Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-07-12

hour some one else picks 1t up. From
January to December the struggle goes
on. Night gives no quiet to limbs toss
ing In restlessness nor to q brain that
will not stop thinking. The dreams arc
narrowed by imaginary loss and flushed
with imaginary gains. Even the Sab
bath cannot dam back the tide Of anx-
iety, for this wave of worldliness dashes
clear over the churches and leaves its
foam on Bibles and prayer books. Men
who are living on salaries or by the oul-
tivation Of the soil cannot understand
the wear and tear Of the body and mind
to which our merchants are subjected
when they do not know but that their
livelihood and their business honor are
dependent upon the uncertainties OF the
next hour. This excitement of the brain,
this corroding care Of the heart, this
strain Of effort that exhausts the spirit,
sends a great many Of our best men in
middle life into the grave, their life
dashed out against money safes. They
20 with their store on their backs. They
trudge like camels, sweating, from
Aleppo to Damascus. They make their
life a crucifxion. Standing behind desks
and counters, banished from the fresh
air, weighed down by carking cares, they
are so many suicides. Oh, l wish could
today rub out some Of these lines OF
care that could lift some Of the bur-
dens from the heart; that / could give
relaxation to some Of these worn mus
cles. 1t 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 lilies. They always have robes
Behold the fowls Of the air They al
ways have nests Take long breath
Bethink betimes that God did not make
you for a pack horse Dig yourselves out
from among the hogsheadS and the
shelves, and in the light Of the holy Sab
bath day resolve that you will give to
the winds your fears, and your fretful-
ness, and your distresses. You brought
nothing into the world, and it is very
certain you can carry nothing out. Hav-
ing food and raiment, be Herewith con-
tent. The merchant came home from
the store. There had been a great disas-
ter 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 little child threw up its
hands and said, Papa, am here. "
The aged grandmother, seated in the
room, said, Then you have ell The
promises Of God beside, John. " And he
burst into tears and said: "God forgive
me that have been so ungrateful!
find 1 have great many things left.
God forgive meP'
Home Matters.
Again, I remark that many OF oui
business men are tempted 10 neglect
their home duties. How often IL IL that
the store and the homo seem 10 clash
but there ought not to be any collision.
1t is often the case that the father Is th'
mere treasurer Of the family, . sort Of
agent to see that they have dry goods
and groceries. The work Of family gov
ernment he does not touch. Once On
twice in a year he calls the children ~
On a Sabbath afternoon, when he has
half hour he does not exactly know vhat
to do with, and in that half hour he dis
ciplines the children and chides then
and corrects their faults and gives then
a great deal Of good advice, and ther
wonders all the rest Of the year that hi
children do not do better when they
have the wonderful advantage OF tha
semiannual castigation.
The family table, which ought 10 b
the place for pleasant discussion an(
cheerfulness, often becomes the place o.
perilous expedition. II there be an
blessing asked at all, it is cut OF at boil
ends and with the hand on the carVini
knife He counts on his fingers, making
estimates in the interstices OF the repass
The work done, the hat goes 10 the head
and he starts down the street, and pefor'
the family have arisen from the table h
has bound up another bundle Of good
and saws to the customer, Anything
more can do for you today, sir1" 4
man has more responsibilities than thos
which are discharged by putting com
petent instructors over his children an
giving them a drawing master and
music teacher. The physical culture
the child will not be attended to unlss
the father looks to it. he must some
times lose his dignity he must unlim
Der his joints. he must sometimes lea
them out to their sports and games. Th
parent who cannot forget the severe do
ties of life sometimes, to fly the kite an
trundle the hoop and chase the ball an
lump the rope with his children, ough
never to have been tempted out OF
crusty and unredeemable solitariness.
YOU want to keep your children ava
r from places Of sin, you can only 90
, by making your home attractive. Yo
, J NAV preach sermons and advocate II
, forms and denounce wickedness, and ye
your children will be captivated by tn
olittering saloon Of sin unless you ca
! make your home a brighter place tha
any other place ON earth to them. oh
: gather all charms into your house.
. you can afford it, bring books and pic
, lures and cheerful entertainments to IN
household. But above all teach thos
7 children, not by half an hour twics
, year on the Sabbath day, but day sfte
day and every day teach them that n
|, hgion is q great gladness; that it throw
: chains Of gold about the neck; that
takes no spring from the foot, no bhth'
, ness from the heart, no sparkle from II
\ eve, no ring from the laughter, but th'
a ''her ways are ways Of pleasantness, an
I all her paths are pcacc." l sympAtAi'
: with the work being done in many
our cities by which beautiful rooms A.
n set apart by our Young Mems Christia
Q associations, and pray God to rrosp'
n them in all things. But ] tell you she'
|, is something back Of that and 6sfol
II that. We need more happy. consecrate'
70 cheerful Christian homes everywhere
} OF Eternal Importance.