Democratic messenger., 1894-01-20

~ - H'i utHl.Httf. DtIoTe tne uecdue
has passed You can decide whether that
boy shall he Shylock or George
Peabody. Boys and girls are generally
ecliocs Of fathers and mothers. What
an incohcrent thing for "a mother out of
temper To punish child fer getting
mad, or for u father who smokes To shut
his boy up in a dark closet because he
has found him with an old stump of a
cigar in his mouth. or for that mother
10 rebuke her daughter for staring at
herself too much in tho looking glass
when the mother has her own mirrors
So arranged as TO repeat her form from
all sides! The great English poet g
lOosr moral character was decided he
fore he left the nursery. and his school
master in the schoolroom overheard this
conversation: Byron. your mother ,s
a fool. and he answered. II know il. "
You can hear through all the heroic life
of Senator sam Houston the words of
his mother when she i'm the war of lSl ~
put muskct in his hand and said:
There my son. tako this and never
disgrace il. sor remember had rather
all my sons shor.,i ill ono honorable
grave than that one uf them should turn
his back "n :,n enemy. Go and remem-
her. too. that while the door uf my cot
tagc is clen tu all brave men it il al
ways shut against towards. Agrip-
pima. the mother of Nero. murderess,
you are not surprised that her son was
a murderer. Give that child an over
dose of catcchisni, and make him recite
verses of the Bible as n punishment,
and make Sunday bore. and he will
become stout antagonist of Chris
tianity. Impress him with the kindness
and the geniality and the loveliness Of
religion. and he will be its advocate
and exemplar for all time and eternity.
A few days ago right before our tx
press train on the Louisville and Nash
vile railroad the preceding train had
gone down through broken bridge. 12
cars falling 100 feet and then CON
sumed. ! saw that only one span of the
bridge was down and all the other spans
were standing. Plan good bridge of
morals for your sons and daughters,
but have the first span of 10 years de-
fective. and through that they will crash
down. though all the rest keep stand
ing. q man. % woman. il you have
preserved your integrity and are really
Christian. yen have first Of all to thank
God. and | think next you have TO
thank your mother The most impress
I'VE thing at the inauguration of James
a. Garfield as president of the United
States was that after he had taken the
oath of office he turned round and in
the presence of the supreme court and
the senate Of the United States kissed
his old mother. II | had time To take
statistics out of this audience, and
could ask what proportion Of you who
are Christians owe your salvation under
God To- maternal fidelity. think about
three fourths of You would spring to
your feet 'Ha. ha.' said the soldiers
of the regiment to Charlie. one of their
comrades. What has made the change
in you? You used to like sin as well as
any Of MS Pulling from his pocket
his mothers letter. in which. after tell
ing Of some comforts she had sent him,
she concluded. We are all praying for
YOU. Charlie. that you may be Chris
tian." he said. Boys. that's the SEN
tence.
| THE NEEDLE ENTHROSED.
The trouble with Sisera' = mother was
that, while sitting at the window of my
text watching for news Of her son from
the battlefield. she had tho two bad
qualities of being dissolute and being
too fond of personal adornment. The
Bible account saws: Her wise ladies'
answered her yea. She returned answer
to herself: Have they not sped? Have
they not divided the prey-to every
man damsel or two. to Siscra prey
of needlework. of divers colors of nee
dlework un both sidcsi' She makes
no anxious utterancc about the wound
ei in battle. about the bloodshed. about
the dying. about the dead. about the
principles involved in tine battle going
on, n battle so important that the stars
and the freshcts took part. and the clash
of swords was answered by the thunder
of the skies. What she thinks most Of
is the bright colors of the wardrobes to
be captured and the ncedlework. To
Sisera prey of divers colors. a prey of
divers colors of nce,ilework. Of divers
colors of ncedlework on both sides"
Now neither Sisera mother nor any
one else can say too much in eulogy Of
the needle II has made more useful
conquests than the sword. Pointed at
one end and with an eye at the other.
whether of bone or ivory. as in earliest
time: or of bronze, as in Pliny's time;
or of steel. as in modern time; whether
laboriously fashioned as formerly by
one hand. or as now. when 100 work
men in a factory are employed to make
the different parts of one needle. il is
an instrument divinely ordered for the
comfort. for the life, for the health. for
the adornment of the human race. The
eve of the needle hath seen more domes-
tic comfort and more gladdened power
ty and more Christian service than any
other eye. The modern sewing machine
has in no wise abolished the needle, but
rather enthruncd it, Thank God for the
ncedlework. from the time when the
Lord Almighty from the heavens OF
dcred in regard to the embroidered door
of the ancient tabernacle, Thou shalt
make n hanging for the door of the tent
of blue and purple and scarlet and fine
twined linen wrought with needle
work. Down to the womanly hands
which this winter in this tabernacle are
presenting for benevolent purposes their
nee,llrwnrk. But there was nothing ex-
cept vanity and worldliness and social
| 4.
about the needlewnrk she expected her
son would bring home from the battle.
And am not surprised to find that Sis
era fought on the wrong side when his
mother at the window of my text in
that awful exigency had her chief
Thought on dry goods achievement and
social display. God only knows how
| The persistent cough which usually fol