The Bossier banner., 1894-11-08
NUMBER 81.

KNOWS tnat there Is change IN the
wife and mother. She chides the
children more gently. Her face
sometimes lights up with an un-
earthly glow. She goes into some
unoccupied room for little while, and
the husband goes not after her, nor
asks her why she was there. He knows
without asking thatshe has been pray
ing. The husband notices that her
face is brighter than on the day when,
years ago, they stood at the marriage
altar, and he knows that Jesus has been
putting upon her brow a wreath sweet
er than the orange blossom. She puts
the children to bed, not satisfied with
| the formal prayer that they once of
fered, but she fingers now and tells
them of Jesus who blessed little chill
dren, and of the good place where they
all hope to be at last. And then she
kisses them goodnight with something
that the child feels to be heavenly
benediction--a something that shall
hold on to the boy after he has become
man forty or fifty years of age; for
| there is something in a good, loving
Christian mothers kiss that fifty years
| can not wipe or the cheek.
| Now the husband is distressed and
annoyed, and almost vexed. If she
would only speak to him, he would
elbow her up" He does not like to
say anything about it, but he knows
that she has hope that he has not,
and peace that he has not; he knows
that, dying as he now is, he can not
go to the same place. He can not
stand it any longer. Some Sunday
night, as they sit in church, side by
| side, the floods of his soul break
forth. He wants to pray, but does not
know how. He hides his face, lest
some of his worldly friends see him;
but Gods spirit arouses him, melts
him, overwhelms him. And they go
| home-hus usband and wife-in silence,
until they get to their room, when he
cries out: "Oh, pray for mel'' And
they kneel down. They can not speak
does not want any words. He looks
down and answers sob, and
groan, and outgushing tenderness.
That night they do not sleep
any for talking of all the
years wasted, and of that Saviour who
ceased not to call. Before morning
they have laid their plans for a new
| life. Morning comes Father and
mother descend from the bedroom
The children do not know what is the
matter. They never saw father with
Bible in his hand before. He says:
''Come children, want you all to sit
down while we read and pray" The
| children look at each other, and are
almost disposed to laugh; but they see
their parents are in deep earnest. 1t
| is a short chapter that the father
reads. He is good reader at other
times, but now he does not get on
much. He sees so much to linger
on. His voice trembles. Everything is
SO strangely new to him. They kneel
that is, the father and mother do;
but the children come down one by
one. They do not know that they
must. 1t is some time before they all
get down. The sentences are broken.
| The phrases are little ungrammatic-
al. The prayer begins abruptly and
ends abruptly; but, as far as / can
understand what they mean, it is
about this: so, Saviour! help us!
| We do not know how to pray.
| Teach us. We can not live
any longer in the way we have been
| living. We start to-day for Heaven.
Help us to take these children along
with u.s.. Forgive us for all the past,
| Strengthen us for all the future. And
when the journey is over, take us
where Jesus is, and where the little
babe is that we lost. Amen!' 1t ended
very abruptly; but the angels came
out and leaned SO far over to listen,
| they would have fallen off the battle
ment but for stroke of their wings,
and cried: 'Hark! bark! Behold! he
prays"
| Up to forty years men work for
themselves; after that, for their chill
dren. Now, what do you propose to
leave them2 Nothing but dollarsl
| Alas! what an inheritance! It is more
likely to be curse than blessing.
Your own common sense and observa-
tion tell you that money, without the
Divine blessing, is curse. You
must soon leave your children.
Your shoulders are not so strong
as they were, and you know that
they will soon have to carry their own
burdens. Your eyesight is not SO clear
as once; they will soon have to pick
out their own way. Your arm is not
so mighty as once; they will soon have
to fight their own battles. OH let it
not be told on judgment day that you
letyour family start without the only
safeguard-the religion of Christ.
Give yourself no rest until your
children are the sons and daughters of
the Lord Almighty. Your son does
Just as you do. He tries to walk like
| you, and talk like you. The daughter
initiates the mother. Alast if father
and mother miss Heaven, tire children
will. Oh! let Jesus come into your
house. Do not bolt the hall door, or
the parlor door, or the kitchen door,
or the bedroom door against Him.
Above all, do not bolt your heart.
The nimble sixpence out travels
the slower shilling. A penny will pass
through a hundred hands while a
pound rests safety in some capacious