Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-07-11


that | could lift some of the burdens from
the heart; that I could give relaxation to
some of these worn muscles. It is time
for You to begin to take it little easier.
Do your best, and then trust God for the
rest. DO not fret. God manages all the
affairs of your life, and he manages them
for the best.
Consider the lilics--thcy always have
robes Behold the fowls of the air-thcy
always have nests. Take long breath.
Bcthink bctimes that God did not make
you for pack horse. Dig yourselves out
from among the hogshcads and the shelves
and in the light of the holy Sabbath day
resolve that you will give to tho winds
your fears and your frctfulncss and your
diStrcsscs. You brought nothing into the
world and ii is very certain you can carry
nothing out. Having food and ramcnt,
he Herewith content. The merchant came
home from the store. There had been a
great disaster there. He opened the front
door and said in the midst of his family
circle: II am ruined. Everything is gone
| am all ruined His wife said, II am
left And the littlo child threw up its
hands and said, Papa, am here" Tho
aged grandmother seated in the room,
said, CITIZEN you have all the promises Of
God besides, John" And he burst into
tears and said God forgive me that |
have been so ungratcful find | have n
great many things left. God forgive me. "
Neglect of Home Duties.
Again | remark that many Of our bust.
ness men are tempted to neglect their
homo duties. How often ii is that the
store and the homo seem 20 clash, but
there ought not to DO any collision. 1t is
often the case that the father is the mere
treasurer of the family, a sort Of agent to
see that they have dry goods and groceries
The work of family government he docs
not touch. Once or twice in n year he
calls the children up ON u Sabbath after
noon when he has a half hour he does not
exactly know what to do with, and in that
half hour no disciplncs the children and
chidcs thcm and corrccts their faults and
gives them II great deal of good advice, and
then wonders all the rest of the year that
his children do not do better when they
have the wonderful advantage of that
somannual castigation.
The family table, which ought to be tina
place for pleasant discussion and cheerful
ness. often becomes the place of pcrilou,
expedition. If there be any blessing asked
mt all, it is cut off at both ends and with
the hand on the carving knife. He COUNT
on his fingers, making estimates in the in
tcrsticcs of the rcpast. The work done,
the hat goes to the head and he starts
down the street, and before the family havo
arisen from the table he has bound up an
other bundle of goods and says to the Gus
toner, "Anything more | can do for you
today, sir \ man has moro responsible
tiles than those which are discharged by
putting competent instructors over his
children and giving them drawing mas
ter and II music teacher. The physical Cul-
turc Of the child will not be attended to
unless the father looks to it, He must
sometimes lose his dignity He must I'M
timber his joints He must sometimes
lead them out to their sports and games.
The parent who cannot forget the severe
duties of life sometimes, to fly the kite and
trundlC the loop, and chase the ball, and
jump the rope with his children, ought
never to have been tempted out of "a crustg
and unrcdcemahlc soltarincss. If YOU
want to keep your children away from
places Of sin, you can only do it by mai;
ing your home attractive. You may preach
sermons and advocate reforms and de
nouncc wickcdness and yet your children
will be CaptiVatcd by the glittering saloon
OF sin unless you can make your home
brighter place than any other place on
earth to them. Oh, gather all charms into
your house! If you can afford it, bring
books and pictures and cheerful entertain.
mcnts to the household. But, above all,
teach those children, not by half an hour
twice year on the sabbath day but day
after day and every day teach them that
religion is great gladrcss, that it throws
chains Of gold about the neck, that it takes
no spring from the foot, no blithcncss
from the heart, no SPARKLE from the eye,
no ring from the laughter, hut that cher
ways are ways of plcasantncss and all her
paths are peace l sympathizc with the
work being done in many Of our cities, 10y
which beautiful rooms are set apart by our
Young Men Christian associations. and |
pray God to prosper them in all things.
But tell you there is something back Of
that and before that-wc need more happy.
conscc2atcd, cheerful Christian homes cy-
CryWhcrc.
Value of the Soul,