His beautiful life

Preface

Dear Reader:

This little volume owes its origin to a two-fold purpose — the wish of the writer to add to our literature a work at once instructive and attractive, and a higher purpose than this, namely : to place before the reader the great beauty and happiness of a Christian life and to point the way to perfect peace and redemption through the scarlet blood of a crucified Savior.

The reader of this volume will readily discover the underlying current of conviction that controls the daily life of the principal character of this book, and the life-long, living principle that, like a guiding star, beckoned him on to a higher and nobler life from the time he became a Christian.

He is a real character, and this book will be in the unique form of a history of his life to the present time and a prophecy as to what his future life will be.

He is one of a choice group which can always be found in this world’s daily life. They seem to be farther ahead and on a higher plane than the multiplied multitude that have never felt the hidden life that is Christ-like.

Of course, his real name, as also the real name of places, are withheld and fictitious names inserted.

If this little volume can help some boy or girl, and possibly a mother or father, to a realization of the infinite beauty of a Christian life; to discern that the high arts are, after all, not the real beautiful soul, but an adornment, then the author will feel that his labor has not been in vain. Guy H. Wilson.

Introduction

God, in His infinite wisdom, when He created man, placed within his heart a sense of beauty; an intense longing for things beautiful.

There is something in the splash- . ing brook or rushing sweep of majestic rivers that has appealed to man’s love of the beautiful ever since the world was created.

On beholding the Rhine, with its jnany historic castles and fruitful vineyards; the Rhone, as it sweeps across the beautiful fields of France from its mountain home ; the blue Danube, in all its wild splendor; the grand Mississippi, as it sweeps across a continent, carrying death and destruction, as well as beauty, in its journey to the sea — all these kindle the imagination and sense of beauty of artist and poet alike.

John, the inspired writer, was thrilled by the sight of a beautiful river; but it was not such a river as I have written of, not an earthly river; but it was the river of the water of life, flowing from the throne of God through the Astral City.

An angel had appeared to him and conducted him to the pinnacle of a high mountain and in a vision showed him the New Jerusalem in all its beauty; around the city was a wall with strong towers, and pierced with twelve pearly gates, at each of which an angel stood guard.

This city was built of pure gold; the walls were of precious stones and the gates were of pearl.

Over this beautiful city the mantle of night had never spread, but the light from God bathed its holy streets forever, and this river of the water of life proceeded straight from God’s throne and was lined on each side by beautiful trees, whose foliage cast their cooling shadow upon the banks of the stream.

This was the city of heavenly delight, the home for which every godly heart is longing, the empire of peace and love.

We should thank God that through the inspired writer He has given us this glimpse of this eternal city in all its golden glory and majesty; and that He has placed within the borders of heaven the pure river of water of life, from which we may all drink and live forever.

You have doubtless read how that valiant old Spaniard, DeLeon, searched through the tangled wilderness and treacherous everglades of Florida in his vain search for the mysterious fountain whose waters would, he thought, restore lost youth and beauty, and died &t last a defeated and disappointed old man, because, instead of looking to God

* and trusting in the healing properties of the heavenly fountain, he looked on earth for this healing balm.

But when- our labor on this earth is ended and we walk upon the golden strand of the heavenly river that proceeds out of the throne of God, our staff shall be laid aside, our wrinkled face shall be made smooth and fair, our failing eyes shall sparkle with renewed brightness, and God will clothe our old age with all the beautiful attributes of immortal youth.

Sometimes, while we wander aimlessly on this earth, we encounter drouths, and we become weary and thirsty, and in our heart there is a longing for something earth cannot supply; but when the battle is won and we pitch our silken tents on the banks of this beautiful river we shall never feel weary or be thirsty, for our Savior will welcome us there and will lead us to the fountain of living water which will quench our thirst forever.

Some of us have thirsted for education, but even after we have all the knowledge it is possible for man to acquire, still these fountains of knowledge fail to quench our longings and our desires.

Some of us have thirsted for fame and honor, but the praise of this earth runs shallow, and from its uncertain flow we turn away disappointed.

