<BY
Befesie Lenna Heath, Author of the "Lost Lily"
and "Children's Idol"
ia
A, M. E. Book Concern
631 Pine Street
Philadelphia, Pa.
LIFE IS A YEAR
<BY
Bessie Lenna Heath, Author of the ''Lost Lily"
and "Children's Idol*
A. M. E. Book Concern
63t Pine 1Street
Philadelphia, Pa.
1921
Our Father, who- gives us all our supplies,
Which art in heaven, and to whom our spirits fly,
1"!allowed be Thy everlasting name;
Let thy blessings continue for us the same,
Thy kingdom come into the hearts of men;
Cleanse us from every guilt and sin;
Thy will be done in heaven and earth,
And blessings upon those who have given us birth.
Give us this day our joys or our sorrows,
Prepare our hearts for the coming tomorrow;
Forgive us our sins as Thou only can,
For Thou alone tries the heart of man.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil,
Teach kindness and love to render unto our people.
For Thine is the king-dom and the power and glory,
And praise to Thy name which is pure and holy.
Forever and ever, amen.
—B. L. Heath*
I stood between the earth and heaven,
And gazed on the beautiful hills,
And it seemed that the gentle breeze,
Was singing, peace, be still.
I stood between the earth and heaven,
And watched the day. slowly dawn;
How sacred and dear to my heart,
Will forever be that morn.
It seemed as though the sun was resting
From the toils of the day that passed,
And now it rose slowly and wearily from its
repose,
And sent out its beautiful light at last.
And as I stood I measured the heaven,
From the depths of the earth and the
pastures of green;
Ah, what can it be but that a God of love has
made for each day
The Sun as a beautiful queen.
—B. L. Heath.
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DEDICATORY
I, B. Lenora Heath, with pleasure and sincerity, dedicate
this little book to one who has enabled me to live and
•learn and enjoy the beautiful Christian life that is free to
all—my Mother.
"Lord, tho' I lived on eath, the child of eartn,
Yet was I fathered by the starry sky;
Thou knoweth I came not of the shadow of birth,
Let me not with the shadows of earth die.
Give me to drink of the sweet spring's that leap
From the memory's fount, wherein no cypress sleeps."
(5)
8
LIFE IS A YEAR
LIFE IS A YEAR
Another new year has come to us, bringing with it nuchi
sorrow and many disappointments; also happiness, joy,,
peace and pleasure. And as we begin to think and plan
for the future, we find ourselves almost bewildered, and,
strange to say, that at last we are so puzzled that we
begin to inquire of ourselves, "What is life?" And just
then it seems that some hidden voice whispers to us andl
says, "Life is a year." When we take the time to think:
about it, we find it to be the real truth: life has its seasons
the same as the year. Just in the morn of life comes the
beautiful spring with all its charms, flowers and music,,
which, as soon as we begin to enjoy them, fade awa;y
suddenly. Then we find ourselves living through the very-
hottest season of life, which is summer. It comes witli
disappointments and tears and sorrows in which we are-
forced to linger for a few months, then we feel cheerful
and happy again and think our trials are passed. Just at
that time the dreary autumn steps in; the leaves that a few
weeks ago were so beautiful, begin to fall upon the cool
ground, and the pretty green grass puts on a lonely look¬
ing brown appearance, and very soon after disappears..
It is then that we begin to look with fear on towards the
coming storm—winter. We know then that our life is far
spent; the little white specks of snow begin to crown our
heads; we look upon them and call them the threads of
time, and as the wind blows fiercely upon our weak frame
and cold December begins to creep slowly out, alas, we
bid friends and loved ones "farewell," and with the last
shadows of earth pass away.
Yet, as we pass we look back upon the stage of life
and sing as we march on,
"Once I saw the sun bright shining,
Then I saw a storm arise,
Then I heard a small voice pleading,
For a mansion in the sky.
Though all my life has not been joy and
pleasure,
Yea, tho' as I walk I have no fear,
It once was thine, 'tis mine at present,
For life is only a year."
CHAPTER I.
SPRING
You are sure to agree with me in saying that spring is
the loveliest time and season of all the year. After we
liave been struggling through the long dreary winter, it is
always a great pleasure to awake in the morning and wel¬
come the beautiful rays of sun, and listen to the cheering
songs of birds. Then we know too that the beautiful
spring must bring to us pretty roses of different colors,
and fruits of all kinds. There is rejoicing everywhere;
little boys and girls rejoice because the time for vacation
is near; the busy farmers rejoice because the time for
planting their grain is near.
Now we have viewed the spring season from a material
standpoint, and now we will look on the same season from
a spiritual side.
Now, let us look in on a person in the spring of his
Christian life, as he has just been converted and gets
into the church and becomes a member of different socie¬
ties. Everything to that individual seems new indeed. He
or she is anxious to have every one else to know the
beauties and iovs of a Christian life. Ere many months
-or years have passed that individual begins to think that
the path that leads to heaven must also lead one to trials
and tribulations, and they find themselves lingering be¬
hind a mist, undecided which way to go, and life to them
becomes a burden and we begin to ask ourselves, "What
is life?" Then again comes that still small voice telling
us that life is a year.
Then when we decide to take the Cross upon our should-
«rs and follow Jesus any way and anywhere, just then
the summer season of our Christian life begins. There
are great battles for right to be fought and often times
when we are doing our best the cruel world will misunder¬
stand us, and bruise our hearts and cause us many scars.
