Tales of a Vanishing RiverReed, Earl H. (Earl Howell)
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Tales of a Vanishing River
Reed, Earl H. (Earl Howell)
Illinois -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Kankakee River (Ind. and Ill.) -- Fiction; Short stories, American
“Oh, the transporting rapturous scene,
That rises to my sight!”
Brother Butters:—“The sight of hell torments will exalt the happiness of
the saints forever, and give them a more lively relish of the joys of
their heavenly home. The righteous and the wicked in the other world
will see each other’s state. Thus the rich man in hell, and Lazarus and
Abraham in heaven, are represented as seeing each other in the 16th
chapter of Luke. The wicked in their misery will see the saints in the
kingdom of heaven.—Luke 13–28–29. ‘There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the
prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.’”
Brother Hyatt:—
“The seraphs bright are hov’ring
Around the throne above—
Their harps are ever tuning
To thrilling strains of love!
They’ll tell the sweet old story
I always loved so well!
Oh, let me float in glory
And hear sinners wail in hell!”
Brother Butters:—“Now come we to the procrastination practiced by the
average sinner, and in Proverbs 27–1 we find the words, ‘Boast not
thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’”
Brother Hyatt:—
“The lilies of the field,
That quickly fade away,
May well to us a lesson yield,
For we are frail as they!”
Brother Butters:—“Dear friends, tomorrow is not our own. There are many
ways and means whereby the lives of men are ended. It is written in the
book of Job, chapter 21, verse 23, that ‘One dieth in his full strength,
being wholly at ease and quiet.’”
Brother Hyatt:—“A-A-MEN!—Now listen ye unto these words!”
“Melt, melt, these frozen hearts,
These stubborn wills subdue;
Each evil passion overcome,
And form them all anew!”
Brother Butters:—“Oh, ye unregenerates, that wallow in sin and
wickedness on that platform! God despises you, and the flames await you!
Go down upon your accursed knees tonight and beseech salvation. This is
Friday, Saturday may be too late, and everything in the way of grace may
be gone!”
Brother Hyatt:—“Slim chance fer this bunch! It’s you to the red hot
hooks!”
“Hark! What celestial notes,
What melody do we hear?
Soft on the morn it floats,
And fills the ravished ear!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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