The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-01

no. There never was a bigger tyrant
who ever welded a scepter than little
baby in the average home. From the
time the child Is born until grown 1t
practically does nothing for the mother.
The mother is always doing something
for the child From the advent some one
has to keep tending the child The moth
er feeds 1t, dresses 1t, cures for It. For
the first year, at least, the mother has
a Juggling silver cord of affection, with
one- end attached to the crib and the
other end attached to her heart. She
practically lives by the side Of that child
for weeks and months. Then. when the
baby is sick, who nurses 1.-THE graduate
from the school for trained nurses? oh,
no. The trained nurse may come In and
help. The person who for weeks never
takes off her clothes, the person who is
always by the side Of the crib and sees
that the medicines are given regularly,
the person who is anxiously touching the
fevered cheek is the mother, the sacri-
ficing mother.
Why is love generally purer and deeper
and wider In the poor mans home than
in the rich mans palace? Some people
may declare that this statement is un-
true, but If you have been around as
pastor much as some ministers you
The reason that love is generally sweeter
and purer In the poor mans home is not
because the poor man naturally has
bigger heart than the ricn man. but the
poor man has to daily sacrifice for his
wife and children. When Christmas
comes around. in order to have Christ
mas tree perhaps the father himself has
to go without AN overcoat. When his
sons are to be sent to college, in all prob
will
INTO debt. He has to work overtime. He
has to live in a small house upon side
street. His love feeds upon his sacri-
fees. So my brother, If you and I want
to love and truly love Christ we must
be willing to do something for Christ.
We must give ourselves body and soul
to his service. We must be ready to
travel for him the twain mile. 1t is be-
cause some of us are not ready to travel
this twain mile that Christs teachings
seem harsh and narrow and perhaps un-
sympathetic.
Companion of the Twain Mile,
Some years ago, in the mountains of
North Carolina, a rich lady was riding
along in her carriage. Being overtaken
by a thunderstorm, she found shelter In
a farmers home. The place was very
humble AS in many poor homes, there
seemed to be healthy children every
where, but there was also one crippled
child. The rich lady said to the mother.
Can nothing be done for that child?"
NO. answered the mother, nothing can
be done. The village doctor said the
great surgeons in New York might help
him. OF course we have no money to
send him there" The rich lady pitied
the child. She took him to New York.
While there the surgeons Strengthened
out the crippled limbs. But though the
little child was at that time a cripple
yet on account of what the rich lady was
doing for him he had strength enough
to crawl into the rich ladys heart. Then
the rich lady went back and said to the
mother: Since l have been caring for
your boy | have learned to love him
VIII you let me adopt him? | want to
brlng him up as my own child and make
him my heir" In after years the bow
used to crawl into the rich lady's Ian
ana say; Mamma, l am glad 1 was
once a poor little cripple. If / had not
been poor little cripple, you would not
have ptied and worked for me and
learned to love me when you were saving
my life.' So when we work for Chriss
when we travel for him the twain mile.
the Savior creeps into our hearts as well
as we creep into his
Ana my friend, l want you to further
remember that as you travel along the
twain mile for Christ he is also travelling
along the twain mile with you. Upon
the one side of you will CO. as l said be-
fore the sweet faced angel of inspiring
nope but upon the other side, the left
SIDE, the side nearest to the heart, you
VIII have for companionshp the One
VINO stlcketh closer than a brother the
One who will be by your side, even IL
your father and your mother should for
sake YOU If you will only trust him, he
Will not let you carry a burden greater
than You can bear. lie Will not let YOU
have sorrow which he cannot and will
not cure. He will not let you shed a
tear unless he is ready to wipe it away.
He is used to travelling the twain mile.
He once Travelled that twain mile of his
own accord. He left heaven and Travelled
1t to the foot of the cross to carry our
sins and to die for us. Christ gladly did
all this for you. Are you ready to travel
the twain mile for Christ?