Smyrna times., 1881-07-13
pRoDIGAL NUMBER ONE.

PRODIGAL NUMBER ONE.
In the latter part of May last Il young |
main left the home of his parents in Scot |
land and came to the city of New York, |
where he arrived on the Sth of June. |
Taking room at Il hotel, he proceeded at |
once to make himself drunk. He would .
become only sober enough to call for moro
liquor. The managers of the respectable |
| hotel supplied him freely for several days
when it was found that he would have
nothing else, he was refused more, and he
managed to get it from outside. This
went on from the Sth to the 18th of June,
the young man being intoxicated the most
of the time, and his money being nearly
all gone. Then he was ordered to leave
The young man now awoke to his terrible
condition, and, without waiting to be
turned adrift, he killed himself. In his
possession, and stained with his own blood,
were found two letters. One was from a
lady to whom he was engaged to be mar
ried. 1t was full of tenderness and love
written on the eve of his leaving his home
and country to begin new life in the new
world. She reminds him of his iniirmity
and implOres him to resist it and get the
victory. The other letter was signed by
both of his parents: pious Scotch parents,
who fear God and desire their son to be
kept in his fear. think this letter is
worthy of being read by parents and sons :
Ny Dear John Your dear mother and
| are about to part with you for time.
p 1t may be in the inscrutable DEGREES of
Divine Providence that we shall never
meet again on earth, and we wish to give
you our parting blessing. You are about
to take your departure from your native
shores, and, if spared, to dwell among
strangers i'll the land of your adoption.
We hope and pray that God may guide
and sustain you in all your wanderings,
leading you to put your trust i'll him as
your guide and protector, asking him at
l the throne of grace to sustain you and
y keep you from evil, and make you a useful
!. member of the community in which you
! dwell, and an earnest, Christian disciple
= : of the Lord Jesus Christ. Study yOul
u Bible read it morning and evening
g Keep the Sabbath day holy to the Lord
r abstain from all appearance of evil and
=. pray to God for his blessing on your every.
: day life. Put your whole trust in him
4 ask forgiveness for all past offences, anC
l. in his strength you can do all things. We
J. freely forgive you all. Never again shall
4 we mention your past history. You have
: a new field before you. Go on in the
d strength of the Lord and he will sustain
e and uphold you in all your doings. Ii
IF the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength
=, In this world we shall have tribulation
and many things seemingly hard t.
Z endure, conflicts without and fears within
ii but we must meet them and face every
d difficulty with courage and persever
/ ance NOT in our own strength for thel
all must fail, but In the promises of Goo
u and in the strength of his almighty arm
le for hath he not declared: g In this wOrlC
e, We shall have tribulations, but be Of goOC
st cheer, | have overcome the world - ant
- when we have finished our pilgrimage ol
u earth, and when our work of warfare i
'e over, we may all receive at last the wei
le come, blessed invitation, "COmc, We blesset
10 of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepar
ed for yOn." What should our aim be il
. this world but to die daily, that we ma,
e. live anew into Jesus Christ. Our lives OF
of earth are but a span; make up our peac
10 with Christ, that our end may be ever
lasting life. Live soberly, righteously
d and gOdly, and may the God of peac
n bless, protect and guide you in your jOul
as ney through this vale of tears, is til
m humble yet very earnest prayer of you
loving and aifectionate parents.
'e p. S.-Read the fourteenth chapter {
ne st. John and the eighth of Romans, ,-th
rt last two chapters | read to you at tn
ia family altar-and the following verse:
4: 81 go your entrance to secure
:; Ard your abode prepare,
IL Regions unknown are safe to you
w When l. your friend am there"
lie parents and sisters and brothers. Far,
ia well.
st- With such letter in his hand tn
n prodigal seeks his fortune in a stranq
us land. What passion is strong enough
at- drag him from such parents to the til
m grave of suicide and drunkard? 1t
of doubtless dreadful fact that he had ofte
ps wrung their hearts with anguish befor
of What days and nights of sorrow they ha
zee endured How many tears and praye
of his waywardness had wrung from then
m whose gray hairs were going down
pa- SOTTOW W Illc grave! Iuc Olly pussy
strong enough to tempt a son from suC
,at parents to self-destructiOn is the passiC
so for Intoxicating drink! This was his rui
,o. as it has been and will be of thousand
nd Across the ocean and into the darken'
,to home of those afflicted parents l sci
, n words of sympathy from Christian hear
ich in America. You are strangers to us, b
The there is a kinship in sorrow, and we a
ht. your friends praying that the God
iov Abraham and Isaac and Jacob may
ION your God, your strength and consolatiO
tial This deplOrable event has brought
,at my mind the history of.
III PRoDIGAL NUMBER TWO.
ho 1t was a very hot day in June, before
III" had left town for the Summer | "
"o just leaving my house for public rel
aiu ious service when | read in the morni
ins paper that a young man had commit
hny suicide the night before at hotel; IL
ms .' he was identified by letters found up
Vno him, and it appeared that he was the s
'eHs of distinguished Presbyterian clers
I,y man, whose name was given; a friend
.S 'o mine thousand miles away, 1t was a
i,"0 - added that the body had been sent to I
i'ei morgue; the place to which dead persc
'he' are sent who have no friends to ia
iooh fhann In charoa IL WAS not noSsihla