Some of us have thirsted for wealth, but the silvery music furnished by the glittering coins will not quench our thirst, and to-morrow the glittering heap that now lies before us may be carried away by the outgoing tide and we will be left stranded on the barren desert.

But here is a river that never runs dry, a river that will quench our thirst and stop our longings.

When the streams of life have vanished, and the thundering mountain stream no longer plunges through its rocky channel, and from our death-bed we catch a last fleeting glimpse of the perishing things of earth, then we will realize how wonderfully sweet is this water of life.

The boy whose life we shall record in this book, early learned the sweetness and life-giving properties of this river and from earth’s foul and turbulent stream he turned away to drink from this clear, pure stream, which, thank God, can never be polluted by earth’s sin and vice.

Chapter II. Donald Morris

A long line of hills, crested with tall pines, stand out, bold and irregular, against the blue sky.

Here a tiny stream meanders along, now swerving around the foot of a hill, now leaping a miniature waterfall, and at last crosses a small plain to enter into a larger stream, which, in turn, unites with a still larger stream, whose waters are, at last, swept out into the grand Mississippi.

Back from this line of hills, out across a level plain, rises a single elevation, standing solemn and dignified by itself.

Tall and majestic pines lift their tops heavenward, and whose windstirred branches seem to ever reach out their hands to some invisible God.

Crowning this elevation was a home ; not a mansion by any means, but just a modest little country home.

But to the person whose heart warms to the call of nature, who opens his eyes to the beauties God intended him to see, there is something about this quiet home nestling among the pines and backgrounded by this long line of hills, that will cause him to stop, sweep the scene with admiring eyes and admit that there is rare beauty in the picture.

From the vine-covered porch to the curiously constructed old building and the spring at the foot of the hill, with its quaint curb, there was something about the old place that held a charm for every one who visited the place.

In this beautiful Mississippi home lived Robert Morris and his young wife.

Robert Morris was one of the foremost young men in the county.

He came of a family that could trace its ancestry back into the old English and colonial days and could boast that his great-grandfather was one of the distinguished factors of the Revolution and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Lillie Davis was one of the most beautiful young ladies in the country; the oldest daughter of a distinguished physician, she was loved and honored by all who knew her.

When Robert Morris wooed and won her, every one admitted that it was a most excellent and happy match.

Shortly after the marriage the happy couple moved to the country home given Robert by his father.

This was the place we have described and was the birthplace and boyhood home of Robert Morris and, as a consequence, the broad and fertile acres, the valleys and forest-covered hills were prized very highly by its young owner.

Robert Morris and Lillie were married the first of January, and as Robert was by choice a farmer, early in the spring he began to prepare his land to make his first crop.

After the day’s work was done they would sit by the fire talking of their happiness and planning out their future lives.

One evening as they sat about the fire Lillie said: “Robert, have you been perfectly happy since we married; have you found me to be all you expected?”

“Yes, dear,” he said; “I have found you to be all I expected, and more, and as for being happy, you know I have been. There is only one thing that I could ask for that would add to our happiness, and that is to be blest with sweet children.”

“Ah, Robert, that was exactly what I was thinking of! If God will only trust us with children I think our happiness will be complete.”

Robert Morris and his wife belonged to that class of people who believe in a God, who believe that some Supreme Being rules over all.

Both were church members and belonged to the Methodist Church, but they were not devoted Christians; that is, they did not follow the Christ life in their daily life as it should be followed.

Upon the child that God was to give them was to fall the power to lead them to the man of Galilee and to live the Christ-life, the life that is above reproach.

Spring, with its beautiful flowers and singing birds, soon glided into golden summer — summer, beautiful summer, such as can be found in the country, away from the mad rush of the city, with its noise and din ; out in the country, where we can catch the cooling breeze and watch the sun in all its golden glory as it climbs across the sky and finally sinks to rest in a flaming bed of purple and gold.

Here we can get closer to God and nearer to the heart of nature in all its beauty, and can understand better the mysterious power of God in all its beauty.

Robert Morris did his work well, and at the end of summer he saw his labor rewarded by a bounteous supply of golden grain.

