The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-08-05

in their arms.
And are you, oh man, going to bring
wreath Of Joy and Christian useful
ness and put 1t on your fathers brow.
or ON the vacant chair. or on the memo
ry Of the one departed? Speak ont! old
armchair. With reference TO your
father, the words Of my text has been
fulfilled: Thou shalt be missed, be-
cause thy seat shall be empty"
l go o little further on in your house,
and find the mothers chair. It Is very
apt to be rocking-chair. She had %
many cares and troubles to soothe that
it must have rockerA I remember
It well It was an old chair, and the
rockers were almost worn out for l
was the youngest, and the chair had
rocked the whole family. It made .
creaking noise as it moved; but there
was music in the sound. It was Just
high enough to allow US children to put
our heads into her lap. That was the
bank where we deposited all our hurts
and worries All! what chair that
was.
It wac different from the fathers
chair; it was entirely different You
ask me how? can not tell; but we
all felt IL was different. Perhaps there
was about this chair more gentleness,
more tenderness, more grief when we
had done wrong, When we were way
ward father scolded, but mother cried
It was q very wakeful chair. In the
sick days Of children other chairs could
not keep awake; that chair always kept
awake-kept easily awake. That chair
knew all the old lullabies and all those
wordless songs which mothers sing to
their sick children-songs In which all
pity. and compassion, and sympathetic
Influences are combined. That old
chair has stopped rocking for = good
many years It may be set up in the
loft or garnet, but it holds Q queenly
power yet.
When at midnight you went into that
grogshop to get the Intoxicating
draught did you not hear voice that
said: my son, why 60 in thereP" And
louder than the boisterous encore OF
the place of sinful amusement,
9 voice saying: my son, what
do you do here?" And when
you went into the house Of abandon.
ment q voice saying: "Whst would
your mother do if she knew you were
here?" And you were provoked with
\ yourself, and you charged yourself with
kuperstition and fanaticism, and you,
I'D got hot with your own thoughts
you went home and you went &c
and no sooner had you touched the
Nan voice said: what! prayer
ow? Man! what is the matter?'
You are too near you mothers
hair
hawr' you say. ''There's
hat; I'm five hundred milel
Aere was born; I'm three
u. of from the church
the first music I evel
y help that; you arr
pther's rocking-chair
there can't be any
1t chair has been va
le." l can not hell
Fighter for that; It il
4 vacant mother
rs; It speaks; y eeps
rms; 1t prays; 1t warns
young man went Of
hers heart, and while
I'M home his mother
egraph brought tn
into the room wher,
upon her face, ant
III, mother! mother
lid not do your dealt
8 moment give m,
is promise. Anothe
vacant chair. Will
mother, the words o
lied: Thou shalt b,
thy seat will b.
further, and come t,
!. What! How loni
Elf r'Oh, have beef
thirty yesrs?" Is 4
. story Of endurance
by Of the families o
these invalids' chairs
of them think they ar,
b the world, but that in
The mighty pulpit from
i've been preaching, a
st in God.
that l preached here q
i'd the throngs presen
e(ol1ing that so much i'm
he rs the spectacle of just on
the face of an invalid who wa