The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-04-17


graves Of sailors. This crew.. some
years ago, in a snip Welt iht5 tlis
breakers at Amagansett, about three
miles away. My brother, then preach
Ing at Easthampton, had been at
the burial These t-ten If the
crew came very near being
saved. The people from Amangan-
sett saw the vessel, and they shot
rockets, and they sent ropes from the
shore, and these poor fellows got into
the boat, and they pulled nightly for
the Shore, mt just before they got to
fhe shore the Fope snapped and this
boat capsizcd, and they weEs lost,
their bodies afterward washed upon
the beach, OH what solemn day it
was-I have been told of it by my
brother-when these u men lay at
the foot OF the pulpit. and he read 6vef
them the funeral service. They came
very near shore-within shouting dis
lance of the shore; yet did not arrive
Oh Solid land. There are some Wild
come almost to the shore of Gods
mercy; but not quite, not quite. To lie
almost saved is TO Be lost
1 will tell you of two prodigals-the
one that got back and the other that
did not get back. In Richmond, Va,
there is very prosperous and beauti-
full home in many respects. 4 young
man wandered off from that home.
He wandered very far into sin.
They heard of him after, but
he was always on the wrong track He
would not go home. At the door of
that beautiful home one night there
was great outcl'y. The voting man
of the house ran down toope1 the door
to see what was the matter. It was
midnight. The rest of the family
were asleep. There were the wife
and children of this prodlgal young
man. The fact was he had come hcme
and driven them out. He said: "Out
of this house. Away with these chill
dren, l will dash their brains out. Out
into the stofm!'' The mother gathered
them up and H6d. The iiExt morning
the brother, the young man who had
staid at home, went out to find this
prodigal brother and son, and he
came where he was, and saw him
wandering up and down in front of the
place where he had been staying, ind
the young man who had kept his in
tegrity said to the older brother:
Here. what does all this mean? What
is the matter with your Why do you
act in this way?'' The br0digal
looked at him and said: "WhO
am /? Who do you take me to be?" He
said: "You are my brother" mo,
am not. I am brute. Have you seen
anything of my wife and children?
Are they dead2 / drove them out
last night In the storm. 1 am
brute. John, do you think there is
any help for me. Do you think
will ever get over this life of dtssipa-
tionP" He saidi ''John, there is one
thing that will stop this" The prod
igal ran his fingers across his throat
and said: "That will stop it, and
will stop it before night. Oh, my
brain; L can stand it no long
err" That prodjgal never got home.
Bat 1 will tell you of a prod
igal that did get home. In
England two young men started from
their fathers house and went down to
Portsmouth, have been there-a
beautiful seaport. Some of you have
sue his children-for some reason he
could not leave home-and so he wrote
a letter down to Mr.. Griffin, saying:
Mr.. Griffin, wish you would go
and see my two sons. They have ar
rived in Portsmouth and they are GO
ing to take ship, and going away from
home. 1 wish you would persuade
them back"
Mr.. Griffin went and tried to pers
suade them back. He persuaded one
TO go. He went with very easy per4
because he was very homesicK
already. The other young man saids
Il will not go. l have had enough CT |
home, I'll never go home" ''Wel' said
MIR. Griffin, then if you won't go home,
III get you respectable position on a
ship" mo, you
WON'T" said the prodiga,; no
you won't. I am going |
is private sailor; as common sailor; |
that will plague NY father most, and
What will do most to tantalize and |
worry him will please me best" Years |
passed on, and Mr.. Griffin was seated |
n his study one day when messen-
yer came to him, saying there was a
7oung man in irons on a ship at the
lock-a young man condemned to
wished to see this clergy
nan. Mr.. Griffin went down to the
lock and went on shipboard. The
-oung man said to him: ''You don't
Znow me, do you?" NO" he said,
1 don't know you" "Why, don't
-ou remember that young man
-ou tried to persuade to go
ZONE and he wouldn't go?" ''Oh,
7es," said Mr.. Griffin, ''are you that
nan?" Eyes, am that man." said the
ther. Il would like to have you pray
or me. have committed murder, but
must die; but don't want to go out
ne. You are my fathers friend, and
would like to have you pray for me-"
Mr.. Griffin went from judicial au-
hority to judicial authority to get
hat young mans pardon. He slept
Ot night nor day. He went from in
uential person to influential person,
ntil in some way he got that young
mans pardon, He came down on the
ock, and as he arrived on the dock with
he pardon the father came. He had
card that his son, under a disguised
anne, had been committing crime and
7as going to be put to death. So MrI
Iriffin and the father went to the
hips deck, and at the very moment
Ir. Griffin offered the pardon to the
Dung man, the old father threw his
rms around the sons neck, and the son
AID: Father, have done very wrong