The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-03-17

,a.o,, e.-ean were ravlnc mad, 1roth-
mo ar the mouth with mud loan, al"
there were nothing but sin0onS plo"ihS
among the hills, and there were neither
lark'sc carol nor hummlnG piros tri.l ~,
uat4rfalrs dash. but only bears bark ana
nan,har's scream and VOLTS howl, ana you
might we'll gather into your homes Only
the shadows. But when God has streWn
fhe earth and the heavens with Oeautv a1u
with gladness let us take into our nome
circles all innocent hila-ity. al brightness
and all coot cheer. AGar,1 home MAKES
bad bows and bad girls III preparation ZOE
bad men and bad women.
Above oil, my friends, take into Your
homes Christian principle. Can it be that
in any OF the comfortable homes whose IN
mates I confront the voice OF prayer Is
never lifted? What! No supplication at
night for protection? What! No thanks
giving in the morning for care? How, my
brother, my sister, will YOU answer God IL
the day OF Judgment with reference to your
children? 1t is a plain question, and there
fore [ ask it. In the tenth chapter OF Jere-
| 1njah God saws he will pour ont his fury
! mon the families that call not upon His
name. Oh, parents, when You are dead
| and gone and the moss is covering the in
scription Of the tombstone. will your chill
dren look back and think Of father and
mother at family prayer? Will they take
the old family Bible and open it and see
the mark Of tears of cOntrition aud tears Of
consoling promise wept by eyes louS before
gone out into darkness? Oh, ii you do not
inculcate Christian principle in the hearts
Of your children, and do not warn them
against evil, AMI you co not invite them to
holiness and to God, and they wande OF
into dissipation and into infideiity, and a:
last make shipwreck Of their immortal
soul, on their deathbed and in the day OF
judgment they will curse YOU!
Seated by the register or the stove, what
If on the wall should come out the history
of your children! WHAT a h~istory-the
5, mortal and immortal life Of our loved
onesl Every parent is writing me history
of his child. He is writing it, composing
it into Il song or pointing it with a grOan.
One night, lying on my lounge when very
tired, my children all around about me, in
full ronp aud hilarity and laushter-ont the
lounge, half awake aud half asleep
dreamed this dream: l was in a far cOun.
try. 1t was not Persia, although more thar
oriental luXurianre crowned the cities. l,
was not the tropics, although more thar
tropical fruitfuiness filled the gardens. Il
was not Italy, although more than Italian
sottness filed the air. Aud l wandered
about looking for tuorns and %nettles, but
I found that none of them grew there. AnC
l saw the sun rise. and watched to see il
set, but it sank not. And I saw the people
in holiday attire, and I said, "When viii
they put OF this and put on worlmen':
garD, and again delve in the mine anC
Sweiter at the fOrge:' But they never pu
OF the holiday attire.
Aud | wandered in the suburbs OF tn
city to find the place where the dead sleep
and | looked al! along the line Of the beau
tiful hills, the place where the dead Nigh
most peacefully sleep, and I saw tower
and castles, but not g mauso;eum, or
monument, or a white slab could l see
Arl T --.% irLo ~, = = -
town, and said, "Where DO the poor wor
snip aud where are the hard benches o
which they siti' Aud the answer wa
made me, 1--WE have no poor in this cou
try" And then I wandered QUIT find I'll
novels Of the destitute, and found mar
slons OF amber and ivory and colo
but not a tear could | see, not a sig
could hear. AndI was b~ewildered, and
sat down under the ranches Of a grea
tree, and I said, "Where am l ana whrnc
comes all this s:enr.'' And then out fro.
among the leaves and up the howery patti
and across the broad streams there camr
beautiful group thronging all about III,
and as l saw them come | thought | kne
their step, and as they shouted though
l knew their voices, but then they We're 8
glorlouaIv arrlved ii apparel such as
had never before witnessed that boWe
as stranger to stranger. But when agar
they capped their hands and shoGte
Welcome, WelcOme,' the mystery all ral
lshed. and l found that time had gone an
eternity had come, and We were all to.ethe
again in our new home in heaven, and
looked around and l said, ".ire We a
here! and the voices OF many generation
responded. All here" And while tea
OF SiadneSs We're running down our cheek
ant the branches OF the Lebanon ccda
were clapEiny their hands. and the tove
OF tue great city We're Ginning their VIC
come W. all together began to leap Il!
slout and sing. Home. home. home"