The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-08-07

our thoughts ht such times are aet 90 She
tune 0f "Auld Lang syno" The Ola folks
wore s0 busy "a such times in making us
happy and perhaps GA lees resource made
their sons and daughters happier than you
ON larger resources are ablo io make your
sons ana daughters. The snow Jay two feet
above their graves bat they shook on che
white blankets aul mingled ln the holiday
frsuylue8-iho same wrinkles, the same
Ho6p of shoulder under ile weight Of age
the same old style OF dfrs or coat, tfe same
smile. ihc same tones az voice. I hope yuu
remember them before they went awny NJ
n0t. fore fhHra nrs fh0gH who hnvH rscltHi
% you what tney were, and that there may
Do IN your house some article OF dress on
furniture with which you associate theft
| memories. i want % arouse the most sacred
memories Of your heart while I make the
impasalonod intouogatory In regard 10 your
pedigree, "Whoso son arr thou, thou young
MANI"
First I accost an those who are descended
OF Christian ancestry do notask n your
parents were perfect There are no perfect
/ people now, and do not suppose there wsro
/ any perfect people then. Perhaps there was
| sometimes too much blood in their eye when
/ they chastised you. But, from what 1 know
/ Of you, you got no more than you deserved,
and perhaps a little more chastsement
would have boon saluiary. But you ara
| willing 20 acknowledge, think that they
| wanted 20 do right. From what you over
heard IN conversations aud from what you
saw % tho family altar and az n0lehborh0od
obsequies you know that they had Invited
| God into their heart and their life There
/ was something that sustained those old
| people supernaturaly. You have no doubt
about their destiny You expectify0u over get
20 heaven 10 meet them as you expect 10 meet
the Lord Jesus Christ.
That early association has been q charm
for You. There WAS a time when You got
right up from house Of iniquity and walked
out into the fresh air because you thought
your mother was looking Of you. You have
never been very happy in sin because OF a
sweet old face that would present itself.
iIremulous voices IRON the past accOsted y0u
until they were seemingly audible, and you
looked around % see who spoke. There was
an estate not mentioned In the last will and
testament. a vast estate Of nraYer and holy
| example and Christian entreWy and glorious
memory. The survivors Of the family gath
cred to hear the will read, and this was TO
be kept aud that was 10 be sold, aud &c was
"share and share alike" But there was an
unwrltten will that read something like this;
SIN the name of God. amen. being OF sound
mind, bequeath 20 my children all my pray
ers for their salvation; hequeath 10 them
all the results Of Hietime's toll; bequeath
TO them the Christian religion, which has
been 50 much comfortto me, and l hope may
be sOlaco for them; bequeath to them a
hope Of reunion when the partings of life are
over. Share and share alike, may they in
hert eternal riches. l bequeath to them the
wish that they may avoid my errors and
copy anything that may have been worthy.
In tho name Of God who made me, and the
Christ who redeemed me, and the Holy
| Ghost who sacrifices me. make this my last
will ana testament Witness all you hosts
ot heaven. Witness time, witness eternity.
Signed, sealed and delivered IN this our
dying hour, Father aud Mother" You did
not get that will proved at the surrOgate's
Office, but take Il ont to-day and l read it
10 you. take Il out of the alcoves Of youP
heart. / shake the dust of IT, / ask II you
will accept that inheritance, or will you
break the will2
o We Of Christian ancestry. you have
responsibility vast beyond all measurement.
God will not let you of with Just being as
good as ordinary people when you had such
extraordinary advantage. Ought not a
flower planted in a dollhouse be more thrifty
than flower planted outside IN a stOrm2
Ought not factory turned by the Housa-
tonic do more work than a factory turned by
thin and shallow mountain stream Ought
not you OF great early opportunity be better
than those who had a cradle unbessed2 A
| iather sets his son up in business, he
heeps an account Of atI the expenditures, 50
| much for store fixture. so much for rent, so
| much for this, so much for that, and all the
= items aggregated, and the father expects the
| son 10 give an account. Your Heavenly
Father charges against you all the advan-
tages Of pious ancestry-so many prayers,
so much Christian example, so many kind
entreaties-all these gracious influences, one
tremendous aggregate, and he asks you Tor
an account Of ii. Ought not you to be better
e than those who had no such advantage Bet
Ter have been afoundling picked up off the
city commons thaa with such magnificent
! inheritance of conservation to turn out in.
differently. Ought not You, my brother. to
: be better. having had Christian nuture, than
1 the man who can truly say this morning
( ''phe first word remember my father speak
4 ing to me was an oath; the first time re-
y member my father taking hold of me was IN
. wrath; 1 never saw Bible till was ter
: years OF age, and then was told it was {
e pack Of lies. The first twenty years Of my
K life l was associated with thevicious. Iseemel
Q to be walled in by sin aud death.
]. Now, my brother, ought you not-I leave
o it as matter offairness with you-ought you
a not to be better than those who had no early
Q observation-disclosures? Standing as you do be
u tween the generation that is past and the
= generation that is to come, arc you going t
Il pass the blessing 90, or are you COINS K
h have your life the gulf in which that tide O
1
n are the trustee Of plety inthat ancestral line
!, and are you going to augment or squande
that solemn trust fund? Are you going L
s. isinheit your sons and daughters oil th'
If heirloom which yonr parents left you? All
a. that cannot be possbe--it cannot be possible
n that you are going to take such position q
,e that. You IRE very careful about life insur
10 ances, and careful about the deeds. anC
Y: careful about the mortgage, and careful
D. about the title OF your property, becaus
ID when you step off the stage you want You
n children to get it all. Are you making n,
70 provision that they shall set grandfather
I'd or grandmother's religion? Oh, what las
il win and testament you are making, m
NJ brother "Iu the name Of God, amen.
ne being OF sound mind, make this my last wi
NJ and testament. I bequeath 10 my ehildre
sp all the money ever made and all the house
~ own, but disinherit them, rob them c
to the ancestral grace aud the Christian in
ll.,e s,I,a bs.v~f fla,.