10
LIFE IS A YEAR
1 once read a story of a young man, which was of a noble
character, and his earthly substance was great. He de¬
cided to become a Christian; so he joined the church and
became a lively and earnest Christian worker; only a few
years was he thus. Tn the spring of the year a few of
his old friends came to live, in the same neighborhood of
this young man, and encouraged him to accompany them
to little card parties and dances, and saloons. He being
just a young, weak Christian was unable to refuse the
temptations which were so great; so he would go to a
dance on Saturday* night and church on Sunday. Things
went on this way for three months or more, when one of
the church officers went to the young man and said, "Look
here, Robinson, 3^011 are getting out of the way fast. You
can't hold on to Christ and the devil, both at the same,
time. Now I advise you to let these worldly things alone
and come back to the right path." "Oh, well," said the
young man, "I can't be behind everybody my age and in
my class; so don't you bother about me, Brother Rice.
I am able to pay as much as anybody else in Zion Church."
With all the pleading of Zion Church and the tears of
mother and friends the young man would go on to ruin.
So one night they were all at his fine home, having a big
dance, and everyone on leaving expressed themselves as
having spent one of the most pleasant evenings of their
lives. Oh. if they could have only seen the destruction
that was awaiting to fall upon that home. On that same
night, after the guests had retired, all was calm and still;
a big fire from the smoking room broke in upon them and
all that they possessed was burned to ashes, and with the
burning of his earthly material there perished also one
whom he loved next to his own life, his mother. Though
badly burned, she lived nearly a half hour in a hospital
where her son had taken hei*, and as the deathly shadows
began to close in around her and her sight began to fail,
she said to the doctor in attendance, "Call for my son
Robinson." As the boy came near her, with the tears
streaming down his cheeks, she said, "Child, see your
dear mother dying from the. murder of her son's hands.
Son, if you had never wandered from the church and
Christ, you would have never been having a dance in your
home, the home where prayer once was the ruling power;
and if the dance had not been there the smoking room
would have been closed and your suffering mother would
have lived." While the mother was speaking, the son
LIFE IS A YEAR
11
had bowed his head and rested that saintly mother's hand,
though burned, was as pure as the heavenly dew. "Mother!
Mother!" said the boy, "if you forgive me, I know my
Saviour will, and I will go back to the church which I
treated so mean, and will stay there and be burned with
the church for Christ if need beThe death angel snatch¬
ed the motherly soul away before she could utter another
word, but with that heavenly smile that was sufficient,
she passed away.
Now, my friends, that is the kind of heart Christ wants
today—the poor, humble hearts that are never ashamed
to run back to Jesus ; the kind of hearts that will acknowl¬
edge its short-comings and misdoings; and if we have
mistreated our neighbor, we have mistreated Christ, and
we ought to get up and go to them and tell them we
acknowledge our wrong and ask for their forgiveness ; and
it we are dealing with Christians, they will forgive us as
God and the mother forgave their child. It is true, when
God looks down upon us and sees His children wandering
away, those children that caused Him to suffer on Cal¬
vary's Cross, those children that caused Him to receive
live terrible, bloody wounds, those children that caused
Him so much agony and pain: yea, those very children
that He died to save, he cannot let them get away; so he
throws something in their path to cause them to look up
and see Him and to recognize Him as their Heavenly
Father.
I often wonder how can it be that any individual can
stand out and view the beautiful sun, the bright, shining
moon, the thousands and thousands of little twinkling
stars, and admire them all, and then fail to admire the
Creator of all that is beautiful in this earth. For a few
moments, let us imagine ourselves blind. You know how
a blind person is—their eyes are open, yet they can see
nothing, because of a skin that forms and covers the sight
and leaves the individual in darkness. But just now we
want to think of ourselves as being born blind, having
never seen the beauties of the world, and how miserable
it must be to live in a nice home and countiy and then
never be able to behold its beauty. Suppose we awake
early on a bright sunny morning in May, which seems to
be the most beautiful time of all the year; we lay awake
or perhaps walk about in our room listening to the happy
songs of little birds, and sme'ling the sweet perfume of
the flowers, and hearing the gentle song of breeze, yet
12
LIFE IS A YEAR
unable to behold any of these joys. Ah! how sad and
lonely.
Now, since we have experienced the great sadness of
being blind, we are better prepared to sympathize with,
the poor individual who happened to be unfortunate
enough to be blind with sin and unbelief--always living
among the joys of life and listening to the praises of the
Christians, and witnessing the many, blessings that the
Heavenly Father sends upon His children, yet because
they are blind with sin they cannot see from whence it
came, and they go on their way plundering and stumbling
in the dark, seeing only the things that are a ruination
to them. Rut when they decide to trust a Saviour who
is able to lift the scales from their eyes, they then begin
to see things that they had never, seen before, and then
they too begin to praise the Lord, as did the blind man
when Jesus healed him, when he had been born blind. And
as the people crowded around him to ask him how Jesus
had cured him of his blindness, he answered them and
said, "I know not how He has cured me, but I do know
that I was once blind and now I see," and he went on
his way rejoicing. What was true of that man is also true
of the individuals of this life. When Jesus picks a man
Up out of the rut and places him on solid ground, and
makes him a man with a life worth living, no matter what
kind of man he may be or where he comes from, when he
realizes that God is God he will forget his unworthiness
and cry out, "Praise the Lord, for he is good: his mercy
endureth forever" (Psalms).
