The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-08
The ChurIish Elder sen.

me tnhfiish Elder sen.
The senior son stands at the corner of
the mouse, frigid phlegmatic. He has
| just come IN from the fields in very sub
Stantlal apparel. Seeing some wild ex
hilarations around the old mansion. he
asks OF a servant passing by with a goat
SKIN OF wine on his shoulder what all the
fuss IS about. One would have thought
that, on hearing that his younger brother
| had got back, he would have gone into
the house and rejoiced, and if he were
| not conscientiously opposed TO dancing.
| that he would have Joined in the Oriental
| schottische. No. Their he stands. His
| brow lowers. His face darkens His Ifp
| curls with contempt. He stamps the
| ground with indignation. He sees nothing
| at all TO attract. The doors Of the feast
| coming ou1 on the air do not sharpen his
| appetite. The lively music does not put
| any spring into his step. He is in a terri
! hle pout. He criticises the expense. the
| injustice, and the morals of the entertain
! mert. The father rushes out bareheaded
| and coaXes him 10 come in. He will not
| go in He scoldS the father He goes
| into a pasduinade against the younger
| brother, and he makes the most uncomely
| scene. He says: Father, you put pre-
| MUM on vagabOndiSm. ] STAYED at home
| and worked or the farm. You never made
| a party for ne; you didn't so mucn as
| kill a kid; that wouldn't have cost half
| as much as a calf; but this Scapegrace
! went off in fine clothes, and he comes
| back not tt to be seen, and what a time
| you make over himi He breaks your
| heart. and you pay him for IT. That calf.
| TO which we have been giving extra feed
/ during all these weeks, wouldn't be so fat
| and sleek If / had known to what use you
| were going 10 put ii. That VagabOnd de-
| serves to be cowhded instead of banquet
cd. Veal is tCo good for him!
Perfect People Are Obnoxious.
THAT evening, while the younger son sat
telling his father about his adventures
and asking about what had occurred on
the place since his departure, the senior
brother goes TO bed disguised. and slams
the door after him. That senior brother
still lives. You can see him any Sunday.
any day OF the week. At a meeting of
ministers in Germany some one asked the
question. Who is that elder SOM and
| Krummacher answered. I know MN;
saw him yesterday And when they in
sisted upon knowing whom he meant, he
said, Myself; when I saw the account Of
the conversion of a most obnoxious man,
| / was irritated.'
First. this senior brother of the teyt
1 I
satisfied. f-worshipful man. With the
same breath in which he vituperates
against his younger brother he utters a
pauegyric for himself. The self-righteQIs
man Of my text, like every other self
| righteous man, was full of faults. He
was an migrate. for he did not appreciate
| the home blessings which he had enjoyed
| all those years. He was disObedient. for
| when the father told him 10 come in he
| stayed out. He was a liar, for he said
| that the recTeant son had deyouTed his
father's living. when the father, 50 TAR
from being reduced to penury, had &
homestead left, had instruments Of music,
| had jewels, had a mansion, and instead
| Of being Il pauper, was a prince. This
senior brother, with 50 many faults OF
his own, Was merciless in his criticism OF
the younger brother. The only perfect
people than l have ever known We're ut-
| teriy obnoxious. ] was never SO badly
| cheated ia my life as by a perfect man
! He got so far up in his devotlOns that
| he was clear up above all the rules OF
! common honesty These men that 70
| about proving among prayer meetings,
| and in places Of business. telling how
! good they are-look Out for them; keep
| your hand on your pocketbOOk! ! have
noticed that just in proportion as a man
| gets good he gets humble. The deep
| Mississippi does not make as much noise
| as the Urawlirs mountain rivulet. Thee
| has been many a store that had more
| goods IN the shOw-WindOW than inside
| on the shelves.
RePHIsiVe self Righteousness.
This self-TiPht-ous man Of the :ext
stood al The corner OF the house hugging
| himself IN admiration. We hear a great
deal In our day about the higher life
| Now there are two kinds OF higher-life
men. The one is admirable and the Other
s most Tepulsiye. The one kind OF higher
. life man j. very leEirnt in his criticism
Of others, does not bore prayer-meetngs
? 20 death with long haTangues does not
, talk q great deal about himself. but much
b / . bout Christ and heaven, gets kindiiel
and more gentle and more useful, Until
one day his soul spreads a wing and ht
flies away 20 eternal rest, and everybody
mourus his departure The other higher
life man goes around with a Bible cen
, | spicuousiy under his arm. goes from
church 10 church. a sort OF general evan
. grli-i, Is a nuisance 10 his own pasl0l
when he Is AZ home, and a nuisance Il
other pastors when he Is away from home
runs up TO some man who is counting on
| q roll OF bank bills, or running up a din