The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-10

change in the wife and mother. She chides
the Children more gently. Her face some
times lights up with an unearthlY glow.
She goes into some unoccupied room for
little while, and the husband goes not after
her. nor asks why she was there. he knows
without asking that she has been pray1ne'
The husband notices that her face Is brighter
than on the daY when, years ago, tney $1,000
at the marriage altar. and he Knows tnat
Jesus has been putting upon her :oroW
wreath sweeter than the orange blossoms;
with the formal prayer that they once offered,
but she fingers now and tells them OF Jesus
who blessed little children and OF the good
pIoce where they all hope to be at last. And
then she kisses them good night with some
thing that the child feels to be heavenly
Misunderstanding that shall hold onto
the boy after he has become man forty OF
fifty years of age, for there Is something IN 8
good, loving, Christian mothers kiss that
fifty years cannot wipe of the cheek.
Now the husband Is distressed and an
moved and almost vexed. II she would only
sneak to him he would elbow her up" He
does not like to say anything about 1t, but
he knows that she has a hope that he has
not and peace that he has not. He knows
that, dying as he now Is, he cannot so TO the
Some Sunday night, as they sit in the 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 20 home, husband and wife, IN
silence. until they get to their room, when
he cries out, "Oh, pray for mel" And they
kneel down. They cannot speak. The
word will not come. But God 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 new life. Morn.
ing 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 Il want you all to sit
down while We read and pray" The chill
dren look at each other and are almost dis
posed to laugh, but they see their parents
are In deep earnest. It is short chapter
that the father reads. He Is q good reader
at other times, but now he does not get on
much. He sees 90 much TO linger on. bis
voice trsmbles. 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. It is some time before they all get
down. The sentences are broken. The
phrases are little ungrammattcal.
The prayer begins abruptly and ends abb
ruptly but, as far as can understand what
they mean. It Is about this: 20 Saviour,
help usi We do not know how to pray.
Teach us. We cannot live any longer In the
way we have been living. We start to-day
for heaven. Help US to take these children
along with us. 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.
Amenp' It 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 q stroke OF their wings and
cried "Hark, bark Behold, he prars!"
That night there Is rap at the bedroom
door. ''Who is there2" cries the father. It
is the Oldest child. "What Is the matter?
Are you sick2" "No; I want to be saved"
brought into the kingdom Of God. And
there Is great Joy In the house. Years pass
on. The telegraph goes click, click! What
Is the news flying over the country? "Come
home. Father Is dyingw The children all
gather. Some come In the last train. Some,
too late for the train, take a carriage across
the country. They stand around the dying
bed Of the father. The oldest son upholds
the mother and says '.Don't cry, mother. I
will take care Of you." The parting bless
ing Is given. No long admonition, for he
has, through years, been saying to his chill
dren all he had to say to them. It is plain
'good-by" and the remark, Il know you
Will all be kind to your mother" and all Is
over.
LIES duty done, as sinks the clay,
Light from It's load, the spirit flies
How bless'd the righteous when be dies.
Awhole family saved forever! II the de-
luge come, they are all in the ark-father,
mother, sons, daughters. Together on earth,
together In heaven. What makes 1t so? Ex.
plain IL. Zaccheus one day took Jesus home
with him. That Is all. Salvation came to
that house.
What sound is It I hear tonight It's
Jesus knocking at the door Of your house.
Behold o stranger at the door!
BE gently knocks-has knocked before.
II you gazed out Of your window and saw
me going up your front steps, you would not
wait, but 60 yourself to open the door. Will
you keep Jesus standing 90 the outside, His
locks wet with the dews Of the night2 This
great want of your house Is not a new carpet
or costlier pictures or richer furniture. Itis
Jesus!
Up to forty years men work for them
selves, after thar for their children. Now,
what do you propose to leave them. Nothing
but dollars? Alas, what an Inheritance! It
Is more likely to be q curse than blessing.
Your own common sense and observation
tell you that money, without the divine
blessing, Is q curse. You must soon leave
your children, Your shoulders are not 30
strong as they were, and you know that they
will soon have to carry their own burdens.
Your eyesignt 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 1t not be told on judgment daythat
you Let your 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 to talk like you. The
daughter initiates the mother. Alas, II
father and mother miss heaven. the 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 oedroom
door against Him. Above all, do not bolt
your heart.
Build your altar tonight. Take the family
Bible lying on the parlor table. Calltogether
as many OF your family as may be awake.
Read chapter, and then, If you can think
of nothing else besides the Lords Prayer,
say that. That will do. Heaven will have
begun In your house. You can put your head
on your pillow, feeling that, whether you
wake up In this world or the next, all is
we'll. In that great, ponderous book OF the
Judgment, where are recorded all the i'm
portant events Of the earth, you will read at
last the statement that this was the day
when salvation came.into your house. Oh,
Zaccheus, come down, come down! Jesus
Is passing by!