Dear reader, just before we cease talking about this
beautiful life of spring, I would not like to forget to tell
you this sad yet very beautiful story of a little girl of
eight summers who had never seen the light of day. Her
parents were very rich, and made everything for their
only little daughter as comfortable as possible. They
would have teachers to come and read beautiful books and
try to explain the world's beauties to her. So one day
while it was raining, and everything seemed dreary and
dull, the child's mother was sitting by the table reading
aloud, something about how pretty are the strawberries
when the sun shines down, and the green leaves and blos¬
soms make the berries a beautiful crown. Suddenly the
mother heard a strange noise, and turned around, sur¬
prised to find that the child had pushed away her toys
and was sobbing bitterly and saying, "Oh, mama, I want
LIFE IS A YEAR
13
to see them, I want to see them." "See what," cried the
mother. "I want to everything, your pretty face and
papa's, the pretty birds and flowers, the big piano and the
happy children running along the street. Oh, I want to
see them so bad." This hurt her mother worst than any¬
thing else to have her only child starving for the light
and beauties of the world—when her husband came home
she then related to him all that had happened and he, like
most men with money, resolved to spend millions of dol¬
lars that his child might have her sight. He at once sent
her to a hospital in which she remained for two months.
The doctors finding no way to help her, at last sent for
the father, and said, "We are very sorry for your dearest
little child, and have done all we possibly can, but can
find no trace of an original sight." "Oh," said the father,
"my child must have her sight." He then sent her to
three more hospitals where she found no aid. Her father
then went to see her while she was a patient in the last
one, and as her father went up to his child and said,
"Sweetie, how is pap's little girl?" she began to cry,
ah, so pitiously, and said, "Oh! papa, I just want to see
so bad, and last night I dreamed that some doctor came
to our house and he didn't have any medicine or case, but
he only laid his fingers on my eyes, and said 'Look! look!'
and oh, papa, I looked and saw everything so beautiful;
then when I awoke I found my poor little old blind self
here in a hospital." A few days afterwards her parents
brought her home, and again the first night in her home
she dreamed again of that same doctor coming and heal¬
ing her, but this time she dreamed that the doctor left his
address, and told her to write him early the following
morning. She arose real early the next morning before
her parents awoke, and groped her way up to the table
and found her old wiiting tablet and pencil, and sitting
down she began her letter to that unknown doctor. The
letter read thus: "Dear doctor—I wish I knew your name
you were so kind to me and when you touch my eyes they
don't hurt like they do when the other doctors touch
them. I want you to come back again tonight and cure
me to stay cured. Please come quick before the nice
spring weather is gone with all its pretty flowers and
things nice to see. Don't tell mama I sent you this letter •
she might scold me for being rude; she don't know how
bad it is not to see anybody or anything, and dear doctor,
after you have cured me I will sell my birth chain and
ring and toys and books and pay j^ou, all I owe you. From
14 LIFE IS A YEAR
yours truly, Bertie." She finished the letter, folded it in
an envelope and tucked it under her little snow white
pillow and went back to bed and asleep. About eleven
o'clock her mother went into the room to amuse her' child
with funny stories, but finding her in bed fast asleep, be¬
came much alarmed and running to find her nurse, she
inquired of her about her child sleeping so calm and long.
The nurse informed her that the child had never opened
her eyes during the day and that she had tried to arouse
her several times but in vain. The father was sent for,
and three doctors, who used most everything for restoration,
but could do nothing. They all remained in the room until
night, watching for some sign from which they might
work. Way late in the stillness of the night when the
neighborhood was sleeping, only those in that mysterious
home were conscious of all passing events, as the town
clock struck twelve o'clock ; then the beautiful music rang
out in anthems sweet and clear the old sweet song, "Nearer
My God to the, nearer to thee," - and as the first verse
ended the child sat up and rested her face on her wasted
palms, and cried out, '"Thank' God, I see at last! Oh! papa,
mama!! I see the beautiful light and hundreds of beautiful
people. Oh, they are so snowy white, and they are all
sin-si-singing. Listen mam—The child dropped her
little head and passed gently into the other world where
there is no blindness, no sorrow, no sin, but where all good
little children are happy, singing and playing and praising-
God forever.
And as that heart-broken father and mother stood look¬
ing down upon the little snowy white tomb, they asked
the question of themselves, "What is life?" Only a few
days ago my child was well and happy. Now she lies
there a lifeless mould of clay. Can God be a God of love
to be so cruel and so unjust to His creatures? Then
again the still small voice whispers, "Oh, yes, God is a
God of love: for that reason He took from you the child
of His love, kissed her dear white soul away from this
cruel and cold world, and took her where she might be
able to see the beauties of the glory land, which is more
fair than ours." And since life is a year we are passing1
through every season and every day brings something
new, either good or evil, great or small.
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
May God help us to keep our hearts clean, and our lips
pure from vain speaking and our souls prepared for
eternity. Amen.
CHAPTER II.
SUMMER
Beware of the heat of the summer, when the King of
Day sjeems to send down upon us—poor, weak mortals—
the very best of his power. Beware, I say, and watch,
that you faint not.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear ? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall
I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1.)
The above words, if noted in the right respect, are suit¬
able for a great and glorious preparation for shielding us
in the time of the great summer battle, when men toil not
because of the great heat; and speaking from a material
standpoint, and their grain often suffers from the heat and
causes them a lost crop in which it happens some times
that the farmer loses hundreds of dollars.
The summer season seems to be a time of rest more
than any other season. The first grain is all gathered;
the laborers then prepare for their vacation; the flowers
are all gone, the berries; the earth is resting now
Any individual who is unfortunate enough to be found
unprepared to meet the summer demands of life is in a
pretty bad shape. When the good and glorious spring¬
time has passed, and the fearful heat of summer begins to
shower down upon him, it is then that his heart will fail.
