows dark in this land; there is no night here.' "I looked at the people, their faces wreathed in a simple halo of glory, attired in holiday clothing. I said: 'When will the working men go by clad in overalls? and where are the brawny men who work and toil over the anvil?' "They said, 'We toil not, neither do we spin; there remaineth a rest for the people of God.' "I strolled out in the suburbs. I said, 'Where are the graveyards, the grave-diggers? Where do you bury your dead?' "They said, 'We never die here.' "I looked out and saw the towers and spires; I looked at them, but I did not see any tombstones, mausoleums, green or flower-covered graves. I said, 'Where, where are the hearses that carry your dead? Where are the undertakers that embalm the dead?' "They said, 'We never die in this land.' "I said, 'Where are the hospitals where they take the sick? Where is the minster, and where are the nurses to give the gentle touch, the panacea?' "They said, 'We never grow sick in this land.' "I said, 'Where are the homes of want and squalor? Where live the poor?' "They said, 'There is no penury; none die here; none ever cry for bread in this land.' I was bewildered. I strolled along and heard the ripple of the waters as the waves broke against the jeweled beach. I saw boats with oars dipped with silver, bows of pure gold. I saw multitudes that no man could number. We all jumped down through the violets and varicolored flowers, the air pulsing with bird song, and I cried, "'Are--all--here?' And they echoed, "'All--are--here.' "And we went leaping and shouting and vied with bower and spire, and they all caroled and sung my welcome, and we all bounded and leaped and shouted with glee, 'Home--Home--Home.'" The Battle With Death "Just one thing divides you people. You are either across the line of safety, or you are outside the kingdom of God. Old or young, rich or poor, high or low, ignorant or educated, white or colored, each of you is upon one side or upon the other. "The young man who talked to Jesus didn't let an infidel persuade him, and neither should you. "The time will come when his head will lie on his pillow and his fevered head will toss from side to side. "The time will come when there will be a rap on the door. "'Who are you?' "'Death.' "'I didn't send for you. Why do you come here?' "'Nobody sends for me. I choose my own time. If I waited for people to send for me I would never come.' "'But don't come in now, Death.' "'I am coming in. I have waited for a long time. I have held a mortgage on you for fifty years, and I've come to foreclose.' "'But, ah, Death, I'm not ready.' "'Hush! Hush! I've come to take you. You must come.' "'Death! Death! Go get my pocketbook, there! Go get my bankbook! Go get the key to my safety deposit box! Take my gold watch, my jewelry, my lands, my home, everything I've got, I'll give all to you if you'll only go.'