The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-05-12

you were home again on the cool grass
or the rag carpeted hall of the farm
house, through which there came the
breath of new mown hay or the blos-
som of buckwheat
! You may have in your windows now
beautiful plants and flowers brought
from across the seas; but not one of
them stirs in your soul so much charm
and memory as the old ivy and the yell
low sunflower that stood sentinel along
the garden walk and the forget-me-nots
PLAYING hide and seek mid the long
grass. The father who used to come
in sunburned from the field and sit
down on the doorsill and wipe the
sweat from his brow may have gone to
his everlasting rest. The mother who
used to sit at the door a little bent over,
cap and spectacles on, her face mellow
ing with the vicissitudes of many years,
may have put down her gray head on
the pillow in the valley, but forget that
home you never will. Have you thanked
God for it? Have you rehearsed all
these blessed "reminiscences? Oh, thank
God for Christian father! Thank God
for Christian mother! Thank God for
an early Christian altar at which you
were taught to kneel! Thank God for
an early Christian home!
l bring to mind another passage in
the history of your life. The day came
when you set up your own household.
The days passed along in quiet bless
edness. You twain sat at the table
morning and night and talked over
your plans for the future. The most
insignificant affairs in your life became
the subject of mutual consultation and
Amusement. You were so happy you
felt you never could be any happier.
One day dark cloud lowered over your
dwelling, and it got darker and darker,
but out of that cloud the shining mes
senger of God descended to incarnate
an immortal spirit. Two little feet
started on an eternal journey, and you
were to lead them, a gem to flash in
Heavens coronet, and you to polish it.
Eternal ages of light and darkness
watching the starting out of newly
created creature. You rejoiced and you
az IhC Iioo III
your possession an immortal treasure
was placed. You prayed and rejoiced
and wept and wondered. You were ear
nest in your supplication that you
might lead it through life into the
kingdom Of God. There was tremor
in your earnestness. There was
double interest about that home. There
was an additional interest why you
should stay there and be faithful, and
when in a few months your house was
filed with the music of your child's
laughter you were struck through with
the fact that you had stupendous mis-
sion.
Have you kept that VOW? Have you
neglected any of these duties? Is your
home as much to you as it used to be?
Have those anticipations been graf
flied? God help you in your solemn
Renaissance, and let His mercy fall
upon your soul, if your kindness has
been i'll requited. God have mercy on
the parent on the wrinkles of whose
face is written the story of child's
sin. God have mercy on the mother
who, in addition to her other pangs,
has the pang of child's iniquity. Oh,
there are many, many sad sounds in this
sad world, but the saddest sound that
is ever heard is the breaking of a moth
er's heart!
find another point in your life his
tory. You found one day you were
in the wrong road; you could not sleep
at night; there was just one word that
seemed to sob through your banking
house or through your Office or your
shop or your bedroom, and that word |
was eternity" You said: I'm not |
ready for it. Oh, God have mercy!" The |
Lord heard. Peace came to your heart. |
In the breath of the hill and in the |
dash you heard the voice |
of Gods love; the clouds and the trees |
hailed you with gladness; you came
into the house of God. You remember |
how your hand trembled as you took up
the cup of the communion. You remem-
Der the old minister who consecrated it,
and you remember the church officials |
who carried it through the aisle; you
remember the old people who at the !
close of the service took your hand in |
theirs in congratulating sympathy, as
much as to say: Welcome home, you |
lost prodigal," and, though those hands |
be all withered away, that communion
Sabbath is resurrected to-day. 1t is
resurrected with all its prayers and |
songs and tears and sermons and trans
figuration. Have you kept those VOWS?
Have you been a backslider? God help |
you. This day kneel at the foot of |
mercy and start again for Heaven.
Start now as you started then. l rouse
your soul by that Renaissance.
But l must not spend any more of |
my time in going over the advantages
Of your life. 1 just put them in one
great sheaf, and l call them up in your
with one loud harvest song,
such as the reapers sing. Praise the
Lord, We blood bought immortals on
earth! Praise the Lord, We crowned
spirits of Heaven!
But some of you have not always had
l smooth life. Some of you are now in
he shadow. Others had their troubles
ears ago. You are mere wreck of
what you once were. 1 must gather up
The sorrows of your past life. But how
hall / do it? YOu say that iS imroSsi- |