Let us pause a few moments and think of that great, noble,
perfect and honorable man of God, Job, las he was passing
through his trials of summer the spring of his life had just
passed; and then the devil came to him in the most furious
heat and tempted him, and how old Job wrestled with the
devil, and rebuked his loving companion for her foolish
advice, and continued to trust God until at last he was
made to cry out in his distress and say "Oh Lord! though
thou destroy me yet will I trust thee." Now my dear
friends, that's the "same kind of Christian the world needs
today—the Christian that will stand in the very hottest of
soummer trials, and when all hope seems to fade away and
every good thing dies, will lean upon God and cry out
from the depths of the soul, "Lord, though thou destroy
me, yet will I trust thee." I am reminded of a story of
a man in Ohio, who was a lawyer, and God wanted him
16
LIFE IS A YEAR
to use him out the man didn't want to be used. So you
know just about how hard it is when some one wants you
to do a thing that you don't want to do; you keep running
away from it. Now don't you? Well, so did this man of
Ohio. But we can't run away from God. He became rest¬
less and couldn't eat or sleep or attend his business with
the same usual pleasure. This went on for a time, then
people began to notice the change, and say, the lawyer
is losing his mind. He isn't his real self at all. But friends,
don't you know that when God gets after a man He
changes him all around. The friends of the lawyer recom¬
mended traveling for a while, some others recommended
quiet rest in some place for his mind. Yet while his
friends were recommending different things, there was
one other among them with a voice higher still. As he
stood there, with a recommendation greater and truer than
all others for he Avhispered deep ownd into the soul of
the man, "Obey, obey." And these words would follow
him everywhere he went. As he would go about his daily
affairs and signing papers for his clients he would be sure
to make the mistake and write the word "Obey." So, one
morning a woman came to his office and said, "Lawyer,
what have I to obey; I have always obeyed the law, and
on every paper of mine you have'written the words "Obey,
obey." And many others came to him, asking the same
questions, until the man began to find fault with himself.
There was a real old woman living far out in the lonely
hills. She was said to be a wonder because of her wis¬
dom, and she could tell most anything she was asked to
tell. So one day real early in the morning this lawyer
went stealing through the hills in search for this won¬
der. He was like the great noble man that went stealing
to Jesus in the night when all was still and he could't be
seen. So it was with this lawyer. After a little while he
came to this dirty little hut and knocked lightly upon
the door, which flew open at once and in it appeared an
ugly old woman trimmed with all colors of feathers and
ribbons and looking as if she never slept or slumbered.
"Come right in, Sir Lawyer," said the old wonder. "I tell
ye air a lawyer from the contence of ye brew. Now just
tell me what ye like for eating in my home, and I kin
help you all a bit," she said. The lawyer's eyes began to
wander from one thing on to another in search of some¬
thing he might say he liked to eat. He was rewarded at
last when his eyes rested upon a few wild berries. He
LIFE IS A YEAR
17
asked her if he might have a few of the berries, of which
she gave him, and he ate them and became very drowsy,
and soon found himself in a beautiful field with all kinds of
animals—sheep, goats, cows, lions, tigers and a few white
doves. He doesn't know how long he was asleep, but
when he awoke he found the old wonder standing near
him, looking very angry. He was frightened terribly;
but she only said, "Amen, amen; the Lord has need of
you, and you must obey Him. He wants you to go out
into the world and tell all nations the way of salvation.
And in the field which you passed a few moments ago
were the people of this earth that you must deal with
daily." Then with these words spoke, she took from her
own neck a dainty chain fastened with a real old sprig of
grass, and gave it to him, saying "Now, may ye keep this
ever near your heart to remember me, and now before
you leave let me tell the God to keep ye from all danger
and sin." And as they both knelt down upon the bare
floor, she laid her hands upon his head and with her own
head lifted up towards the heaven she began: "O God,
my Master, while despised of men and women everywhere
I feel respected of thee because thou hast sent one of thy
chosen children unto me for deliverance. We ask thee
to clean his heart, his'hands and his mind, and make him
useful in thy vineyard, I pray, and ask in thy name only.
Amen."
Both arose and the lawyer bade farewell to his new
friend, and went on his way, though not rejoicing, for his
heart was very sad today. He went back to his wife and
friends and said, "The Lord has need of me, and I must
obey, for His voice is still calling me, and let me go." Just
at that moment the Holy Spirit came upon him and he
shouted, praising the Lord, in the presence of all the peo¬
ple. The people thought he was insane, and locked him
in a little room and had doctors to examine his brain,
which they found to be in perfect order. Then they turned
him loose, and let him go on rejoicing. When he began
preparing for his field of labor, that's when the heat of
his summer began to be the very hottest. His wife and
son and one of the daughters would not consent to go,
yet he had one sweet little baby girl, only twelve years
of age, that consented to go willingly. Though heart¬
broken and sad at the thought of leaving his family, he
went on trusting in God; but on leaving he said to his
wife, "I am sorry, Annie, that you will not go with me,
18
LIFE IS A YEAR
just when I need you most; yet I shall pray God's bless¬
ings upon you, and maybe some day you will be glad to
follow me anywhere."
I imagine, as he went*on his way with his little daughter,
in his mind he must have been thinking of that beautiful
song which says,
"O let me go, I cannot stay,
It is the Master calling me;
O let me go, I must obey,
My native land, farewell to thee."
