Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-06-10


wears TO the homestead where this man was
brought up. It is winter morning, and the
tailow candle is lighted, and the fires ara
kindied sometimes the shavlngs hardly
enough TO start the wood. The mother Is
preparing the breakfast, the blue edged
dishes are on the table, and the lid OF tbs
kettle on the hearth begins TO rattle with the
steam, and the shadow of the industrious
woman by the Pickering flame on the hearth
is moved I'D and down the wall The father
is at the barn feeding the stock-the oats
thrown into the horses bin and the cattle
craunching the corn. The children, Garner
than they would like and after being called
twice, gathered at the table,
The blessing Of God is asked on the 1000,
and, the meal over, the family Bible is put
upon the white tablecloth and chapter Is
read and a prayer made. which includes all
the interests for this world and the next.
The children pay not much attention TO the
prayer for it is about the same thing day
after day, but it puts upon them an impress
sion that ten thousand years will only make
more vivid and tremendous. As long as the
old folks live their prayer IS for their chill
dren and their childrens children. Day in
and day out month in and month out, year
in and year out decade in and decade out
the sons and daughters of that family are
remembered in earnest PRAYER. and they
Know lT, and they teeI 1t, and tneY cannO
get away from it.
Two funerals after awhile-not more than
two years apart for it is seldom that there
Is more than that lapse OF time between
fathers going and mothers going-two
funerals put out Of sight the old folks. But
where are the children? The daughters are
IN homes where they are incarnations of
good sense, industry and piety. The sons,
perhaps one far mer, another merchant,
another a mechanic, another minister Of
the Gospel, useful, consistent, admired,
honored. What a power for good those
seven sons and daughters! Where did they
get the power? From the schools and the
seminaries. and the colleges? Oh, no. though
these may have helped. From their superior
mental endowment? No, I do not think
they had unusual mental calfber. From ac-
cidental circumstances? No. they had moth
ing of what is callei astounding good luck.
think we will take train and ride to the
depot nearest to the homestead from which
those men and women started. The train
halts. Let us stop few minutes at the vii
Iage graveyard andsee the tombstones Of the
parents. Yes, the one vas seventv-four
years of age and the other was seventy-two,
and the epitaph says that latter useful life
they died Christian DEATH" How appro-
prlately the Scripture passage cut on the
mothers tombstone 'She hath done what
she could" And how beautiful the passage
cut on the fathers tombstone, BLESSED are
the dead who die in the L7-d, for they rest
from their labors and their works do follow
them"
On over the country road we ride-the
road a little rough, for the spring weather
III
it is hard to get the wheels out again with
out breaking the shafts. But at last we
come to the lane IN front Of the farmhouse.
Let me get out of the wagon and open the
gate while you drive through. Here is the
arbor under which those boys and girls many
years ago used to play. But it is quite
out Of order now, for the property is
In other hands. Yonder is the orchard
where they used to thrash the trees for
apples, sometimes before they were quite
IS mo yrh fhoEI hmm tod fNTs
eggs before Easter. There is the doorsll
upon which they used to sit. There is the
room in which they had family prayers and
where they all knelt-the father there, the
mother there and the boys and girls there.
We have got to the fountain of pious and
gracious influences at last. That is the place
that decided those seven earthly and i'm
mortal destinies. Behold Behold That
is the secret place of thunder. Boys are sell
dom more than their fathers will let them
be. Girls are seldom more than their mothers
will let them be. But there come times when
it seems that parents cannot control their
children. There come times In boys life
when he thinks he knows more than his
father does, and I remember now that I
knew more at fifteen years of age than
have ever known since.
There come times in a girls life when she
thinks her mother is notional and does not
understand what is proper and best, and the
sweet child says, S'Oh, pshawV and she longs
for the time when she will not have to be
dictated to, and she goes out of the door or
goes to bed with pouting lips. and these
mothers remember for themselves that they
knew more at fourteen years of age than
they have ever known since. But, father
and mother do not think you have lost your
lnnuence over your child. You have re-
source of prayer that puts the sym pathetic
and omnipotent Col into your parental I'M
dertaking. Do not waste your time in read
ing f1imsy books about the best ways to
bring up children. Go into the secret place
OF thunder.
At nine o'clock Wednesday morning June
Is next, on the steamer City of New York,
l expect to sail for Liverpool, to be gone I'M
til September. 1t is in acceptance of many
invitations that am going on a preaching
tour. L expect to devote my time to preach.
ing the Gospel in England, Scotland, Ireland
and Sweden. L want to see how many souls
can gather for the kingdom of God. Those
countries have Tor many years belonged to
my parish, and go to speak to them and
shake hands with them. I want to visit
more thoroughly than before those regions
from which my ancestors came, Wales and
Scotland.
But who is sufficient for the work under
take? 1call upon you who have long been
my coadjutors to go into the secret place Of
the Almighty, and every day from now
until my work is done on the other side Of
the sea, to have me in your prayers. In
proportion to the intensity and continuance
and faith OF the prayers, yours and mine,
will be the results. If you remember me in
the devotional circle that will be WELL but
what L most want is your impor tuning,
your wrestling supplication in the secret
place OF thunder.
God and you alone may make me the
humble instrumentaiity in the redemption
Of thousands of souls. I shall preach in
churches in chapels and in the fields. Twill
make it a campaign for God and eternity,