Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-07-11

wrong track. He would not go home. AT
the door Of that beautiful home one night
there was a great outcry. Inc young man
of the house ran down and opened the door
to see what was the matter. 1t was miu1
night. The rest Of the family were asleep. |
There were the wife and the children OF this
prodigal young man. The fact was he had
come home and driven them out. He said.
Out OF this house, Away with tnese cn,i~
dren. l will dash their brains out. Out into
the Storm
The mother gathered. them up and he'd.
the next morning the brother, the young
man RIB tad staid at home, went out 20 ma
this prodigal brother. and son, ana he came
where he was, ami saw the young mar
wandering up and down III front or the
place where he had heen staying, and thu
young man who had kept his integrity said
10 the older brother Here, what does all
this mean? What's the matter with YOU:
Why do you get in this way The
troiigal LOOKED a. him and said; WHO
am II Who do you take ME to be;' He said,
= You are nv brother mo. | am not; /
am a brute. Have you Sc en- anything Of my
wife and children Are they dead? l drove
them out last night i'll the storm. l am q
hrute. John, do you think there IS any help
TOR me. Do you think l viii ever get over
this life of dissipatiouF' He said, "Brother.
,Lere is just one thing that will stop this
HE prodigal ran his finger across his throat
ard said: That will stop it, and FL stop it
before night. On! my brain; / can stand Is
10 longer That prodlgdl never got home.
But | viii tell you OF a prodigal that did get
norn-.
IN England two younge men started from
their father house ana went down u Ports.
| m5ttn. The father could not pursue his
children: for some reason he could not leave
home, and so he wrote a letter down to Mr..
Griffin. saying: Mr.. Griffin, | wish You
woald 20 and see my two sons. They have
arrived in Portsmouth, ANA they are going
70 take ship and going away from home.
wish you would persuade them back" Mr..
Griffin went, and he tried to persuade them
back. He persuaded one to 60 He went
| with very easy persuasion, because he was
very homesick already. The other young
man said: II will not 60. / have had enough
Of home. I'll never 60 home Nv ell, SAID
Mr.. Griffin, then if you won't go home, I'll
get you a respectable position on a respect
| able ship" mo you WON'T said the pro1i-
| gal No you won't. | am going as a COM
:ion sailor, that will plague my father most,
and what will do most to tantalize and worry
him will please me best.
Years passed on, and Mr.. Griffin was seated
in his study. one day when a message came
to him thatthere was a young man Ill irons
on a ship at the dock-a young man CON
demned to death-who wished to see this
clergyman. Mr.. Griffin went down to the
dock and vent on shipboard. The young
man said to him, you don't know me, do
YOU" No" he said; II don't know YOU
why, don't you remember that young man
you tried to persuade TO go home, and he
wouldn't go?' ''Oh, yes" said Mr.. Griffin.
Are you that MANI" Yes, l am THAI
man. said the other. 81 would like to have
YOU pray for me. | have committed muir
der, and | must die. but | don't want to :r'
out of this world. until some one prays for
me. You are my fathers friend and
wonld like to have you pray for me-"
Mr.. Griffin went from judicial authority to
Judicial authority to get the young mans
pardon. He slept not night nor day. He
went from influential person to influential
person until some way be got that young
mans pardon. He came down on the dock,
and as he arrived on the dock with the par.
don the father came. He had heard that his
son, under a disguised name. had been COM
hitting crime and was going to be put to
death. So Mr.. Griffin and the father went
on the ships deck, and at the very moment
Mr.. Griffin offered the pardon to the young
man, the old father threw his arms around
the sons neck and the son said Father, !
have done very wrong and l am very sorry.
| wish | hao never broken your heart. l am
very sorry" 'Oh" said the father. don't
mention it, it don't make any difference
now. 1t is all over. l forgive you. my son, y
and he kissed him and kissed him and kissed
am.
To-day | offer you the pardonof the Gospel
full pardon, free pardon. | do not care
what your sin has been. Though you say
you have committed a crime against God,
against your own soul, against your fellow
man, against your family, against the day
of judgment, against the cross OF Chr.S>-
whatever your crime has been, here 4
pardon, full pardon, and the very moment
that you take that pardon your heavenly
Father throws His arms around about you
and says. My son, forgive YOU. Its all
right. You are as much III Nj favor no" As
if you had never slnned." q, there IS ~ on
earth and joy III heaven. ho viii take the
Fathers embrace
There was Il gentleman i'll 4 rail car wilC.
saw in that same car three passenger, III
very different circumstances. The trst Was
a maniac. He was carefully guarded by his
attendants. His mind, like a ship disnastej,
was beating against a dark, desOlate coast,
from which no help could come. The train
stopped, and the man was taken out into tina
asylum to waste away, perhaps, through
years OF gloom The second passenger was a
culprlt. The outraged law had seized on
him. AS the cars jolted the chains ratified.
On his face We're CRIME, depravlty and
despair. The train halted AMI he
was taken out to the pen.tcntiary,
to which he had been contentued.
There was the third passenger. under
far different circumstances. She was
a bride, Every hour w. gay as a marriage
Ueil. Il1e gutierrez ana beckOu1d. Her
companion WAS taking her to his fathers
house. the train halted The old man was
there TO welcome her To her Lew home, aud
his white locks showed down upon her as he
sealed his word with II fathers KISS.
Quickly we fly toWar! eternity We will
soon be there. Some leave this lie con-
demned. Oh, may it be with Us, that, leav-
ing this fieetinS life for the next, we may
hnd our Father Ready - greet is 70 oar new
home with Him for:. I'll. That Will H.. a
marrag. banquet Father, welcome.
Fathers bosom! Fathers kiss! Heaven
Heaven