I am sure you are anxious to know how the man got
along with his new position, and to make the story a
short one, I will tell you this. Only a few days after ar¬
riving in the strange land, he was standing in the.street
preaching to a great crowd of people, when the policeman
came on—ordered him out of the street, saying, "If such
things happen a second we shall lock you up." And even
then as he passed through the street with his little daugh¬
ter, some of the very same people that he bad preached
to, came upon him and threw stones at him, saying, "You
liar, we don't want you telling us how to live, you hypo-
cite and after they had got him in the house and closed
the door to keep back the enemies, the little daughter
came tip to him and said, "Papa, don't this look hard: to
think of you giving up a job of more than one or two
hundred dollars a day for one not giving two cents a day.
think of mama and all at home, with plenty, and we here
with nothing. But if you die here, I will die with you,
because I love you, dear papa." And as the father stood
there, the tears streaming down his cheeks, he said, "Dar¬
ling, let the stones come; the same Lord that brought me
here is going to take care of me; and one thing, child, I
am not in the least ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power
of God." And while he was speaking with his little child
a soft whisper came into his soul, which said: "Take thy
Bible and read Psalm 20:1-6," and he read and was
strengthened, and slept peacefully the whole night
through.
A few years after that time he became the bishop of a
great council, and once more his family was united and
now they are living happily and praising God together.
Amen.
Friends from this story we plainly, see that God wili
LIFE IS A YEAR
19
just get behind us arid make us do His will, anyhow. There
isn t a person born ;n this world that God cannot use; and
many a young" man may be sitting in prison now, that
in years to come might be called to the pulpit. So we
don t know what God may have for us to do, but the right
thing for us to do is obey when He calls us, and be quick
to answer, "Lord, here am I."
"I shall always be blessed of the Lord,
As the year rolls around;
As the year rolls around ;
He shall all my help afford,
Come troubles and trials, but why should
I fear,
Since I understand this life to be only
a year."
The summer season is yet on; and as we toil with life,
and meet with disappointments and sorrow, as well as
happiness and joy, and since life is a year, it seems that
we are standing at the bottom of a real long ladder, try¬
ing to view the top thereof, and between our mortal sight
and the ladder's height hangs a great mist, that divides
the other land from ours. Some time when our trouble
comes so hard it just seems that every person in the
world has forsaken us. and wishes us evil, even those that
we have been so good and kind to, to repay us with hard
words and frowns instead of sympathy and smiles. Friends,
did you ever know the worth of a smile? If you don't
know, you must try and learn, because every day we meet
with people that are starving and dying for one smile and
one kind word. You will agree with me in saying, some
time when we get in our very best clothes and are out with
our friends having a nice time, we are always sure to
stumble upon some poor, sad looking creature that happens
not to look quite as dressy as we think ourselves, and so
we slight them, so to speak, and never stop to think how
we have bruised one poor, little human heart.
Pardon me for using self reference, but I feel that it is
proper at this time to relate to you the following incident.
A few years ago when I was traveling from Virginia to
Pennsylvania, after having arrived at Broad Sfreet Sta¬
tion, Philadelphia, I was sitting in the waiting room, read¬
ing the morning paper, when it happened that a colored
woman that looked to be about forty or a little more years
20
LIFE IS A YEAR
of age, was walking all around holding a slip of paper in
her hand. As I watched her I wondered why she passed
it to the younger girls only. Just then I saw her go up
to two young ladies, sitting very near me, an dthey both
began to sniggle; then I heard one of the two girls say
to the old lady, "Oh, we can't sign it; you ought to know
how to write yourself." And as the woman passed on they
laughed and made the greatest of fun at her. I suppose
the woman was so disgusted and discouraged at all her
attempts to get the paper signed, that she had decided not
to ask another person of her race. She then passed on by
me without taking any notice whatever, and went walking
up to a young white man; but just before she spoke to
him I went up to her and said, "Lady, can I help you in
any way? If so, T shall be very glad to do so." She
turned upon me with her motherly eyes brimming over
with tears, and said, "Please, just write my name on this
line." And while I wrote it, she was fumbling in her hand
bag for something, I know not what, until I was surprised
to see her holding out to me a quarter, saying, "Take
this, my good, little child, for if I couldn't got it signed
I couldn't got my trunk until after three o'clock." Of
course I refused the money and told her I hadn't done
anything; and it seemed to me that the day grew brighter
and my heart grew lighter, because I had lifted a small
stone out of a sister's path.
"One little deed of kindness,
One little word of love,
Can make this world a paradise;
Next to that above.
One cruel word unspoken,
One evil deed undone,
Will buy us friends forever,
And help us, everyone."
"Now the summer's ended,
Fall is drawing nigh:
Watch the darkest shadows
Creep across the sky."
CHAPTER III.
FALL
When the leaves begin to change their color and put on
a uniform of brown; when the sky seems to change from
a bright glittering, beautiful colored little cloud, and be¬
gins to appear as a gloomy, sad looking rainy day; and
then when 'men begin to gather the crops into the barns,
we know the expected fall is come. And as it is with the
temporal things, the same is true also with spiritual things.
After an individual has labored, suffered, cried and pray¬
ed through the first, second, and near the third season of
his life, he then begins to look for the change; and there
always a change to come, because in every life there are
seeds sown in the morning of life and reaped when the
evening draweth night. It is with us to decide what our
reaping will be. If our seeds are evil, then the fall harvest
will be gathered with tears and shame; but if good 'seeds
are sown, then the reaping will be great. Perhaps the
farmers can get a better idea of this when they think of
themselves sowing seeds on a very windy day, when the
grain is scattered far and near, and most everywhere, and
when the little blades begin to peep out through the soil,
he finds that the seeds have sprung up in most every
place. vSome among his potatoes, some in his cabbage
patch, some in his strawberries: and this is the result of
the careless sowing. So it is in our every day life—we
very often do things or speak words that we think nothing
of, until after we find the sufferer who has been affected
by* our deeds. So we should select the very best days for
our sowing in this life, that we may be able to gather in
the harvest with pleasure and rejoicing.
