Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-01-10
A Fatal Mistake.
BY ADA TEAVEBs.


There was rich man IN a country
town who bad splendid apple tree in
his garden. Every one spoke Of it,
every one admired the ripe rosy fruit.
Some could speak of having tasted the
iIuit and described lts favor and rich
ress. Now as this got noised about,
The rich mans neighbor began to wish
be. too, had such a tree. In his weedy,
neglected garden there was an apple
tree, to be sure, but then it was dead.
Year by yea. it remained so; sunshine
and ram, frost and dew fell upon it,
yet its bare brown branches remained
the same.
why should not my apple tree bear
fruit p said the man. 'Ah! have itv
So be went out with his money in
his pocket, and bought two bushels of
apples, two balls of twine and a basket
of leaves, and all that glorious autumn
day you might have seen him standing
on ladder carefully tying Oh to every
leafess fruilless bough and twig a rosy
checked apple aud some leaves.
'Wha! fool?' you say. He did not
see it, though.
Friends came TO see him the next
day, and though his window he pointed
out 10 them his well covered apple
tree. They were astonisbed; they
complmented him upon The splendid
show of fruit,
We thought the tree was dead,'
they said, but it quite equals your
nelghbor's;' and the foolish man was
pleased.
That night strong wind and rain
came on; down fell the apples and
leaves like hail-stones. Oa, on, till in
twenty-four hours the old apple tree
reared its head once more, bare, brown,
and dead
OF course you say, Just what 1
thought
Yes, dare say; but why am tell
ing YOU this story? Because | think
so many sensible boys aud girls, aye
'grown-up' people too, fall Into the
same fatal mistake.
Have you seen Christian and wish
ed TO be like him? Have you ever
heard of the happiness and glory oil
knowing Jesus, aud said, L should
like to know him too?' Have you
ever thought 4 really must bee ONE re.
ligious. l will begin TO pray, and to
read my Bible, aud TO 90 regularly to
church or 10 chapel-in fact III turn
oyer new leaf:'
And you do. You try, and Try, and
try to make yourself a Christian. You
try to love God; you are a much better
boy or girl, every one says so; te acher
is pleased with you, you feel you are
really quite religious. 1t looks ike the
real thing outside, only God and you
know that you are dead, and putting on
the fruit Instead Of bringing forth fruit;
you may even deceive your bes. friends,
but God knows it. Do you see your
mistake? You have been trying 10
live without lie. What must you do i?
How can you haye the real thing that
will stand against the storms Of temp
tation and trial?
Just come TO Jesus. Bcgin it all by
getting life. BE born again. He will
make you bis living child if you come
to him. Do not trouble about bring
ing forth fruit, but leave il TO Jesus TO
make you bring it forth for his praise.
Come 10 Jesus 10 make you a Chris
tan, do not try to make yourself one.
Quite a young girl told me, at an af-
teruoon meeting The other day: I've
been trying for years TO make myself a
Christian
Give up trying 1 said, aud come
to Jesus, that he may make you one.'
Dear young reader, do you see what
mean Begin with Jesus by coming
TO him at once; go on with Jesus, b,
coming to him day by day; and with
Jesus by going at last to be with him
where ho is.