Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1896-04-17

Al, y,u tage nc to be-" Re aid. ''Y0c are
~ br,thur." $40. an not. Ian brute.
HTvs YOU seen anything Of nv wife and chill
Fr.n9 Are they d-aif drove them out last
night Ia the storm. I AN brute. John, DO
y1u think there i any helm for me3 DO YOU
think l will ever s~t over this life Of tissipa-
tom he said. ''John. there i one thing
that will stop this" The pro1igAl Tau Ms
finger across his throat aud said; THAT will
stop IL, and | will stop Il before night. on,
my brainl / can stand q no longer" That
prodigal never got home. But will tell you
81 q pr0iigal that ala get home. In Eng-
land two young men started ron their
fathers house and went down 20 Portsmouth
i have been thers-a beautiful seaport.
Some % Won have been there. The father
could not pursue his children-ior some rea-
son he could not leave home-and 50 he
wrote n letter down 20 Mr.. Grinn, saying;
"Mr Grifin, / wish YOU would 90 and
SEQ my two sons. They have arrived
in Portsmouth. and they are going 70
take ship and going away from home.
i wish you would persuade them haek.
Mr.. Griffin went and tried TO persuade
them hack. He persuaded one to 20. he
went with very easy persuasion, because ne
was very homesick already. The other
young man said: IL will not go, have had
enough OF home. I'll never 90 home.
"Weil," said Mr.. Griffin, "then II you won't
90 home, I'll get you q respectable position
on respectable ship" "No. You won't, y
said the prodigal. mo. you won't. 1 am
going az a private sailor. rs common
sailor; that will plague my father most, aud
what will do most TO tantalize and worrY
him will please me best" Years passed on,
and Mr.. Griffin was seated in his study one
day when a messenger came to him, saying
there was young man IN irons on ship Al
the dock-a young man condemned 20 death
who wished to see this clergyman. Mr..
Griffin went down to the dock and went on
shipboari. The young man said 10 MIN,
You don't know me, do your NO ne
said, II don't know you" "Nhy, don't
you remember that young man you tried 10
persuade TO 90 home and he wouldn't gof
"Oh, yes" said Mr.. Griffin. care you that
MANI" ayes. am that man, said the other.
~ would like 10 have you pray for me.
have committed murder, and l must die.
But / don't want to go out OF the world I'M
I'll some one prays for me. You are my
fathers friend, and | would like TO have you
pray for me-"
Mr.. Grfln went from judicial authority to
judicial authority to get that young mans
pardon. He slept not night nor day. He
went from influential person to influential
person until in some way he got that young
mans pardon. He came down on the dock,
aud as he arrived on the docl; with the
pardon the father came. He had heard that
his son, under disguised name, had been
committing crime and was going to be put
10 death. So Mr.. Griffin and the father went
On ships deck, and at the very moment Mr..
Griffin offered the pardon TO the young man
the old father threw his arms around the
sons neck, and the son said: Father, l
have done very wrong. and 1 am very sorry.
| wish | had never broken your heart. l
am very sorry!' "0h" said the father,
"don't mention it, II won't make any differ
ence now. tbs all over. ! forgive you, my
SON" And he kissed him and kissed him
and kissed him. To-day ! offer you the par
don OF the gospel-tull pardon, free pardon.
| do not care what your crime has been.
Though yOusay you have committed crime
against God, against your own soul, against
your fellow man, against your family,
against the day Of judgment, against the
cross Of Christ-whateyer your crime has
been, here is pardon. iull pardon. and the
very moment you take that pardon your
Heavenly Father throws His arms round
about you and SAYS: my son, I forgive you.
It IS all right. You are rs much in My favor
now as il you had never sinned.' Oh, there
is Joy on earth and JOY in heaven. Who will
take the Father embrace;