Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-27

eigncrs. They enlisted in the foreign
navies and went forth as free lances to
the foreign wars, and It was in order
to save their own flesh and blood from
the sinful contact of the "uncrcum
cised Philistines," as well as for rel.
gious liberty. that the pilgrim fathers
turned their backs upon the land of
their adoption and the homes OF their
friends. Shall we not, then, on this
Thanksgiving day of 1902 be thankful
that we can rear our children in land
whose silver dollar is stamped with
the suggestive motto, "In God We
Trust?" Taking our little children's
faces between Our two hands and look
ing lovingly and earnestly into the
depths of their pure eyes, can we not
be thankful that both we and they are
living In Christian communities where
human affections are held sacred and
where purity is not an oddly and prac.
tically monopolized, as Of old, by
few vestal virgins consecrated to life
long service in a heather temple? Can
we not thsnk God that our children are
not breathing the morally depraved at
mosphere Of some less fortunate land
whose daughters are sold like chattels.
never even seeing nuptial day. and
where a wife is regarded as disgracing
family when she becomes the mother
of daughter instead of a SOM
We place a priceless value upon the
physical lives of our children. Shall we
not also place priceless value upon
their spiritual welfare? How much
we value them few of us realize until
we are brought face to face with the
sore trial of parting from them. used
to consider myself poor man financial
ly until a few years ago. l never do 80
now after the following experience:
had been visiting my mother in The east
and was returning with my wife and
little daughter to my Pittsburg home.
Being very tired from overwork, l lay
down in the cars to sleep. Meanwhile
my little baby daughter began to smile
and nod her head at a stern faced man
reading across the aisle. She held out
her hands for him to take her. After
awhile his face lighted up with an an
swering smile. He took the baby Oh
his lap and played with her hour after
hour. AS we ncared the Smoky City
this stern faced man came to me and
said: Young man, l do not know who
you are but here Is my card. | am one
Of the wealthiest men in Milwaukee.
have everything that money can buy,
but have a home without any chill
1rAY 1ao IL I'D
that you have n family. And if you
are willing to give me this baby and
let me adopt her will give you GER
titled check for 100000. and she shall
be my daughter and inherit all that
have" OF course | refused the offer.
l told that man there was not enough
money in all the treasury Of the United
States to buy my flesh and blood. and.
though you may laugh when | talk
about my $4,000 baby, yet l am not
putting any higher valuation upon the
physical lives of any one of my chit
dren than every father sitting before
me today would upon his. If we par
ents thus place so high our physical
valuation of our children. shall we not
also place just as high the spiritual val
uation? Like the pilgrim fathers of old,
shall we not rejoice this coming Thanks
giving day because our children are
not only living in Christian homes, but
also in Christian neighborhoods and
under the shadow of the spires of
Christian churches? Shall we not re-
joice because on account of being born
in q Christian land they may the more
easily learn to love Christ? Shall We
not rejoice that on account of their
spiritual advantages after their llfe'S
work is done they will associate with
us in the great harvest home, where an
eternal Thanksgiving day shall! be spent
in the green pastures and by the still
waters of heaVenf
The Hope of Meeting Loved Ones.
The pilgrim fathers rejoiced in the
hope that they should soon be reunited
with their loved ones who were left
behind in Lcyden. The whole com
munity of pilgrims which in 1910 set
tied in Leydcn did not cross the Atlau-
tic In 1920, as many people suppose.
No. Only snail part-l20 men, WON
en- and children-cam first. The vast
majority Of that community remained
behind. And so these American pill
grims on Plymouth's first Thanksgiv-
Ing day were living in the hope that
John Robinson and the absent mem
bers of his spiritual flock would soon
be by their side. They did not then
know that death would first claim
their beloved pastor and that his bones
would be buried in the little church
yard which his preaching has made
world famous and which Is today the
Mecca of many pilgrim. They did
not realize that most Of their earthly
friends would never meet beside the
waters of the new world. But they
did know, and they rejoiced in the
knowledge. that, whether at the foot
of Plymouth rock or at the foot Of the
great white throne Of God, they would
meet again. Aud if they did not meet
again until they were reunited In that
better land, then they would there
meet to part no more.
My friends, cannot we rejoice in the
hope that we are some day going to
meet our redeemed loved ones2 Can
we not rejoice that when we meet
them we shall part no more? Thanks
giving day without this blessed belief
would be to us meaningless festival
and would be robbed of its chiefest
JOY. The young people may look for
xpp rd ri RI to bn Al a