Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-02-20
4 son.
One of the Lessons Taught by This Won
derful Parable.

I'LL OO
One of the Lessons Taught by This Won
derful Parable.
At some important points we believe
the common interpretations miss the
import of this marvellous parable. They
assume that, when the younger son asks
for his share of the patrimony, tits with
the plan already formed of departing to
the far country. But our special object
of the story is to exhibit the gradual
lapse of a soul into sin and gradual re-
covery from it.
The son is not yet, in heart, fully di-
vorced from the father. He gives him,
when applying for his portion of the
goods, the endearipg title, father. He
proposes simply while remaining at
home TO crafty his love of separate
ownership. But this selfish leavcn once
admitted, soon begins to spread. The
contrast OF his fathers magnanimous
spirit shames him with its silent rebuke.
He becomes unable to endure it. So
with growing greed, he first 'gathers
all together" clutching from every side.
as If his hands We're claws or talons. in
capable OF opening widely and gener-
ously. and to put from him the sight
and remembrance Of his father, flies to-,
the farthcst corner he can reach. The
selfish impulse has swept into its cur
rent his whole being. 1t is as with the
slender rill that starts from a broad AL
pine ice field, when spring davs come
on. which as the sun rises higher, day
by day, slowly gathers into its embrace
the ice in continent streams from
around it till all plunges down in one
srrging torrent together.
But in the far country the unhappy
shall take the wicked himself. and he
Shall be hcalen i'll the cords of his sins"
He meant ID BE only a sojourner. He
finds, after his wild revel and the vast
ing of his substance, that he must be-
come an inhabitant Of the strange.
stern region. He is obliged to put his
neck into the yoke-to join himself to a
citizen, a determined and inveterate in
habitant of the land.
Driven from the door of this. mans
mansion to be Il servant of swine. his
falling fortunes touch bottom. And.
for a time, without rebound. The spring
of hope within him is broken. There IS
no elasticity left.
But in time the work of self-recovery
begins. When he came to himself
when from the dismal world of anarchy
within him, without form and void.
order began to evolve itself, when the
spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters, with a CLEAN of lioht
upon the darkness that was upon the
face OF the great deep in his being-he
DID what? Returned, at once, as a
weeping penitent, to his father? Not.
at all. His first utterance has not a
trace OF 4 moral conviction or aspira-.
ton in it. Though the gracious infu-
ence from above is upon him, how
sloEl " and gently it leads! God stoops:
IN pity to the wretched level to which
the poor sinner has fallen. Mr.. Cough
has a story of Il lady who, having.
dropped jeweled ring into.
the fifth OF IL sewer, promptly stripped
her arm bare of its silken sleeve and
plunged the full length of it into. the
teculence, feeling about after. her treas
ura. So here. The lest soul is taken
at its own uttermost depth, and tender.
~ drawn upward.
In other words, the cover of the
prodlgal is as gradual as had been his
fall. 1t is at first not the rrnantant
sinner longing for purity, but only the
starving mar hungeriny for, broad.
'How many hired servants Of NV A tath.
e. nav bread enough and to spare,
and l perish. "-Wlat a fool | am,
That, in the first words, is the hirh-
water mark of his righteousness.
But the Very mention of 'father''
brings a treshct OF bitter memories and
melting reproaches flooding upon him,
The dear, old home, the venerable faca
with its look Of love, the shameful re-
turn 1or so much tenderness. the rome
gade hight from a heart that vearneh
after limit is more than he eau bear.
Ills plan rlpens rapidly. and, asst ripens
grows sWceter and poorer. When at
ias' ne starts homeward, it is ne for
bread that he will chiefly plead. Tho
soul IN the anguish of her self-reproach
mas almost quelled the bodv's panes
l nave s.nned against Heaven and Ie-
iofe thee. 81 am no fit son TO snch !,
father. Let me be shorn of the ~"
honors of sonship. Let the out,v,Sd
answer to the inward shame. Deb,sn
me to my W due level among the
menials of the house"
we Grace no farther, at present. the
wonderful story Of which every scntanoo
E!e:,lns like an electric light With some
.'esh Suggestion. We have aimed onlv
TO Snow what the Interpreters Sem
. nave missed-the gradualness, first.