Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-12-23

No work on the farm that day, for when
a bad boy rep .n5s an comes back promis-
ing TO do better, God knows that Is enough
for one day, And they began TO be merry"
Picture-''Prodigal Son Returned From the
Wilderness" So God. our Mother, teaches
US everything by pictures. The sinner IS
lost sheep. J asus is the bridegroom. The
useless man a barren hy tree The Gospel
is great supper. Satan, Sower OF tares.
could not have uuderstoo in the abstract
statement God. our Mother, presents TO us
in this Bible ~'bum OF pictures. God en-.
graved. As not the divine maternity ever
thus teaching u.s.
remark again that God has mothers
favoritism. Afather sometimes shows sort
Of favoritigm Here is Loy-stronZ well, OF
high forehead and quick intellect. The
father saws II will take that boy into nv
firm yet." or. I will give him the very best
possible education" There are instances
where, for the culture of the one boy, all
the others have been robbed. A san favor
itsm, but that is not the mothers favorlte.
l will tell you bar favorlte.
There is a child who at two years Of age
had fall. He has never got over it The
scarlet fever muffiad his hearing. he Is not
what he once was That child has caused
the mother more anxious nights than all the
other children. II he coughs in the night
she springs out of sound sleep and goes to
him. The last thing she does when going
out of the house is to give charge in re-
gard to him. The first thing on coming IN
is to ask in regard to him.
Why, the children of the family all know
that he is the favorite aCdsay: Mother, you
ct him do just as he pleases, and you give
him great many things which you do not
give US. He is your favorite." The mother
smiles: she knows it is so. So he ought to be.
for if there is any one in the world that needs
sympathy more than another it Is an Invalid
child, weary on the first mile OF life jour
ney-carrying At aching head, weak slde
an irritated IunP. 30 the mother ought 60
favoriteS. Whom the Lord loveth He
chasteneth''-tba is, one whom He especial
ly loves He chasteneth.
God loves us all, but there is one weak
and sick and sore AMI wounded and suffer-
ing and faint9 That is the Qua who lies
nearest and moro perpetualIy on the great
loving heart of God. Why, it never coughs
but our Mother-Go1-hears it. 1t never
stirs a weary limb in this bed but our Mother
-God-knows of it. There is such a
watcher as God. The best nurse may be
overborne by fatigue and fall asleep in the
chair; but God, our Mother, after being up
a year of nights with suffering child, never
Siumbers or sleeps.
oh" says one, 81 cannot understand all
that about affection" A ref1er of silver
once explained it to Christian lady: Il pat
the silver in the fire, and l keep refining it
and trying it till l can see my face io it. and
L then take it OUT Just SO it IS that God
keeps His dear children in the furnace till
the divine image may he seen in them:
then they are taken out Of the fire. "Wel
says some enc, III that is the way that God
treats His favorites, 1 do not want to be
favorite."
There is barren field on an autumn day
just wanting to be let alone There is a
bang at the bar and a rattle OF wnih strees
and clevises. Toe field says, what is the
tO
farmer puts thu pillow in the ground, shouts
to the horses, the Golfer gOss tearing through
the sod, and the furrOw reaches from fence
to fence. Next day there is bang at the
bars AMI rattle of whff1strees again. The
field says, Il wonder what the farmer is go
ing to do nowe' The farmer bitches the
horses to the barrow, and it goes bounding
and tearing across the field.
Next day there is rattle at the bars
again, and the field says, "What is the far
mer going to do now?" He walks heavily
across the field, scattering seed as he walks.
After awhile cloud comes. The field says.
What. more troubleW It begins to rain.
After awhile the wind changes to the north
east and it gins to snow. Says the field
lis it not enough that have bean torn aud
trampled upon and drowne1? Must I now
0s showed un1erp' After awhile spring
comes out Of the gates Of the south, and
warmth and gladness come with it. A green
scarf bandages the cash Of the wheat field,
and the July morning drops a crown Of gold
on the head Of the grain.
oh" says the field now I know the use
of the pillow, of the harrow. Of the heavy
foot of the shower and OF thu snowstorul
1t is we'll enough to be trodden and
trampled and drowned and showed under il
in the end can yield SUCH a glorious har.
vest" He that goeth forth and weepeth
bearing precious seed, shall doubtless coma
again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves
with him"
When [ see God especially busy in trou-
bling and trying Christian know that out
o. Gnat Christians character there IS to
come some especial god. A quarryman
goes down into the excavation, and with
strong handed machinery bores into the
rock The rock says, What do you do
that fCr? He puts powder in; he lights a
fuse. There is laundering crash. The
rock says, why, the whole mountain is
going to pieces" The crowbar is plunged;
the rock is dragged out. After awhile it is
taken into the artists studio. It says,
well, now have got goo1, warm. COM
Portable place at last"
But the sculptor takes the chisel an ! mall
let, and he digs for the eyes, aud he cuts for
the r.outh, and he bores for the ear, and he
rubs it with sandpape until the rock says,
"When will this torture be ended?' A sheet
is thrown over it. 1t stands in darkness.
After awhile it is taken out. The covering
is removed. It stands in the sunlight, in the
presence of ten thousand applauding people,
they greet the statute OF the poet, or the
prince, or the conqueror.
All" says the stone 'now [ understand
it. l am great deal better of now stand
ing as statue of a conQueror than would
have been down in the quarry" So God
finds man down in the quarry OF ignorance
and sin. How to get him up? He must be
bored and blastei and chiseied aud secured
and stand sometimes in the darkness.
But after awhile the mantle Of aff1iction