Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-23

| IL VIII COIue OuI I'LL right. VIII Spedh
to your papa about the matter. and
know he will let us do what you want.
| God pity the man who never had the
gentle influence of a comforting mother
during the days Of childhood or OF
young manhood! God pity the boy
who never knew the holy JOY Of having
his tears wiped away by mothers
hand after he had been hurt upon the
background!
The Boys Divine Friend.
God, as the divine mother, today
wants to be the companion and the
comforting friend and savior Of all
the boys and the girls and the young
folks. As Christ once turned and re.
buked his disciples, who tried to crowd
away the young people from his side,
and said, Suffer the little children to
come unto me, and forbid them not
for of such Is the kingdom of heaven
SO today he bids the children come to
him, and Chamber up into his lap, and
nestle as little lambs against the warm
loving heart Of the Good Shepherd
Christ today longs to be the divine
friend Of the boy swinging the bat,
and of the girl dressing the doll, as
well as the divine friend Of the young
men and women in the school
and college. Do you realize, oh,
mother, that God loves your children
with a love more intense than that
which fills your heart? IF you have not
made your children understand this, il
you have never sought to impart to
them the sweet fellowship and holy
joy which can bind their hearts to
him, you have been derelict in your
duty, you have not really consecrated
them to Christ's service Teach them
how tenderly God loves them, and they
will learn to love, honor and trust him
as they love, honor and trust you.
Comforter of the Sinner.
The Divine Being is like mother,
too, I'm wanting to be the forgiving
comforter of all who have gone astray.
When man does wrong and persists
In doing wrong, nearly all the world
will turn against him. First as rule,
the sinners retribution is found in his
employers anger, when he is dismissed
from the store. When man has sim
ned once, or even twice, his employer
may forgive him. But when he an
pears at the store intoxicated the third
or fourth time then comes the per-
emptory order that he must go at once
to the cashiers office and receive what
Is owing him and forever leave the
establishment. Then his friends are
apt to turn against him. Then his
brothers and sisters and children and
father and even his wife do the same.
But though nearly all the human race
Will turn against q sinner. as rule
there is one human being. if she is
alive, who will never cease to reach
after the prodigal. That person, as you
all know before l speak her name, is
the sinners mother. The young man
may sin not only seven times, but sew
enty times seven; he may be so worth.
less in the eyes of the world that all
his old friends may come to that moth
err and say her son is not worth being
saved, he may be so useless that
even the father may order the son out
of the home and disown and disinherit
him, but the mother will cling and con-
tinue to cling to her boy. If she thought
that thereby she could give her son one
more chance for repentance, she would
sell the clothes out of her wardrobe il
necessary, she would move out of her
fine home and go to work, she would
sell her jewelry and even her wedding
ring. She would go to the extent of
giving up her life if she could only
save her boy.
In imagination we can picture a
scene the like of which is nightly hap
pening in thousands of homes. 1t Is
about or o'clock In the morning.
All the rooms are darkened in the
home except one. There the light Is
steadily burning in the bedroom. Every
little while woman. prematurely gray
and feeble on account of mental suf-
fering, comes to the window and raises
the curtain and places an anxious face
against the pane. Then she goes back
to chair and wrings her hands. Then
she kneels by her sofa and offers an
earnest prayer. She cries and begins
to put on her hat and cloak. The man
who is sleeping in the bed is reused by
the opening of the closet door, and he
says: Mother why don't you come to
bed? 1t is useless for you to fret and
cry away your life over that worthless
boy" "Oh, husband" she answers, 81
cannot give him up. He was so hand
some and good to me before the evil
companions got hold of him. 1t is not
my baby boy, Harry, that is so bad to
his mother. 1t is sin, awful sin And
If, by the help of God, l can get sin
out Of his heart, he will be the same
loving child that he used to be. am
going out into the storm to try to hunt
him up"
The Mothers Pardoning Love.
Just then there is quick ring at the
bell. The mother PUSHES downstairs
and throws open the door. With that
two young men drag the intoxicated
son into the hall and disappear like
evil spirits into the darkness. There is
a deep cash over the young mans fore
head. His face is covered with blood.
The terror stricken woman throws her
self down by the PROSTATE form and
begins to wipe away the blood as she
cries: "Oh, my boy, my boy. My sim
full, sinful boyw When the young man
begins to regain consciousness from his
drunken stupor. he turns and sees her
fearful face bending over him. Then,
realizing the aWfulneSs Of his sin and