Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-04-22

tips OF the forefinger and thumb CT her right
hand, and they will tell you the story OF the
needle that was piled day in and day out
Yea, look at both her hands. and they will
tell the story of the time when she did her
own work. her own mending and scrubbing
and washing.
Yea, look into the face and read the story
of scarlet fevers and groups and midnight
watchings, then none but God and herself IN
tkeS house were awake. and then the burialS
and the loneliness after ward, which was
more exhausting than the preceding watch
ing had been, and no one now to put to bed.
How fair she once was, and as TAR as the
palm tree but all the branches OF her
strength and beauty were long ago torn OH
and thrown into the pathway OF her house
hold,
Alas! that sons and daughters, themselves
so straight and graceful and educated,
should ever forget that they are walking to
day over the fallen strength OF an INDUS
trious and honored parentage. A little
ashamed, are you, at their ungramuatlcai
utterances? It was through their sacrifices
that you learned accuracy of speech. DO
yoa lose patience with them because they
are little querulOuS and complaining.
guess you have forgotten how querulous
and complaining you were when you were
getting over that whoopiug cough or that
intermittent fever. A little annoyed, are
you, because her hearing is poor and you
have to tell her something twice? She was
not always hard of hearing. When you
were two years old your first call for
drink at midnight woke her from sound
sleep as quick as any one will waken at the
trumpet call Of the resurrection.
Oh, my Young lady, what is that under
the sole of your fine shoes9 It is palm leaf
which was torn off the tree of maternal
fidelity. Young merchant, young lawyer,
young journalist, young mechanic with
good salary and fine clothes and refined sur
n -6n%
your father had that winter, after the sum-
mer's crops had failed through droughts or
floods or locust, and how he wore his old
coat too long and made his old hat do that
ne might keep you at school or college?
What is that my young man, under your
fine boot to-day, the boot that we'll fits
your foot, such boot as your father could
never afford to wear?
It must be a leaf from the palm tree or
your fathers self-sacriices. Do not be
ashamed of him when he comes to town, and
because his manners are little old fashioned
try to smuggle him in and smuggle him out,
but call in your best friends and take him to
the house OF God and introduce him to your
pastor. and say: This is my father" If he
had kept for himself the advantages which
he gave you he would be as we'll educated
and as we'll gotten up as you. When in the
English Parliament member was making
a great speech that unanswerable a
Lord derisively cried out, II remember you
when you blackened my fathers boots!'
''Yes," reDlied the man land did not do it
well?" Never be ashamed of your early
surroundings. Yes, yes, all the green leaves
we walk over we're torn off some palm tree.
l have cultivated the habit of forgetting
the unpleasant things of life, and l chiefly
remember the smooth things, and as far as
remember now my lite has for the most
part moved over a road soft with green
leaves. They were torn Off two palm trees
that stood at the start of the road. The
prayers, the Christian example, the good
advice, the hard work of my father and
mother. How they toied! Their fingers
were knotted with hard work. Their fore
heads were wrinkled with many cares.
Their backs stopped from carrying our
burdens.
They long ago went into slumber among
their kindred and friends on the banks of
the Raritan, but the influences they threw in
the way of their children are yet green as
leaves the moment they are plucked from
palm tree, and we feel them on our brow
and under our feet, and they will strew all
the way until we lie down in the same slum-
Der. Self sacrifice! What thrilling word.
Glad am [ that our world has so many
specimens Of it. The sailor boy on ship
board was derided because he would not
fight or gamble and they called him a COW
ard. But when a child fell overheard and
no one else was ready to help, the derided
sailor leeped into the sea, and, though the
waves were rough, the sailor, swimming
arm till rescued and rescuer were lifted into
safety, and the cry of coward ceased and all
huzzaed at the scene of daring and self
sacrifice.
When recently Captain Burton, the great
author, died, he left a scientific book in
manuscript which he expected would be his
wife's fortune. He often told her so. He
said, This will make you Independent and
afiuent after l am gone" He suddenly
died, and it was expected that the wife would
publish the book. One publisher told her
he could himself make out of it 500, 000
But it was a book which. though written
with pure scientific design, she felt would
do immeasurable damage to public morals.
With the two large volumes, which had
cost her husband the work of years, she sat
down on the floor before ne fire and said to
herself, There is a fortune for me in this
book. and although my husband wrote it
with the right motive and scientific people
OF people it would be harmful and | know
it would damage the world Then she
took apart the manuscript sheet after sheet
and put it INTO the fire, until the last line
was consumed. Bravo! She flung her
livelihood, her home, her chief worldly
re sources IN Ter the best moral and religious
interests OF the world.
How much are we willing to sacrifice for
others? Christ is a. gain the march, not
from BethDage to Jerusalem, but for the
conquest of the world He will surely take
it, but who will furnish the palm branches
tor the triumphant way? Self sacrifice is
the word. There is more money paid to de-
stroy the world than to save it. There are
more buildings put up to ruin the race than
churches to evangelIze it. There is more de-
PRAYED literature to blast men than good
literature to elevate them.
On, tor a power to descend upon US all like
that which whelmed Charles 6. Finney with