The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1893-03-24

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prayers will be secular advantage. A
father went into the war to serve hi
country. His children stayed and cul
tivated the farm. His wife prayed. One
of the sons said afterward, Father il
fighting, and we are digging, and moth
er is praying" "Ah," said some one
praying and digging and fighting viii
bring us out of our national troubles"
We may pray in the morning, "Givt
us this day our daily Bread" and sit
down in idleness and starve to death
but prayer and hard work will give 6
livelihood to any family. Family reli
gion pays for both worlds. Let us have
an altar in each one of our households
You may not be able to formulate a
prayer. Then there are Philip Henry's
prayers, and there are McDuff's prayers,
and there are Philip Doddridges prayers,
and there are the Episcopal church pray
ers, and there are scores of books with
supplications just suited to the domestic
circle.
MOTHERS OF THE GOOD AND THE EVIL.
"Oh," says some man, II don't feel
competent to lead my household in pray
er." Well, / do not know that it is your
duty to lead. I think perhaps it is
sometimes better for the mother of the
household to lead. She knows better the
wants of the household. She can read
the Scriptures with a more tender enun-
citation. She knows more Of God. Twill
put it plainly and say she prays better
Oh, these mothers decide almost every
thing Nero's mother was a murderess.
Lord Byron's mother was naughty and
impious. You might have guessed that
from their children.
Walter SCOTS mother was fond of
poetry. Washingtons mother was patri-
otto. Samuel Budgets mother was thor
ough Christian. st. Demands mother
was noble minded. So you might have
guessed from their children. Good men
always have good mothers. There may
once in 10 or 90 years be an exception to
the rule. but it is only an exception. Ben
jamin Vests mother kissed him after
she had seen his first wonderful sketch
with the pencil. Benjamin West after
ward said, That kiss made me painter"
A young man received a furlough to
return from the army to his fathers
house. Afterward he took the furlough
back to the officer, saying, II would like
to postpone my visit for two weeks" At
the end of the two weeks he came and
got the furlough He was asked why he
waited. Well he replied, when |
left home told my mother ! would be
Christian in the army, and was resolved
not to go home until could answer her
first question" Oh, the almost omnipo-
tent power of the mother! But if both
the father and the mother be right, then
the children are almost sure to be right.
The young people may make wide
curve from the straight path, but they
are almost sure to come back to the right
road. 1t may not be until the death of
one of the parents.
How often it is that we hear some one
say. "Oh. he was wild young man, but
since his fathers death he has been diff
ferentv' The fact is that the fathers
coffin OF the mothers coffin is often the
alter of repentance for the child. Oh,
that was stupendous day, the day of
fathers burial 1t was not the oficiat-
ing clergyman who made the chief i'm
preston, nor the sylnpathizing mourn
ers 1t was the father asleep in the cas-
ket.
The hands that had toiled for that
household so long, folded The brain
cooled off after 90 or 40 years of anxiety
about how to put that family in right
position. The lips closed after SO many
years of good advice. There are more
tears falling in mothers grave than in
fathers grave. hut over the fathers
tomb think there is kind of ave. 1t
is at that marble pillar many young
man has been revolutioniZed.
ANCESTRAL RELIGION.
Oh young man with cheek flushed
with dissipation! how long is it since you
have been out to your fathers grave?
Will you not go this week? Perhaps the
storms of the last few days may have
oent the headstone until it leans far
over You had better go out and see
the lettering has been defaced.
You had better go out and see whether
he gate of the lot is closed. You had |
better go and see if you cannot find a
ermon in the springing grass. Oh, young
nan, go out this week and see your fa-
hers grave!
Religion did so much for our Christian |
ncestry, are we not ready this morning
o be willing to receive it into our own
Iouseholds? If we do receive it, let it
ONE through the front door, not through
he back door. In other words, do not
ct us smuggle it in. There are great
many families who want to be religious,
nut they do not want anybody outside to
now it. They would be mortified to
cath if you caught them at family pray
rs. They would not sing in the wor-
hip for fear the neighbors would hear
hem. They do not have prayers when
hey have company.
They do not know much about the
lobility of the western trapper. A trav-
Ter going along was overtaken by night
nd storm, and he entered a cabin.
here were firearms hung up around the
abin. He was alarmed. He had q
arge amount of money with him, but he
i'd not dare to venture on into the night
n the storm. He did not like the looks
f the household. After awhile the