The Opelousas courier., 1892-10-08

IS gone ana DroJners n sIsgsrs ali gone. L
think this young man of the taxi said to him
self, Perhaps father may be dead" Still
he startsto find out. He is hoTesick. Are
there. any here to-day homesick for God,
homesick for heavens
I viii tell you of two prodigals, the one
that got back and the other that did not get
b. X. In Richmond there is q very prosper
GUS and beautiful home in many rasnects-
a young man WanQeFeI on EFOm 6uaG nome.
He wandered very far into sin. They heard
of him often, but he was always ia the
wrong track. He would not go home. At
the door of that beautiful home II night
there was a great cutlery. The young man
of the house ran down and opsned the door
to see what was the matter. 1t was mid
night. The rest of the family were asleep.
proGigai young man. Inc IacJ was ne nad
come home and driven them out.
He SAID. 'Out of this house. Away with
these children. I will dash their brains put.
Out into the stormsP' The mother gathered
them up and fled. The g x morning the
brother. a young man who had staid at
home, went out TO find this prodigai brother
and son, and he came where he was and saw
the young man wandering up AMI down in
front of the place where he hal been stay
ing, and the young man who had kept his IN
tegrity said TO the older brother: Here,
WHaG HCGS UQlS L16dH. w udG Is Gu6 lIdOU0E
with you? Why do you act in this ways" The
prodigal looked at him and said: "Who am
I? Whom do you take me to be-,
He said: You are my brother" mo, [
am not. / am a brute. Have you seen any
thing of my VIM and children? Are they
dead? I drove them out last night in the
storm. am q brute, John, do you thi nix.
will ever get over this life of dissipation g'
He said, John, there is just one thing that
will stop this" The prodigal ran his finger
across his throat and said: That will stop
it, and Pn stop it before night. Oh, my
brain; [ can stand it no longerp That prod
igal never got home. But l will tell you of
a prodigal that did get home.
II CHS country two young men started
from their fathers house and went down to
Portsmouth. The father could not pursue
his children; for some reason he could not
leave home, and so he wrote g letter down
to Mr.. Griffin, saving, Mr.. Griffin, | wish
you would go and see my two sons. They
have arrived in Portsmouth. and they are
going to take ship and going away from
home; l wish you would persuade them
back" Mr.. Griffin vent and be tried
to persuade them back. He persuaded
one to go. He went with v5fy easy
persuasion, because he was very homesick
already. The other young man said: II
will not go. I nave had enough of home.
I'll never go home" sWeII," said Mr.,
Griffin, then il you won't &c. home I'll get
you a respectable position on a respectable
ship" mo, you WON'T" said the prodigal;
mo, you won't. | am going as a common
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 Gy when a message
came tohim saying there was a young man
in irons on q ship at the dock-a Young man
condemned to death-who wished to see this
clergyman, MIR. Griffin went down to the
dock and g on ship board. Tn young
man said to him. You don't know ms, do
your NO." he said, Il don't know YOU"
why. JOINT you remember that young man
you trRd to persuade to go home and he
WOULDN'T goP' "Oh, yes" sail Mr.. Griffin.
ARE you that MANI eyes, I am that mani
said the other. a would like to have YOU
pray for me. have committed murder and
/ mustdie, but I don't want to go out of this
world antii some one prays for me. You
are my fathers friend and l would like to
a you pray for me-"
Mr.. Griffin went from judicial authority
to judicial authority to get that Young
mans pardon. He slept not night nor day.
He went from influential persons to indu.
entail persons until i'll SONS way he got that
young mans pardon. He came down on
JUG uOChs dRt1 ES nG dGIlN64 Oil ba3 COCK
with the pardon the father came. He hal
heard that his son under a disguised name
had been committing crime and was going
TO be put to death. So Mr.. Griffin and the
father went on ships decs, and at the very
moment Mr.. Griffin offered the pardon to
the yonng man the old father threw his
arms around the sons neck and the SON said:
Father. l nave done very wrong and I am
very sorry. I wish | had never broken your
heart. am very sorry" ''Oh," said the
father, don't mention it. 1t dent make any
difference now. 1t is all oyer. I forgive you,
my son" and he kissed him and he kissed
him and he kissed him.
To-day I offer you the pardon of the Cos,
pel-fuil pardon, free pardon. 1 do not
care what your crime has been. Though
you say You have committe | a crime against
tod, against your own soul, against your
fellow man, against your family, against
the day of Judgment, against the cross of
Christ-whatever your crime has been, here
is pardon, full pardon, and the very mo-
ment you take that parion your heavenly
Father throws his arms about you and says:
..My son, / forgive you. lt is all right.
You are as mu n in My favor now as if you
had never sinned." Oh, there is joy on
earth and ty in heaveni Who will take
the Fathers embrace?