Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1892-06-03

you must 60 back thirty or forty, or per
haps sixty years to the homestead where
this man was brought up, 1t is a winter
morning, and the tallow candle is lighted
and the fires are kindled sometimes the
shavings hardly enough to start the wood.
The mother is preparing the breakfast, the
blue edged dishes are on the table. and the
lid Of the kettle on the hearth ucgins TO
rattle with the stseni and the shadow Of
the industrious woman by tie iiieHering
fame on tie hearth is moved ZIP and down
the wall The father IS at the barn feed
ing she stock-tle oats thrown into tie
horses' bin ard tie cattle crauncaing the
corn The children, earlier than they
would like and after being called twice,
arc gathered at tie table.
The blessing of God is asked ON the food,
and the meal over the family Bible is put
upon the white table cloth, and a chapter
is read ANA prayer made, which includes
al the interests for this world and the
next The children pay not so much at
teution to the prayer, for it is about the
same thing day after day, but it puts upon
them an impression that ten thousand
years viii only make more vivid and ire
mendous As long as the old folks live
their prayer is for their children and their
cbildren's children. Day in and day out
month in and month out, year ia and year
out, decade in and decade ont the sons and
daughters Of that family are remembered
in earnest prayer, and they know it, and
they feel it, and they cannot 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 be-
tween fathers going and mothers going
two funerals put out Of sight the old folks.
But where are the childreni The daugh-
tiers are in homes where they are incaIna-
lions of good sense, industry and piety.
The sons, perhaps one farmer, another a
merchant, another a mechanic, another q
physician, another aministerof the Gospel
useful, consistent, admired, hOnored. What
o power for good those seven sons and
daughtcrsl Where did they get the power9
From the schools, and the seminaries, and
the colleges2 Oh, no. though these may
have helped. From their superior mental
endowmentY No, do not think they bad
unusual mental ealiber. Fsom accidental
circumstances No, they had u0thing OF
what is called astounding good luck.
INFLUENCE or EARLY AsS0CIATloNs.
] think we will take train and ride Ia
the depot nearest to the homestead from
which those men and women started The
train halts. Let us stop few minutes at
the village graveyard and see the tomb
stones Of the parents. Yes, the one was
seventy-four years Of age and the oJhel
seventy-two, and the epitaph says that
after useful life they died Christian
death.n How appropriately the Scripture
passage cut on the mothers tombstone
''She hath done what she could And
Y faf hf4asi
4 tombstone, Blessed are the dead who die
in the Lord, for they rest from their labors
4 and their works do follow them"
On over the country road we ride-thC
road little rough, for the spring weather
4 is not quite settled and once down in a rut
/ &c is hard to get the wheels ont again with
out breaking the shafts. But at last we
come to the lane in front of the farmhouse.
1 Let me get out Of the wagon and open the
1 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
I in other hands. Wonder is the orchard
/ where they used to thrash the trees f0l
apples, sometimes before they were quite
/ ripe. There is the NOW where they hunted
4 for eggs before Easter. There is the door
sill upon which they used TO sit. There Is
/ the room in which they had family prayers
/ ard where they all knelt-the father there
| the mother there, and the boys and girl:
there.
We have got to the fountain of pious and
gracious influences mt last. That is th'
place that decided those seven earthly an6
I immortal destinies. Behold Behold THAI
is the secret place Of thunder Boys arr
seldom more than their fathers will lei
them be- Girls are seldom more than theii
mothers will let them be. But there come
times when it seems that parents cannot
control their children. There come times
in q boys life when he thinks he knows
more than his father does, and Temenbel
now that knew more at fifteen years o
age than have ever known since.
There come times in a girls life whel
she thinks her mother is noJioual and doe
not understand what is proper and best
and the sweet child says cob, pshawp
ana she longs for the time when she vii
not have to be dictated to, and size goe
cut of the door or gees to bed with poutinl
Inns. and these mothers remember TO
themselves that they knew more at four
teen years Of age than they have eve
known since. But father and mother d.
not think you have lost your influence owe
YOUR child. You have resource OF praye
that puts the sympathetic and omnipoten
God into your parental undertaking. d.
not waste your time in reading films.
books about the best ways to bring al
children. Go into the secret place Of thun
der.
The reason that we ministers do not &C
complish more is because others do no
pray enough for us and we do not pra,
enough for ourselves. Every minister coul
tell you thrilling story Of sernons-ser
mons nasty and inpromptus because o
funerals and sickbeds and annoyances il
the parish; yet those sermons harvesting
many souls for GCd. And then Of sermon
prepared with great care and research an
toll uninterrupted; yet those sermons fall
ing fat or p0werless Or of the same ser
mon nightly blessed on one occasion an
useless on another How well / reinenhe
a sermon I preached at a great outdoo
meeting in the upper part Of this state.
For several DAYS in that place prayer
had been offered for the success OF tn
service. ard had myself been UNUSUAL.
prayerfui. and we had IA Pentecostnl bless
inc while was preaching il. That after
noon took the train Tor great outdoo
meeting IN Ohio said to myself, I'm
sermon was blessed today ami i is iresh I
my mind and ] will preach 10 tomorrow
Ohio And ] di@ preach il, lnt lot IN g
prayerful a spirit, aad ] tAnk no one eis
had been praying about u, ard li JlFne
INTO the most inane and prodticsa dlsconfs
lnat ever delivered. lt WAS practical
the same sermon, but on Wednesday It ils
on it a power that comes from tie secrt
place Of thunder, and on Thursday it ma
on it no such power nc ell.
alHrr mr. rr