The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-07-16

| thy son; make me as one of thy hired
servants. Luke 15-19.
NOsaying, perhaps, is more firmly found
ed upon truth than that "a wise son max
eth glad father" and it does diminish not
the degree of joy that the wisdom comes
late. The parable of the prodigal son has
often been ridiculed because of the SEEM
ing injustice of making much ado about
a graceless scamp who wasted everything
in the way of valuables he could get hold
of. But then people do not take into con-
sideration the reaction in the heart of
the parent And this reaction is all
there is in the story really. No person
of sound mind could suppose for a mo-
ment that the father thought the less of
the faithful son who had remained at
home and did his duty like man, but the
latter had behaved so well that his whole
life was really a blessing to the parent,
while the life of the wayward one was a
source of constant annoyance and sorrow.
The life of the latter assumed the appear
ance of a curse, and this was removed in
the act of the boy returning humbled and
broken, and asking to be placed upon a
level with his fathers servants, it is not
surprising that the fathers heart bounded
with gratitude.
Perhaps no story or parable contained
in the covers of the sacred book, finds so
many counterparts in everyday life as the
story of the prodigal, though it is not al
ways that the fatted calf is killed. A
young man worked upon the farm until
he was of age, and had some knowledge
of farming. But things were not suffic-
iently progressive on the old farm. The
horses were not sleek enough; the roads
in the neighborhood were not laid out
with sufficient style; the household fix
lures were not upon a sufficiently grand
scale; the girls of the family did not bang
their hair and chew wax in manner be-
fitting the progress of the age; and the
soul of the progressive youth yearned for
other things, for grander scenes. Goaded
by the hum-drum life at the farm, he ask
ed for his share of the parental estate
The father and mother urged him to re-
main at home and work, and save his
money, but in vain. After time the pa
rents needed the prayers of the son and
divided the old farm, giving to the elder
son certain portion of ground, and to
the younger, or wayward son a certain
portion-but he demanded his in cash,
and to save the old place intact, the mon
ey had to be FURNISHED to buy him out.
So they separated, these two brothers.
The elder married plain country girl
and settled down on the old place. The
younger went to far country, and mar
ried girl who suited his fancy. After a
short and eventful married life, they sep
arated. The little inheritance being gone,
the gay woman and gay man tired of each
other Then the young man, penniless,
and on the verge of starvation worked his
way by slow degrees back to the old farm,
where he appeared in sad plight. The
elder brother, in cow-hide shoes and cheap
raiment was plowing corn; the plain,
healthy, industrious wife was busily can
ming fruits for winter use; the baby romp-
ed and rolled in the dust in front of the
door; thus the brother found them. But
there was no scene. The brothers merely
joined hands in a warm pressure which
said plainly on the one hand / have act
ed the fool" and on the other 81 know you
have~ The fatted calf was there, but it
played and cavorted gaily about the mead
ow. There was no rushing out with fine
raiment and new shoes. There was a
plain, sweet-tempered act on the part of
the wife-the setting out of some soap,
and water, and towel. The wayward
brother used words as expressive of hui
mility as those of the text, and the steady
going young farmer quietly informed him
that the true way to get wealth was to
dig it out of the ground, and the part of
wisdom was to save it, and be content
with it after it was dug out. Then show
ing the wayward brother the field, told
him to go to work, and show by his faith
works and services that he was cured,
eternally cured, of the old folly. And the
wayward brother toiled in the corn, and
hay, and the garden fields, and earned
money, and saved it-even as his brother
had done, and all lived happily together.
And this is the way God wants his way
ward child to return. He gives his chill
dren every opportunity for living comfort
ably and happily, and there can be no
reasonable excuse for any of his children
wandering away from the Fathers House.
But when, with all the pleasant surround
ings given by His love, the wayward
child wanders afar off, the Father is ever
willing and anxious to receive him back
again, but the wanderer must not return
| as a matter of convenience, demanding
great things of the Father, but as one
| humbled by sad experiences in sin, and
desiring to make amends for past mis-
deeds by long, patient, earnest and indus
| triOus service of God.
CoffIa for