To make things a little plainer, in order that our readers
might get a better understanding, I shall now use an illus¬
tration concerning a very young man who once started out
in life in what we call an aristocratic way. He would get
all he could by fair means or foul. He would cheat the
poor and unlearned people, and rob, whenever he found
chance to do so, until he was considered one of the wealth¬
iest men of his country, and he seems to have gotten along
better than anyone else and was very prosperous in every
22
LIFE IS A YEAR
respect. In fact, the world just stood out and boasted in
his riches. "But be sure your sins will find you out;" and
as the fall of years of his life drew nigh, his sins began
to inquire of him, "From whence came all your riches,"
and the man's soul was dumb, because to answer the real
truth was a thing of impossibility. Yet the Higher Judge
could have given the answer correctly, and said, "From
robbing poor widows and orphans, and cheating the un¬
learned, and even by stealing from his own father large
sums of money, for which more than one innocent man
would have to suffer. Oh, now, be sure that your sins
will find you out. At last this very same man became a
real old man and employed his grandson a college grad¬
uate, to attend to all his business, not remembering "You
shall reap just what you sow." This grandson in one day
became a millionaire by the property stolen from his grand¬
father. The old man, who just in his last days when all
should have been peace and pleasure, came to be a bank¬
rupt, and ended his days living from the charity source,
and was buried by some of his own stolen money of which
he knew not.
This simple little story only goes to tell us how careful
we should be in our every day lives—not to sow anything
be willing for ourselves or our children to reap when the
time of harvest comes. I fear that we are too careless
for our neighbors or their dear children that we would not
about this life of ours. We are living too fast to know that
we are living at all. Now, then, we are like some inhuman
beings, or. suppose we say chickens, since we are all ac¬
quainted with the nature of them; when you are, perhaps,
a little late in feeding them one morning, then as you go
out to the house and let them out, you climb up in the
barn and throw the corn down below without making any
noise whatever; the chickens fly about, brushing and trip¬
ping over each other in a great hurry to get the food, and
not one of them has stopped to look up and see where the
food is coming from. Then you stop throwing corn, and
they wonder off, making some peculiar noise that we can't
understand.
What is true of the fowl is true also of human beings.
In this life, while God Almighty in heaven stands just
pouring upon us all kinds of blessings, and we, just like
the chickens, are in too great a hurry to stop and look
up and recognize God. But, my friends, let me tell you
that you had better stop right now and give God the
LIFE IS A YEAR
23
thanks and praise, for one of these mornings, just as you
ceased to throw the corn out to the chickens, my God is
going to cease to throw a blessing upon you.
Just think, He who gives us all that we have, our
clothes, food, money, health and strength, and last but not
least, life; and then let our thoughts just turn the other
way a moment and think. Now, what have you given Him?
"O, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, His mercy
endureth forever," said David when he realized all that
the Lord had been to him.
Many years out in the city of R , the people began
to get stylish with their religion, to the extent that they
passed a law not to make a noise of any kind in any of
the town churches, no shouting, nothing that would at¬
tract the attention of any other person. This law was
received and carried out by all the members of that com¬
munity until one Sunday, the beginning of another new
"year, as the preacher read the text for his sermon, which
was Eccl. 7:28, "Which yet my soul seeketh, but finds
not,, one man among a thousand have I found, but a wom¬
an among all those have I not found." After reading this
text he asked every person that had not had one bit of
trouble of any kind during all the year to stand; not
one person stood: then he .said, "Let every individual
dividual Christian or non-Christian stand, that is, if he or
she has had any trouble by any kind of way. If he has
had anything to be sorry for.
Everyone in the building began to rise upon their feet,
and forgetting the laws made by and for them, almost
everyone began to shout and praise God, and as soon as
the preacher could get them to listen he said, "Our law
from this very minute shall be a thing of the past," and
he then changed his discourse and preached a powerful
sermon from Psalm 108:1, "O God, my heart is fixed; I
will sing and give praise even with my glory." And as
he preached the Holy Spirit came in and the people ali
shouted and praised God. And when the services were
ended, they sang,
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost."
Now, dear readers, can you think of anything more
24
LIFE IS A YEAR
beautiful, or sweeter than a whole assembly giving praise
unto their Maker. It makes us think of the time when
we shall be
"Free from toil, all sin and shame,
Free to give praise to our Saviour's name,
Free to be happy, to love and give,
Free to help others to suffer and live."
"Now the fall is ended, the winter is coming fast,
The poor unfortunate, helpless soul must find a home
at last:
Too late if it has wasted all the precious years,
And must be driven away from God in bitter tears."
CHAPTER IV.
WINTER
Now comes the long" looked-for and dreadlui winter,
with all its sports, pleasures, joys and sorrows. The time
has come when the entire world is at war, or in peace.
If it is prepared for this great visitor, all is joy and peace,
but on the other hand if they are unprepared, Oh, great
will be their calamity. I say the time has now come when
the trees are all bare and shivering from the cold search¬
ing winter winds; the ground, that only a few months
ago was so pretty to behold, with all the little green dec¬
orations, and flowers, look at it now; covered over with
white snow. The little birds that once sang so sweetly
and flew from one tree to another sending out music unto
the poor as well as the rich; but, ah, where are they now?
