Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-03-30

sea, aud after II has been Eve days out
there comes a cyclone. The vessel
springs leak. The helm will not work
What Is the matter? 1t Is not sea-
worthy. IL never was seaworthy. Can
you mend II now? 1t Is too late. Down
she goes with 250 passengers into n
watery grave. What was the time
to fix that vessel? What was the time
to prepare II for the storm? In the
drydock. All. my friends, do not wait
until your children get out into the
world, beyond the Narrows and out on
the great voyage of lifei 1t is too late
then TO mend their morals and their
manners. The drydock OF the Christian
home is the place. Correct the sin
now. Correct the evil now.
Just look at the character OF your
children now and get an intimation Of
what they are going to be. You can
tell by the way that boy divides the ap-
pie what his proclivity Is and what bis
sin will be and what style OF discipline
you ought TO bring upon him. You see
how he divides that apple? He takes
nine-tenths OF II for himself and he
gives one-tenth to his sister. Well, let
that go. and all his life he will want
the best part Of everything. and he
will be grinding and grasping to the
day OF his death.
People hurl their scorn at the life of
Lord Byron. Lord Byron was not half
so much to blame as his mother. The
historian tells Us that when her child
was iimping across the floor with
his unsound foot, instead of acting
like any other mother, she said, "Get
out OF my way, you lame bratr' Do
not denounce Lord Byron half as much
as you denounce his mother. All the
scenes In Venice. ali the scenes In
Greece, all the scenes OF outrage where
ever he went, an echo Of that bad
mothers heart and that bad mothers
! life.
| Two young men came TO a door OF
wickedness. The one entered; the 9TH
er turned back. Why7 Difference OF
resolution. you say. No; the one had a
Christian influence. the other had no
pious training. The one man went on
his evil way. He entered and went
on. No early voice accosted him, but
the other heard a voice, whose tones
may have died from the ear 20 years
before, saying: Don't go there, Don't
! 60 therew I-think II was almost the
first time 1 ever made a religious nd
dress 1t was In DIR. Bethune's church.
Brooklyn; Ii was an anniversary of the
Young Mems Christian association.
came In from my village home, and
remember nothing OF that anniversary
except that one Of the speakers that
night said: Many years ago two young
men stood Mt the door of the Park the
alter. New York. They were discussing
whether they had better go in or not.
There was an immoral play to be en-
acted that night. One of them said. Il
will not go in The other said: Don't
be afraid. Let US 20 in. Who caresY
The one who entered went on from sin
to sin, the terminus of his life delirium
tremens, with which be died In hospI-
tai The other man turned back, came
to Christ as his Saviour, entered the
gospel ministry. and he stands before
you tonight. What was It that stopped
me Mt the door OF the Park theater.
New York. so many years ago? 1t was
n pressure OF hand on my shoulder
the pressure of my mothers hand"
| Begin EARLY.
| Begin early with your children. You
stand on the banks OF n river and you
try to change Its course. 1t has been
rolling now for 100 miles. You cannot
change IL. But just go TO the source
or that river, go to where the water
| Just drtpS down on the rock. Then
with your knife make channel this
way and channel that way, and II
Will take IT. Come out and stand on
t-the banks of your child's life when 1t
Is 80 or 40 years of age, or even 20, and
try TO change the course OF that life.
IL Is too late! IL Is TO latei Go far
Their up at the source OF life and near
est to the mothers heart, where the
character starts, and try to take II In
the right direction. But, oh, my friend.
be careful 10 make a line, distinct
line between innocent hilarity on the
one hand and vicious hilarity on the
other. Do not think your children are
going to ruin because they make a
racket. All healthy children make a
racket. But do not laugh at your
child's sin because II Is smart II you
do. you will cry after awhile because
1t is malicious Remember 1t Is what
you do more than what you say that
is going to affect your children. Do you
suppose Noah would have got his fam
lily to go into the ark IL he staid out 2
No. His sons would have said, az am
not going into the boat; there's some
ting wrong; father won't go in; II
father stays out. I'll stay out"
An officer may stand I'm a castle and
look OF upon an army fighting But
he cannot be much OF an officer, he
cannot excite much enthusiasm on the
part Of his troops standing In n castle
or on hilltop looking or upon the
fight II Is Garibaldi or Napoleon
/. who leaps into the stirrups and DASH
es ahead And you stand outside the
Christian life and tell your children to
go In. They. will not SO. But you dash
ca ahead. you enter the kingdom of
God, and they themselves will become
good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Lead II
you would have them follow. Have a
family altar. Do not with long prayers
wear out your children's knees. Do
not have the prayer repulsion. II
you have piano or an organ or me-
lodeon in the house. have 1t open while
you are having prayers. If you say,
II cannot construct a prayer; 1 am
| slow OF speech and never could con-
struct prayer" then take Matthew
Henry's prayers or take the Episcopal
| church prayer book There Is nothing
better than that Put IL down on the
chair. gather your children about you
and commend them 20 God. You say
1t Will not amount to anything. II will
long after you are under the soil That
son will remember father and mother
at morning and evening prayers. and 1t
will be a mighty help to him. And,
| above all. In private commend your
children to God. Say: Here, Lord,
ANAL my imperfections of discipline
and government. Here are these i'm
mortals. Make them thine forever.
The angel that redeemeth rs from all
ax-u ty.o L. 49,,