Summer passed away and autumn, with its golden-tinted forests, appeared only to be cast aside, after a short time, by winter, with its snow and ice. And now, during the first winter month, the month in which our Savior was bom, when the ground was covered by a white mantle of snow, the news was spread over the community that Lillie Morris had given birth to a tiny son.

We must now skip over a space of ten years.

During this period of time the baby boy had been named Donald.

He was now a sturdy lad, very much like his father in many ways, with dark eyes and hair as black as a raven’s wing.

His parents were very careful in his training and, as a consequence, he was a very gentlemanly and courteous boy, always considerate of other people’s feelings and wishes.

He had, however, a very hot temper which would occasionally get from under his control.

When his anger would arise a few well chosen words of advice from his mother, together with her sweet smile was all that was needed to clear away his anger and make him his own bright, happy self again.

He was very happy in his beautiful home but the time has now come when he must leave it.

Wonderful stories have come from Louisiana; stories of the wonderful chances and advantages there and of how men were getting rich raising rice.

Mr. Morris decided to sell his beautiful home and try his fortune in the rice fields of Southern Louisiana.

Accordingly his place was advertised, sold and family was ready to start.

It was a very sad occasion for all when the time to start came and with sad hearts they boarded the train for their new home.

Chapter III. The Awakening

Donald never had been on a train but once before and he found many things to keep him interested.

# He had never seen a large city and when they got to New Orleans he was astonished.

It was a few days before Christmas and the city was ablaze with decorations and beautiful lights.

As they were whirled through the streets of the city towards the river where they were to cross on a boat, Donald kept his eyes on the beautiful scene around him and it made a picture on his mind that could never be erased.

Reaching the boat, they got upon it at once and standing by the railing saw the boat moving out from shore.

It was at night and the waters looked strangely dull and leaden under the light of the pale moon.

Standing by the rail and looking through the mist and darkness toward the lights of Gretna, Donald wondered at the power needed to gather these heaving waters together and thought of the awfulness 6f these sluggish waters being the grave of many a poor mortal.

A train was waiting for the boat to land its passengers and as soon as these were on board it steamed away westward on its journey toward the distant plains.

Throwing its headlight far in advance like a meteor upon the shining rails, it writhed and groaned like a huge serpent as it flashed along.

In the faint shadows of early morning, while the eastern sky was still streaked with yellow and gold the horizon of a plain appeared in view and an hour later the train drew up to the station where the Morrises were to get off.

The sun casting his early beams upon the earth, seemed to smile in gladness and Donald, looking out across the broad plain to where it ended in a blue haze, thought he had never seen anything so glorious before and indeed it was a most beautiful scene.

They started out immediately to the farm which Robert had arranged for through ail agent.

By the end of a week they were comfortably installed in their new home, and, as Donald said, were getting things “shipshape” and business began to take on its daily routine.

Robert purchased a full team of horses, including a very pretty pony for Donald, which he was very fond of.

There was no work about making a rice crop which a boy of Donald’s

2 7 size could do so he was free to do pretty much what he pleased.

He helped his mother a great deal about the house, taking much work off her shoulders.

Sometimes he would mount his pony and gallop across the yellow prairie to give chase to a drove of wild French ponies, or on a roundup of his father’s horses and once a week he would make a trip to the nearest town to get their mail.

He would stroll by the side of some stream or loiter in the cooling shade of a giant haystack and give himself up to thought and the thought of the beatiful home he had left never failed to come into his mind, but he was happy here, supremely happy, and for three long years he dreamed the time away.

And now came the time when his dreams were again to be shattered.

Mr. Morris thought he could foresee a panic in the rice industry. Prosperous times brought on much speculation and buying and he thought he could tell that the price of rice was to be considerably lowered.

He had made money in those three years and he decided to leave the country before the panic came and then it was that Robert Morris again determined to turn his face westward and search out a new home in the fertile lands of Texas.

We must, begging the reader’s pardon, again draw forward the curtain of time and blot out five years time, because in this period nothing occurred in this boy’s life that would interest the reader and we wish to get down to his real history as quickly as possible.

During this time the Morris family have firmly established themselves in their Texas home.