Hushed in silence, only peeping out occasionally and mak¬
ing tiny foot-prints upon the snow. I say winter has
come ag'ain, and what have we in store?
One could never view the material things of this world
and not think of things spiritual. When we are talkig
about birds, grass and flowers, we are speaking of the
temporal things, and things that fade, fall and die, and
there is no more of them. But of man, why should we
not take ample time and describe his condition? Man
was created in the likeness of his Creator, God; man
who was given power over every dominion of the earth,
and who above all other creatures of earth should lay
aside every besetting sin, and run with patience the race
that is set before him; and above all be prepared for the
greatest season of his life, the winter. "Night cometh
when no man can work," said one writer. And so doth
the winter. Therefore it is the very best of all plans to
"prepare for the end, when one begins."
We love to read and think about Abraham of old, and
Isaac and Jacob and lots of others we have read of; how,
after many years filled with trouble and much sorrow,
and how they were prepared when the winter of their life
came. And there are so many people we know of, even
in this life, that lived and idled their time away until the
spring, summer and autumn had all come and passed, then
26
LIFE IS A YEAR
came the winter down upon them and foud them unpre¬
pared. And we remember how they, when suffering from
pain arid scorching fevers, sent in a great hurry for some
good old church member to come and tell them about the
Saviour and pray and sing for them. How that same
man accepted the Saviour and others cried out. "Too late,
I have sinned my time away." Now isn't it sad when we
think of flesh of our flesh, and blood of our blood, com¬
ing before God frightened and unprepared, to be driven
from God, forever more?.
I wish to acquaint you with a sad as well as true story
of a young girl reared in a good and Christian family;
her education was unequaled, for her parents had used every
method in preparing her for life and womanhood. After
finishing college, for the last time she came home, bring¬
ing to her church and community many new ideas for
betterment. Things went on splendidly with this young
lady for only a short time, then she changed her course :
instead of her Bible she now takes the novel and the
sweet old soul reviving songs she used to plav on the
pi'ano for her parents and friends are now replaced by the
rag-time songs and waltz, for her young society friends.
In spite of all her parents could say, she would have her
own way of doing things, and would put them off by sav¬
ing, "Now, mama, I am young and haven't had anything
of life, and I really think God intends that every young
person should have a jolly time while they are young,
and then when they grow older give their time and every¬
thing to His services." This hurt her mother more than
anything else, but she hoped and prayed for the best that
might come. But instead of the best came the worst.
One Sunday morning while the Sunday school bells were
calling the pupils to the house of prayer, thinking it very
strange at Marion's strange way of acting that morning,
her mother went up to her room to inquire if she was
sick or anything; but the girl turned upon her mother
with a frown and said, "Please, mother, let me alone, the
church and all may go to the devil for my care; let me
have my rest. I am invited out this evening and please
let me rest." Too overcome by what she had heard, the
poor mother rushed from the room with tears streaming
down her cheeks, though she thought it best to keep the
bad tidings from her husband and friends, she. went down
and told her husband that Marion was suffering from a
severe toothache, and wished to be quiet, and to make
LIFE IS A YEAR
27
her own words to appear the truth, she left the dining-
room with the medicine and went out in her bed room
and gave up to a flood of tears. Toward evening', about
six o'clock, the girl came down to the parlor, all arrayed
m one of the finest evening gowns and dancing slippers.
Turning to her father, she said, "Pa, I am going out to
Mrs. Soomers to attend a birthday party; I won't be back
tonight." Her mother and father pleaded with her not
to go for their own sake and for her church's sake; and
while they were yet speaking, the door bell rang and in
a few minutes m came the minister of their church. When
beholding Marion in that attire, he seemed to be in a
puzzle play. He stood motionless, gazing down upon her;
then his thoughts came back to him. He spoke out, and
said, "Miss Potters, we are invited to the Zion Church
this evening, and our choir will be incomplete if you do
not do us the honor to accompany us out there : now. will
you?" Dropping her head, she said, "Reverend, I can't
disappoint my friends. I am invited out for a party."
"Marion," said the minister, "don't go, don't go." But
she answered, "I must." Then the minister said, "I am
sorry for you, if you must go." Marion went, but she
didn't enjoy herself. In every dance she seemed to be
dancing on some hymn, and when she played her fingers
were sure to strike the wrong key and begin a hymn. In
the midst of all the happy friends, she could see her parents
weeping, and hear her minister's voice ringing in her ears,
"Marion, don't go, but if you will go, I feel sorry for
you." So, convinced, she arose and said, "Please excuse
me; I am sick, and must go home at once." Before she
finished speaking she fainted and fell upon the rug. When
she awoke the next morning, and found her parents stand¬
ing looking on her, she cried out, "Thank God, I am at
home once more, where there is peace and rest." Then,
sitting tip in bed, she said, "Please send for my preacher,
and tell him I repent, and beg his forgiveness; and I know
he must not be greater than God—He has forgiven me.
And once more she went back to her church and friends,
and served them gladly, and God's blessing upon her was
great.
My friends, God wants us to be humble. When we sin,
and "then return unto Him with hearts filled with sorrow
and sincerely beg His forgiveness, every time He will
take us to His bosom as a mother does her child when
it has done wrong and asked for forgiveness. So does
28
LIFE IS A YEAR
God forgive His rcpentent children. God has given us
trouble and temptation just to try our spiritual strength.
