St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-04-03


prayer and Christian determination. ane
you are to find out what are the family
fraiities, and in arming the castle put the
strongest guard at the weakest gate
With these smooth stones from the brook
hope to strike you, not where David struck
Goliath, in the head, but where Ma than
struck David in the heart.
Whose son art thou, thou young mans
Some time, in the winter holiday, when
we are accustomed to gather our families
together, old times have come back again
and our thoughts have been set to the tune
of "Auld Lang Syne." The old folks were
50 busy at such times in making US happy,
and perhaps on less resource made their
sons and daughters happier than you on
larger resource are able to make your sons
and daughters happy. The snow lay two
feet above their graves, but they shook off
the white blankets and mingled in the
holiday festivities-the same wrinkles, the
same stoop of shoulder under the weight
of age, the same old style of dress or coat,
the same smile, the same tones of voice.
hope you remember them before they went
away. II not, hope there are those who
have recited to you what they were, and
that there may be in your house some srti-
ticle of dress or furniture with which you
associate their memories. I want to arouse
the most sacred memories Of your heart
while make the impassioned interoga-
tory in regard to your pedigree
Whose son art tilou. thou young man?
First, accost all those who are de-
scended of Christian ancestry. I do
not ask if your parents were perfect.
Perhaps there was sometimes too much
blood in their eye when they chastised
you. But from what know of you, you
got no more than you deserved, and per-
haps little less than you deserved,
and perhaps little more chastisement
would have been salutary. But you are
willing to acknowledge, think, that the y
wanted to do right. From what you
overheard in conversations and from what
you saw at the family altar and at neigh
borhood obsequies, you know that they
had invited God into their heart and life.
There was something that sustained those
old people systematically. You have no
doubt about their destiny. You expect il
you ever get to heaven to meet them as
certainly as You expect to meet the Lord
Jesus Christ. 49,
That early association has been a charm
for You. There was time when you got
right up from a house OF iniquity and
walked out into the fresh air because
you thought your mother was looking at
you. You have never been very happy
in sin because of a sweet old face that
would present itself. Tremulous voices
from the past accosted You until they
were seemingly audible, and you looked
around to see who spoke. There was
estate not mentioned in the last will and
a vast estate of prayer and holy
example and Christian entreaty and glori-
GUS memory. The survivors Of the fam
lily gathered to hear the will read, and
this was to be kept. and that was to be
sold, and it was share and share alike.
But there was an unwritten will that read
like this:
In the name OF God, amen. 7. being OF sound
mind, bequeath to my children all my pray
ers for their salvation; bequeath to them
the Christian religion which has been SO
much comfort to me, and hope may be
solace for them / bequeath to them a hope
Of reunion when the paintings of life are over;
share and share alike may they have in eter.
nal riches. I bequeath to them the wish that
they may avoid my errors and copy any
hing that may have been worthy. In the
name of the God who made me, and the
Christ who redeemed me, and the Holy Ghost
who santifies me, make this my last will
md testament Witness, all we hosts OF
Heaven; witness, time: witness, eternity.
Signed, sealed and delivered In this our dy
ng hour. FATHER AND MOTHER.
You did not get that will proved at the
,urrogate's office; but take it out to-day
md read it 10 you; take it out of the
llcoves Of your heart; shake the dust off
fit, ask you. Will you accept that in
leritance, or will you break the will? o
re of Christian ancestry, You have re-
vast beyond all measurement
Tod will not let you of with just being as
,ood as ordinary people when you had
advantage. Ought not a
lower planted in the hot-house be more
hrifty than flower planted outside In the
torn? a, .a... .fs3
A father sets his son up in business. He
.eeps an account of all the expenditures.
10 much for store fixtures, SO much for
emit, so much for this, SO much for that,
nd all the items aggregated, and the |
ather expects the son to give an account.
Four Heavenly Father charges against |
'ou all the advantages of pious ancestry |
80 many prayers, so much Christian ex- |
mple, SO many kind entreaties-all these
racious influences one tremendous aggre- |
ate, and he asks you for an account of it. |
Ought not you, my brather, to be better,
aving had Christian nurture, than that
aan who can truly say this morning:
''The first word I. remember my father
peaking to me was an oath; the first
ime remember my father taking hold of |
ne was In wrath; never saw a Bible till |
was ten years of age, and then / was
aid Il m If liza nh