Donald had studied hard and prepared himself to teach school and now at the age of eighteen he had

Iiis Beautiful Life taught one school with a success that would have been a credit to a much older teacher, yet there was lacking in his teaching something that is always lacking in the leaching of the man who does not trust in God and call upon Him for His divine guidance in his school and every day life.

Donald had been taught to pray ever since he was a small child and never failed to kneel at night and offer up his little prayer, but it was merely a form with him and not true devotion, for he had never given the matter hardly a thought and did not, of course, appreciate the existence of a God.

There was a church near his home and he attended services and Sunday school regularly.

About this time he began to think on this question a great deal and became a student of the Bible, for he began to realize that there must be something in this wonderful salvation which the Son of God had promised and which men were preaching everywhere.

He was beginning to see and to believe that there must be some foundation for this belief in a future life rmd the glory of sharing it with an all-wise God.

W hat then, was this foundation ; where did men get the basis for their belief?

Undoubtedly it must be from God’s holy word, the Bible; and if it was, it was right to follow His teachings; if not right, why did so many men make the mistake of thinking it was right and blindly worship an imaginary God?

These questions became an allabsorbing issue with him and he determined that he would settle them satisfactorily with himself if it was in the power of God’s Word to give him the information necessary to their settlement.

Accordingly he read all the books he could get dealing with the subject, including several books on denominational matters and also studied the Scriptures constantly.

Chapter IV. The New Life

It is summer again and a big meeting is going on at the church near Donald’s home.

A big arbor has been built to accommodate the large crowds which come to hear the Word of God preached.

The pastor, Brother Parker, was assisted by a preacher from a neighboring county, Brother Ratcliffe, and under their powerful influence and preaching, numbers were daily giving up the life of sin and casting their lot with Christ.

Donald had been deeply interested from the very first. He never missed a service; always sat at the front where he could catch every word that was spoken and it was plain that each sermon was sinking deep within his heart.

One day after being more deeply impressed than usual with the sermon he went home in a deep study, thinking of what he should do.

When he got home he picked up his Bible which his mother had given him for a Christmas present, and started for the woods.

He felt that he wanted to be alone in the forest where he could read and think undisturbed in its solitude. He wanted to think today as he had never thought before.

He flung himself down under a giant oak and prepared to read. The leaves parted mechanically at the eighth chapter of Romans.

These words caught his eyes : “There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after spirit.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

‘Tor what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

The words seemed to have a hidden meaning and he read them over repeatedly, trying to think out their full meaning.

Suddenly, after thinking awhile, he seemed to understand what it all meant and he said to himself, “Ah, it is plain to me now.”

“God was under no obligation to send his Son to light the pathway of sinners on this cruel and sinful world.

“This way of salvation was simply ordained at the hands of the great Mediator and had to be carried out for if there had been any other way in which to save man, I believe that God, of such infinite wisdom, would have employed other means instead of sacrificing His only Son to the passions of an unsaved people, and since Christ took upon his shoulders the burden of trying to save those who were wandering in the darkness of sin, he also had to take the punishment which the sin of those he was seeking to save deserved.

“They had sinned against God ; Christ came to save them; He took the sinners’ place and bore the punishment that should have been meted out to them.

“He bore this suffering and the disgrace which was heaped upon him for me as much as he did for those people who lived when He was on this earth ; He loves me the same as he did those people, and I have rewarded His love by a selfish, sinful life.

“May God have mercy and forgive me of my sins.”

He read farther down the page and these words caught his eye: “For to be carnally minded is death : but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

He understood this clearly. If he was carnally minded, if he sought after the carnal things of earth, it meant an eternal death; but, if he cast off carnal things and followed in the spiritual way, it meant everlasting life and joy with God.

After reading all of the eighth chapter of Romans, he chanced to turn to the thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians.

Ah! Here was another very essential element — charity ; but he did not have this charity; did not possess this element at all.

He set himself to the task of a rigid self-examination, and at the end of it he had to acknowledge that lie had loved neither God nor man, and that every thing he had ever done or accomplished had been due to his own selfish ambition without any thought or consideration of others.

He seemed to see the enormity of his sins rise before him like a spectre, and he was unnerved and agitated.

