The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-02-01
HOW GOD TRIUMPHs.
BY REV. J. FRANK THOMPSON.
Akron, U.

II
GssssssssSSssSsSsSS SsSSs~SSSsO
LET us suppose that certain father
with whom you are acquainted, living
in the country, invites you to visit
him for the purpose of witnessing his
system of family government, OF
which he thinks he has some reason
to be proud.
You accept the invitation, and after
dinner he says: snow l want to show
you my children" So he takes you
out into the orchard, where the trees
are blossoming and the birds sing
ing. There is a swing, and lawn
tennis, and croquet, and all games
which children love, and, under one
of the trees, a table holding bounti-
full supper, all ready for the little
ones when they were weary of their
sport. Here you find four children,
who at once leave their play and run
to meet their father, and throw their
arms about his neck, and kiss him on
both cheeks; and each vie with the
other as to who shall show the most
affection. Then the fathers cheek
Pushes with honest pride; his eyes
glisten with loving gladness; and he
says: "Are they not splendid child
rem, and ought l not be a happy man
surrounded by such family as
this?"
To all this you of course give a
cordial assent. But presently you
say; care these your only childrens
I was told that you had twelve"
Then shadow darkens the fathers
face, and he answers: eyes, l have
eight others. 1 will show you them
if you like"
So he takes you back to the house,
and gets lantern, and leads the way
down winding stair, that seems
endless. In speechless amazement
you follow him into cellars beneath
cellars; while bats fly out of the
crevices and brush your face with
their loathsome wings; and at every
step the gloom deepens; and the air
becomes more chill and poisonous.
At length you reach the lowest
dungeon. A room where the walls
are covered with the slime of centur-
les; and the earth is gray with mil
dew, and spiders, swollen with poison,
have their webs in every corner; and
rats, with hideous clamor, skurry
away before your approaching foot
steps. Here you find eight children
huddled together, clothed in scanty
rags, their bodies starved to skele-
tons, their faces bleached to the
Wilderness of wax, like plants which
the sun has never kissed. "These,"
says your conductor, ARE the rest of
my children"
Very naturally, you inquire what
they are doing here; and you hazard
the guess that perhaps they have
been imprisoned for some disobedi-
ence and will be released just as soon
as they submit to their fathers will.
Even this limited cruelty you are dis
posed to criticise, and to urge that
some less severe form of punishment
would have equally served the pur-
pose of reformation.
But he answers: ''No, | shall never
let them out. At the beginning re-
solved that l would be surrounded
only by children who loved me, and
whom l could love. So, long ago, |
gave them day of trial. They had
fair warning. l told them that those
who were obedient during the day
should be rewarded with perpetual
picnic; but that those who were DISC
bedient should be shut up in this
dungeon, never to come out again.
The result is as you see. Eight Of
them sinned, and four of them pre-
served their goodness. My system
of family government has perfectly
succeeded. / have separated the evil
from the good. These eight are shut
up here where they will never cause
me, or their brothers and sisters any
further trouble; and the four whom
you saw out in the orchard are so
frightened by the fate of the Others,
that there is no danger of their ever
disobeying me again. Thus have
accomplished what purposed. l
am surrounded by children who love
me and whom | love-"
Now, what would you say to that
fathers Why you would say: "Your
system of family government has not
succeeded at all. 1t is the most bar
barous and wicked thing that ever l
heard Of Doubtless every child is
under an obligation to obey its father,
but, on the other hand, every father
is under an equal obligation to do
his utmost for the welfare of his