The Old Man In The Stylish Church

Well, wife, I.ve been to church to-day- been to a atyli8h one - And seein' you can't go from home, I'U teil you what was done : Yo wouM have been surprised to see what 1 saw there to-day ; ,, , . The sisters were ftxed up so fine they hardly bowed to pray. I had on these old clothes of mine- uot ïnuch the worse for wear - , But, then, they knew I wasn't one they cali a milSo they led the old man to a seat away back near the door ; 'Twas bookless and uncushioned, a reserved seat for thtpoor. Pretty soon in caine astranger, with gold rings and clothing fine ; . They led him to a cushioned seat far in ad vanee ol I thought'that wa'n't exacíly right to seat him up When he wás young, and I was old, and very hard to hear. But then there's no accOuntin' for what some peoThe ftnest 'clothing nowadays oft gets the finest But vrhen we reach that blessed home, all undeflled We'll see wealth beggin' at the gate, while poverty goes in. I couldn't hear the sermón, I sat so far away, So, through the hours orservice, I could only watch and pray," Watch the doin's of the Christians sitting near me, round about; . Pray that God would make them pure withm as they were pure without. While I sat there, lookin' all around upon the rich and great, I kept thinking of the rich man and the beggar at the gate ; How, by all but dogs forsaken, the poor beggar s form grew cold ; And the angels bore his spirit to the mansions built of gold. How at last the rich man perished, and his spirit took its flight From the purple and fine Unen to the home ol endless night ; There he learned, as he stood gazin' at the beggar in the sky, " It isn't all of life to live, nor all of death to die. I doubt not there were wealthv sires in that religWho went up from their dwellings like the Pharisee of old: . Then returned home from their worship with a head uplifted high, To spurn the hungiy from their door with naught to satisfy. Out, out ! with such professions ; they are doin' more to-day . , To stop the weary sinner from the gospel's shinin Than all the books of infidels, than all that has been tried, . . Bince Christ was born in Bethlehem- siuce Christ was crucified. How simple are the works of God, and yet how very grand - The shells in ocean caverns- the fiowers on the He gilds'the clouds of evenin' with gold light from nis throne, Not for the rich man only : not for the poor alone. Then why shonld man look down on man because oflackof gold? Why seat him in the poorest pew because his clothes are old? A heart with noble motives- a heart that God has May be b'eatin' Heaven's music 'neath that faded coat and vest. I'm old- I inay be childish- but I love simplicity ; I love to see it shinin' in a Christian's piety ; Jesus told us in his sermons, on Judea's mountain's He that 'wants to go to Heaven must be like a little child. Our heads are growing gray, dear wife - our hearts are beating slow - In a little while the master will cali for us to go ; When we reaeh the pearly gateways, and look in with joyous eyes We'll see no stylish worship in the temple of the skies.