The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1870-07-28
NObOdy's Children.

A year or two ago, as sat in front of a
farmhouse, one warm summer afternoon,
my attention was attracted by numerous
feathery objects that kept floating in and
out at the open door. At first 1 thought
they were insects, but on examination 1
found them to be seeds.
"Of what2" I asked the farmers wife,
as she passed through the entry.
''Thistles," she replied. "There's a bed
of them just below here, and the breeze
carries them hither and thither as you
see."
Presently took my hat and walked
down the lane, until came to the thistle
bed. There it was large patch of
ground, covered with the unsightly things,
and as the wind swept over them thous-
ands of the light feathery seeds were borne
away, and scattered all over the surround
ing country. Next year, thought I, they
will spring up in the hay-fields, and in the
corn-felds, and among the grain, and the
crops will be injured by them they will
spring up in the fower-gardens, and the
farmers little daughter, going out to gath
er flowers, will have her tender fingers
wounded by them they will do no good,
but only harm, wherever they find space
to grow. So went back to the house.
"Pray, tell me why those thistles are
not rooted up?" asked the farmers
wife.
"Oh," she said, "they are not on any
body's ground, and so they are left to
themselves"
Not on anybOdy'S ground, so they are left
to themselves.
There is a text for a sermon, but I am
not the person to do the preaching.
sat down and began to think.
thought of swarming our streets of bare
| footed boys and girls, whose rags scarcely
covered their limbs ; of vulgar and pro-
fame language uttered by almost infant
! lips; and of crime committed by little
children, no older or larger than the farm
er's little daughter.
Who are these? Oh they are nobody's
cliiLdren-nobOdy cares for them-they
grow up, and they become the pests of So
ciety. They are the gamblers, the burg
lars, the incendiaries, the robbers, the
murderers. They fill our alms-hOuses, our
iails, our prisons they travel on the road
TO destruction, and they lead thousands
and thousands along with them. Why?
Oh, they are nO6Ody'8 chGrge-nObOdy is
responsible for them F; they take care of
themselves. Oh, will this excuse stand in
the great day of judgment? Dare we look
in the face of Almighty God as we stand
before the "great white throne' and say:
They were nothing to us-we could not
help them-we had not power of strength
to raise them from their degradation?
Mono. We dare not.
Christian there is work for you and mS
in this great vineyard of the Lord. Let
US go into these streets and lanes-into
those highways and hedges, and carry the
news of salvation. Let us seek out these
little neglected ones, and bring them into
our mission schools and our churches let
us visit their wretched homes, and tell
their parents of the Lord Jesus Christ, who
came to seek and to save the lost. Thank
God, there are many workers already la
boring in the Lords harvest fields, but
there is room for mOre-there is room for
every Christian to share in the toll and
the burden-and also in the rest and
the reward.