He knew there could be no rest for him now until he had received this wonderful salvation, the thought of which was making his soul turbulent within him.

He would seek God with all his might and if his many sins could be forgiven him, he would devote the remainder of his life to the service of his God.

With his mind in this condition, with this intense desire burning within him, yet without praying, Donald slowly retraced his steps to the house.

It may seem strange to the reader why, when this boy came to a realization of what he should do, that God did not reveal himself and spread the light of his salvation upon him then and there, but He undoubtedly had a purpose in waiting and ordained it otherwise.

On this very day God would reveal Himself to this boy who was sick of sin and who was seeking peace for his troubled soul.

That night the pastor took as his text the thirty-sixth verse of the eighth chapter of St. Mark: “For what shall it profit a man, if lie shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.”

The pastor was a man of educational attainment and he preached an eloquent sermon, bringing out every point of the text and it seemed to Donald that this text and sermon was especially for him.

He sat with bowed head during the first of the sermon, but presently he raised his head, and those who were watching him, supposing that a struggle between right and wrong was going on within his soul, saw a radiant smile upon his face and a new light shining from his eyes, and did not doubt but what that as lie sat with bowed head he had prayed for salvation that night and that he was now one of the blood-washed throng, his prayer being answered.

At the close of the sermon, the pastor opened the door of the church to any one who might wish to unite with the church.

Donald at once arose and, with the eyes of the congregation upon him, walked forward and presented himself for membership.

He faced the congregation and with a voice trembling with emotion, said, “Dear friends, tonight is the happiest moment of my life; I feel tonight that I have been with the blessed Master and that He has bid me come to Him. I am tired of sin and its way and want to give my heart and my work to God. I have had many doubts as to my duty, but now I know that my duty is to my God.

“I wish to unite with the Methodist church, for I believe I can serve God better by uniting with your church, and I will be following the dictates of my conscience.

“Dear friends, if you are willing, I want to cast my lot with you and in my humble way begin working for by blessed Redeemer.”

When he finished speaking and sat down there was hardly a dry eye in the congregation ; it was not so much what he had said, but the way he said it that touched and moved all hearts.

He was received and baptized immediately and the hand of Christian greeting was extended amid great re joicing.

As the pastor baptized him in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Donald felt a great weight lifted from his weary soul.

He seemed to feel God’s presence upon him and he sent up an earnest prayer that he might be led in the path of all righteousness and be kept from all sin forevermore.

His father and mother came forward and leaning their heads against his shoulder, wept with joy while the congregation sung :

“Oh happy day that fixed my choice On Thee, my Savior and my God; Well may this glowing heart, rejoice And tell its raptures all abroad.”

Chapter V. Working For Christ

We must now leave this sacred place.

But in five years we will witness another scene here just as sacred, around which clusters all the glory which heaven gives earth in answer tc a devoted Christian’s prayer.

Donald Morris went home that night as happy as he wished to be. The unbeliever and unconsecrated Christian knows nothing of the joy that crowns such a life and the happiness that fills the souls in the Christian home where such a devoted son sheds his hallowed influence.

As Donald rode home that night with his father and mother he talked incessantly about his new joy and great happiness.

The stars, looking down from their great heights, seemed to shine with renewed brightness and to rejoice in his happiness with him.

Before retiring that night Donald told his father and mother he wished to hold prayer regularly thereafter and wished to begin that night.

Accordingly he got his Bible and opening it, read the seventeenth chapter of St. John, after which they knelt together and Donald prayed earnestly for them to be delivered from error’s chain and to be led in the path of righteousness forevermore.

Reader have you ever stood on holy ground like this? Has your heart ever been touched by that in* visible hand that leaves such a mys* tic influence?

If you have not, may God pity you.

If you have you know something of that indescribable joy which marked that scene when they arose from prayer.

With a face radiant with joy Donald said, “I feel so happy tonight. It seems like I can almost see and feel the presence of the blessed Savior tonight and I know He heard my prayer and will answer it.”

I think the angels in heaven must have looked down on that scene with joy and that their joyful anthems must have echoed throughout the beautiful sunlit streets and temples of the new Jerusalem because this boy had entered into the Christ life in such a glorious way.