The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-10-15

to-day-as well as he ever was. Where
| is the broken vow? There is a man
who said long ago: IF could live to
the year 1892, by that time l will have
my business matters all arranged, and
will have time to attend to religion.
and will be q good, thorough, conse-
Grated Christian. The year 1892 has
come, January, February, March. April,
May, June, July-fully half Of the year
gone. Where is your broken vowP
s'Oh," says some man, ''I'n attend to
that when can get my character fixed
up, when can get over my evil habits;
/ am now given to strong drink" or,
says the man, II am given to unclean-
ness" or, says the man, II am given to
dishonesty. When get over my pres
emit habit, then I'll be q thorough
Christian" My brother, you will get
worse and worse until Christ takes you
in hand "Not the righteous, sinners
Jesus came to save"
will tell you of two prodigalA the
one that got back and the other that
did not get back. In Richmond, Va,
there is a very prosperous and beauti
full home in many respects. A young
man wandered of from that home.
He wandered very far into sin.
They heard of him often, but he
was always on the wrong track.
He would not go home. At the door
of That beautiful home one night there
was great outcry. The young man
of the house ran down and opened the
door to see what was the matter. It
was midnight. The rest of the family
were asleep. There were the wife and
children Of this prodigal young man.
The fact was he had come
home and driven them out.
He said: ''Out of this house,
Away with these children; will dash
their brains out. Out into the storm p
The mother gathered them up and
fed. The next morning, the brother, q
Young man who had staid at home,
went out to find this prodigal brother
and son, and he came where he was,
and saw the young man wandering up
and down in front of the place where
he had been staying, and the young
man who had kept his in
tegrity said to the older brother,
"Here, what does this mean
what is the matter with you? Why do
| you act in this way2" The prodigal
looked at him and said: "Who am n
Whom do you take me to be?" He said:
"You are my brother" mo, am not
1 am brute. Have you seen anything
of my wife and children? Are
they dead? drove them out last
night in the storm. / am brute.
John, do you think there is any
help for me? DO you think l will ever
get over this life of dissipation? 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 I'll stop it before
night. Oh! my brain; can stand 1t no
longer" That prodigal never got home.
But will tell you of a prodigal that did
get home
In this country two young men
started from their fether's house and
went down to Portsmouth. The father
could not pursue his children; for soma
reason he could not leave home, and SO
he wrote q letter down to Mr.. Griffin,
saying: "Mr. Griffin, / wish you would
go and see my two sons. They have ar.
rived in Portsmouth and they are going
to take ship, and going away from
home. wish you would persuade
them back" Mr.. Griffin went and he
tried to persuade them back. He per-
suaded one to go. He went with
very easy persuasion because he was
very homesick already. The other
young man said: 81 will not go.
1 have had enough of home. I'll
never go home" "Well," said Mr..
Griffin, ''then if you won't go home,
I'll get you respectable position on a
respectable ship" mo, you WON'T"
said the prodigal; mo, you won't. I
am going as q 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 wac
seated in his study one day when q
message came to him saying there was
a young man IN front on a ship at the
dock--a young man condemned to death
who wished to see this clergyman.
Mr.. Griffin went down to the dock
and went on shipboard. The young
man said to him: "You don't know
me, do you?" "No." he said, II
don't know YOU" why, don't you
remember that young man you tried to
persuade to go home and he wouldn't
go?" o! yes" said Mr.. Griffin, "are you
that man?" Eyes, 1 am that man, ~
said the other. 81 would like to have
you pray for me. / have committed
murder and / must die; but 1 don't want
to go out of this world until some one
prays for me. You are my fathers
friend, and would like to have you
pray for me-"
Mr.. Griffin went from judicial author
ity to judicial authority to get that
young mans pardon. He slept not
night nor day. He went from in.
fluential person to influential person
until in some way he got that young
mans pardon. He came down on the
dock, and as he arrived on the dock
with the pardon the father came. He
l L Il 4 L. IL = 4