We have proof of God's gift in the following characters:
Think of poor Adam and Eve, when they were tempted
of the devil; how v/eak they were and what the weak¬
ness caused. That incident refers to us when we ollow
Satan to get the stronger hold of us, and just go on sing¬
ing until we get God clear out of our business. The
other character is Christ, when He was tempted of the
old devil, when lie was both hungry and weak—just the
chance satan watches for, to come upon a Christian. But
think of Christ standing up in the face, of satan, fighting
him with His Father's Holy Word, until the devil acknowl¬
edged his strength and fled, and angels came and conversed
with him. Christ represents us when we are stronger
than the devil and yield not to temptation. But remem¬
ber, "Yielding is sin. and each victory will help us, some
other to win. Be thoughtful and earnest, kind hearted
and true, look ever to Jesus and he will carry you through."
"He that has power to overcome temptation is stronger
than he that overcometh a nation."
As the end of the life of ours years draws near we think
only of the future life. And if we have made sure of the
passing seasons; made sure of the sowing, that it was
planted right, cultivated properly, then we can rest well
assured that the harvest will be gathered with joy and
not sorrow. Friends, did you ever try to make a day of
your life a perfect day? When you arise in the morning
and read a directed verse in your Bible, then you get
down upon your knees and beg God's guidance, and you
go about voitr daily work thinking of only the good things
and shunning the evil; although the devil comes and pre¬
sents himself more than once and tries to throw some¬
thing in our way and take our minds off righteousness,
we simply press him off with a "Get ye behind me, satan y
1 am about my Fathr's business today." Then at night,
after we have gone to bed, we lay awake and think of the
beautiful day that we have just spent, and we love to call
it a perfect day.
Now, then, there is a perfect day to come that we shall
tnjov forever if we keep faith, pray and faint not. Now,
the winter is passing and the old year is almost gone, but
just before she bids us good-bve, she gives us a sweet
repast—Christmas, the time of our Saviour's birth, the
time we have so much joy and pleasure, and present many
LIFE IS A YEAR
29
nice presents to our friends, and wish everybody much
happiness and jov.
Now, our life is almost spent, the "Christmas" has come
at last, the time we think of crowning Him Lord of all;
and as we pass through the Christmas of our life feeling
that we have not lived in vain, feeling that by our having
lived the world has been made better, feeling that we
have done our best to be able at the last day to merit the
blessed "Well done" of the Father, and instead of singing
"Joy to the world, the Lord has come," we will sing,
"Joy -he soul, our rest has come,
And peace forever more;
Let every heart all praises sing,
And His dear name adore."
Then, as we step off the stage of life and walk calmly
and peacefully down the Jordan stream, forgetting every
care and trial of the old world, I imagine our breaking
forth in glorious melody, and singing one song that will
start the heavenly bells to ringing, as we sing:
"I've been redeemed, redeemed,
Oh, yes, redeemed forever;
My soul is free from every care,
I'll never more shed bitter tears,
But praise my God,
For more than one thousand years,
Since I have been redeemed."
Then, as we get a little nearer the glory land, and get
a fair glimpse of heaven, with all its beauty, &nd see the
golden gates fly wide and view angels casting down the
golden crowns, saying, "Glory! glory to our God forever.
Amen."
There has never been a soul able to paint the beauties
of heaven, though thousands have tried and failed, but
when we shall have looked upon its beauty for more than
one hundred thousand years, then every moment will re¬
veal something new. John tried to describe heaven in the
21 st chapter of Revelation, and when we read about it we
wish we were there. But now the time has come when
with our feet we shall tread the streets all paved with
gold, and with our eyes all heaven's beauty behold, and
the most beautiful thing about it is, just think that a
30
LIFE IS A YEAR
thousand vears in God's presence is only as a yesterday
when it is past.
God bless all them that are faithful and true enough as
to interest eternal life. Amen.
Hear no\v( Oh soul, the last command
Of all whom thou hast left,
Thine every mortal mark;
And by the road that lies beyond recall,
Won through the desert of the burning dark.
Thou shalt behold within a garden bright,
A well beside a cypress white;
But thou, though thou trembling with thy
dread,,
And parched with thy desire more fierce than
flame,
Think of the streams from whence thy life •
was fed.
And that divine fountain trom whence it came,
Turn thou and cry, behold it is not far
Unto the hills where living waters are;
Then shalt thou drink, O soul,
And there with the immortal longing of the
mortal thirst.
So for thy Father's life shalt thou partake,
And be forever what thou were at first,
Lost in remembered love,
Yet thou more with them.
KINDNESS
It is a smile when life seems grim,
It is a hope when hope has grown dim;
It is a hand that's gentle, firm and cool,
It is calm sense when you think like a fool.
It is a word of cheer when cheer is gone,
It is a lowered blind at garish dawn;
It is a steady presence all the day,
That pushes lagging, dragging, dull hours
away.
"It think I know what kindness is tonight,
It is a steady hand to guide one right."
LIFE IS A YEAR
31
LIFE
"Life is a time to act and to play
I-ife is a time to put cares away;
I.ife is a time that God has given,
To escape from hell and fly to heaven."
OUR DUTY
,et us live to make some one happy,
As th'e year rolls round;
,et us build a higher constructive,
As the year rolls round.
earching the alms-house, the prison and
alleys,
Funting for those we would make happy,
,iving for others, our own cares forgetting;
As the year rolls round.
)ur hearts will grow lighter,
)ur days will grow brighter,
As the year rolls round ;
^ach new day will bring us
l blessing unlooked for and a duty well done,
As the year rolls round.
THE END—AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
.
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