The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-07-11


said to him. and how grandly Willard
treated his father in the white house.
The old mans face was illumlned with
the story until almost the midnight. He
had just been visiting his son at the
capital. And / suppose IL was something
OF the same joy that thrilled the heart
Of the old shepherd as he stood in the
palace Of the prime minister.
II is a great day with you when your
old parents come 10 visit you. Your little
children stand around with great wide
open eyes. wondering how anybody could
be so old The parents cannot stay
many days, for they are a little restless,
and especially at nightfall. because they
sleep better in their own bed. but while
they tarry you somehow feel there is
benediction In every room in the house.
They are a little feeble, and you make
1t as easy as you can for them, and you
realize they will probably not visit you
very often-perhaps never again. You
go to their room after they have retired
az night TO see II the lights are properly
put out. for the old people understand
candle and lamp better than the modern
apparatus for Illumination. In the morn
ing with real interest In their health, you
ask them how they rested last night.
The Aged Parents.
Joseph in the historical scene Of the
text. did not think any more Of his father
than you do Of your parents. The prob
ability is. before they leave your house
they half spoil your children with kind
ness. Grandfather and grandmother are
more lenient and indulgent 10 your chill
dren than they ever were With you. And
what wonders Of revelation i'm me bonn
baZine pocket Of the one and the sleeve OF
the otheri Blessed is that home whore
Christian parents come 10 visit, What
ever may have been the style Of the ar
chitecture when they came il is a palace
before they leave. If they visit you fifty
times. the two most memorable visits viii
be the first and the last. Those two pie
lures will hang In the hall Of your memory
while memory lasts, and you, VIII remem-
Der just how they looked and where they
sat. and what they said, and at what
figure OF the carpet and al what dOOrsill
they parted with you, giving YOU the final
good-by. Do not be embarrassed If your
father come 10 town and he have the man
ners OF the shepherd. and IL your mother
come TO town and there be IN her hat no
sign of costly millinery. The wife OF the
Emperor Theodosius said a wise thing
when she said. Husbands. remember
what you are, and be thankful"
BY this time YOU all notice what kind
~ provision Joseph made for his father.
Jacob. Joseph did not say: u can't have
the old man around this place. How
clumsy he would look climbing up these
marble stairs, and walking over these
mosaics, Then he would be putting his
hands upon some Of these frescoes. Peo-
pie would wonder where that old green
horn came from He would shock all the
Egyptian court with his manners at
table Besides that he might get sick on
my hands, and he might be QuerplOus,
and he might talk 20 me as though / We're
only boy when / am the second man in
all the realm. OF course he must not
suffer. and if there is famine in his coun-
try-ahd l hear there isl will send him
some provisions, but l can't take a man
from Padanaram and introduce him into
this polite Egyptian court What a
nuisance il is 10 have poor relations"'
Joseph did not say that, but he rushed
out TO meet his father with perfect aban-
don Of affection and brought him up to
the palace and introduced him TO the
emperor and provided for all the rest of
the fathers days. and nothing was too
good for the old man while living. And
when he was dead. Joseph with mill
the family cemetery. Would God all
children were as kind TO their parents,
Plea for FiIiai Affection.
If the father has large property and
he be wise enough to keep it in his own
name, he will be respected b. the heirs
but how often is it when the son finds
his father in famine, as Joseph found
Jacob in famine, the young people make
II very hard for the old man. They are
so surprised he eats with a knife instead
of a fork. They are chagriued at his
habits. They are provoked
because he cannot hear as well as he
used TO. and when he asks il over again
and the son has 10 repeat II, he bawls
in the old mans ear. 4 hope YOU heard
THAR How long he must wear the old
- al hat hs.f.. 4T,s.-- IA.
a new one! How chagrined they are at
his independence Of the English gram
mar. How long he hangs on Seventy
years and not gone yeti SeVenty-fiVe
years and not gone yet, Eighty years
and not gone yet! VIII he ever go?
They think il Of no use 10 have a doc
tor in his last sickness, and 20 up to the
drug store and get dose Of something
that makes him worse, and economiZe
on a coffin, and beat the undertaken
down 10 the last point. giving a note for
the reduced amount, which they never
pay. / have OBLIGATED at obsequies of
aged people where the family have been
so inordinately resigned to Providence
that / felt like taking my text from Pro-
verbs, The eye that mOcketh at its
father and refuseth to obey It's mother
the ravens of the valley shall pick il
out, and the young eagles shall eat it,"
In other words, such an migrate ought to
1 congratulate you if you have the honor
of providing for aged parents. The bless
ing Of the Lord God Of Joseph and jacob
will be on you.
1 rejoice to remember that though my
father lived in plain house the most
of his days. he died IN a mansion pro-
vided by the flllal piety OF a son who had
achieved a fortune. There the octogena-
rian sat. and the servants waited on him,
and there were plenty of horses and
plenty of carriages to convey him. and
a bower in which 10 sit on long summer
afternoons, dreaming over the past and
there was not a room in the house where
he was not welcome. and there were
musical instruments OF all sorts To re-
gale him. and when life had passed the
neighbOrs came out and expressed all
horror possible and carried him TO the
village Machpelah and put him down
beside the Rachel with whom he had
lived more than half a century. Share
your successes with the old people. The
Is that the principles they in
culcated achieved your fortune Give
them Christian percentage OF kindly
consideration. Let Joseph divide with
Jacob the pasture fields Of Goshen and
the glories of the Egyptian court
A Good Word for Unmarried Women.
And here 1 would like to sing the
praises Of the sisterhood who remain I'M
married that they might administer TO
aged parents. The Brutal world calls
these self-sacrifcing ones peculiar or an
gular, but If you had had as many an
nOyances as they have had Xantippe
would have been an angel compared to
you. 1t is easier to take care of five
romping children than Of one
childish old man. Among the hest IUonn-