The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-03-04

Though skies may be cloudy or clear,
"Cheer upl Cheer upW
George Cooper, In Independent
THE RUNAWAY FoRGIvEN.-Thea f-
fecting story in the fifteenth chapter of
Luke of the runaway son, reckless but
finally penitent, has had its counterpart
full often since the Divine Teacher told
it. The lesson of the last example is the
same as the lesson of the first, viz, that
God forgives as kind parents forgive, only
with as much greater love, as God is
higher than man.
Many years ago a woman with six
children, left in sorrow and poverty by
the death of a bankrupt husband, suf-
fered the climax of affection in the base
ingratitude of her eldest son. Hayward
and disobedient, the boy continually
vexed and distressed her, and so far from
needing her pleadings and tender admo-
nitions, went on in headstrong wicked
ness, growing worse and worse.
To the mother, who could not love him
less than she loved the rest of her chill
dren, his sinful course and the sad omens
of his future were a daily agony. He
was her own, her first-born, and that was
the bitterness of her grief, when she saw
him so bad and hardened. Must her son
be reprobate, and come to an untimely
end?
The worst seemed to be realized, when,
after some browning misdemeanor, the
young migrate suddenly disappeared from
home and evaded every attempt to trace
him. Just at the age when he should
have been his mothers help and support,
he had abandoned her, and under circum-
stances most griveous and aggravating.
The poor widow had endured enough
before, and this latter sorrow fell upon
her like death blow. But the sense of
duty to her remaining ones was strong
within her, and she lived on. She could
never talk of her lost son, and turned
away with anguish if the other children
mentioned his name.
1t was only to God that she ever men,
toned him, and as the years rolled on,
and brought no tidings of the absent one,
always on stormy nights her family
would hear her feet pacing her chamber,
and her broken voice lamenting and
praying for her wandering boy. She
could not give him up as dead, but there
were few who would have believed that
her prayers and tears were destined to be
answered.
Fourteen years passed, and one sum-
mer day, while the sad woman was sit
ting in her humble home with her two
youngest children, now grown to men,
tall, heavily-bearded stranger walked
slowly up to the house, and leaned his
arms upon the sill of the open window.
Her astonished eyes met his, but she
~ Il Sha fao roll
down his cheeks, and then she sprang for.
ward for closer look. 1t was her long
lost son. Eagerly she called him in, and
ran to greet him with weeping joy. But
the returned prodigal shrank back.
"Mother," said he, 81 shall never come
in till hear you say you forgive ME. u
George, dear George" cried the
mother, 81 forgave you long ago. There's
nothing to forgive now, only that you've
stayed away so longW
That free-forgetful welcome was but
the type of the longing love of the
Heavenly Father for His sinful children
He yearns over them every day they
wander, and by thousand invitations
opens the way for them to come back
And when they do come back how
divinely complete is His pardon! Gas
far as the east is from the west''-tht
beautiful Bible phrase for infinite dis.
tance-"so far hath He moved our trans
gressions from u.s."
That is the way He forgives. Alas
that offending, ungrateful hearts should
stay away from Him so long! Alas, that
any should stay too long - Youths Com
pdnion.
THE FARMERS PARRoT.-One beauti
full Spring farmer, after working busily
for several weeks, succeeded in planting
one of the largest fields in corn but The
neighboring crows committed sad havo,
with it. The farmer, however, not being
willing that the germs of future croI
should be destroyed, by either fair or fou
means, determined to drive the bolG
marauders to their nests. Accordingly
he loaded his rusty gun, with the inten
ton of giving them upon their next visi
a warm reception.
Now the farmer had parrot, as talk
alive and mischievous as those birds
usually are and being very tame, it wal
allowed its freedom to come and go al
pleasure. "Pretty PolP' being lover o.
company, without much caring whether
good or bad, hoped over all obstruc
tiOns, and was soon engaged in the
farmer.like occupation of raising corn.
The farmer with his gun, sailed forth
Reaching his corn field he saw at glance
(though he overlooked the parrot) the
state Of affairs. Leveling his gun, hi
fired, and with the report was heard the
death scream of three crows, and ar
agonizing shrek from poor Poll.
On looking among the murdered crows
great was the farmers surprise to SCI
stretched upon the ground his mischiev
Gus parrot, with feathers sadly rufileC
and broken leg.
"You foolish Bird" cried the farmer
"this comes of keeping bad company
On carrying it to the house, the chill
dren seeing its wounded leg, exclaimed
,"What did it, papa-what hurt oul
pretty Poll p
"Bad company, bad companyw an
swered the parrot, in a solemn voice.
cay, that it was" said the farmer
"Poll was with those wicked crows whel
fired, and received shot intended TO
them. Remember the parrots fate, chill
dren, and beware Of bad company"
With these words the farmer turnet
around, and with the aid of his wifi
bandaged the broken leg, and in few
weeks the parrot was as lively as ever
but never forgot its adventure in tn
corn field; and if ever the farmers chill
dren engaged in play with quarrelsom
companions, it invariably dispersed then
with it's cry, "Bad company-bad com
panyp'
A FABLE.-As a caterpillar was ad
yancing very slowly along one of tn
alleys Of beautiful garden, he was me
by pert, lively ant, who, tossing up he
head with scornful air, cried "Prithee
get out of the way, thou poor creepin,
animal, and do not presume to obstruc
the paths of thy superiors, by wrigglin
along the road, and besmearing the walk
appropriated to their footsteps. Poo
creaturei thou lookest like thing hal
made, which nature not liking, threw b.
unfinished. / could almost pity thee
methinks; but il is beneath one of m,