The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-01-30

| ed out Or omitted in the great under
takings of the church and the world,
| rejoice that you have right to hang
up your helmet and sheathe your
sword and free your hands from the
gantlets and your feet from the boots
| of mail.
AT the soldiers home in the suburbs
| of this city L often admire the peace
| full and contented looks of the vener-
able heroes as they sit under the trees
| or go in and out the fine abode that
our government has appropriately pro-
vided for them. They are not longing
for other Chapultepecs. They do not
want to undertake another South
Mountain. Their foot does not ache
| to get into the stirrup of the cavalry
man. They are not longing for the
| hardtack of the soldiers breakfast
along the Chickahominy. They have
| no desire for another ride in the am
bulance to the field hospital. When the
Spanish war broke out they sometimes
wondered if their rheumatic knee
would allow them to keep step in a
march, and if their sight was good
| enough to see an advancing foeman,
and if their ear was alert enough to
hear the command "Charge!" But for
the most part they are glad that there
| is no more war for them. So let all of
the aged in peace with God, through the
blessed Christ, cultivate contentment
and thank the Lord their Sedan has
been fought and the war is over. Let
not him that girdeth on his harness
| boast himself as he that putteth it Off. -
There are old farmers who cannot
do one more days work. What har-
vests they raised in 1870! They knew
| the rotation of crops as well as they
knew the rotations of the seasons. I'm
der what blistering suns they swung
the scythe and the cradle! Through
what deep SHOWS they drew the logs
| or cut out their way to the foddering
of the cattle! What droughts, what
freshets, what insectile invasion, they
remember! To clothe and feed and
educate the household they went
| through tolls and self-sacrifces that
| the world knew but little about. Rest,
aged man! Lesthe boys do the shovel
ing and thrashing and cutting and
sweat ting. You have put the harness
off, and do not try to put it on again.
Then there are aged physicians.
What tragedies of pain and accident
they have Witnessed! How much suf-
fering they have assuaged! How many
| brave battles they have fought with
lancet and cataclysm! How many fe-
| vers they cooled! How many broken
bones they set! How many paroxysms
they quieted! How many anxious days
they passed when they knew that hui
man lives depended upon their skill and
fidelity! They drove back death from
| many a cradle. Instead of becoming
| hardened at the sight of suffering their
| sympathies deepened, as with aged DR..
Valentine Mott when, standing before
his students in clinical department and
Grated upon in surgery, he said:
'Gentlemen, here are surgeons
| who will do this work as well
as / can, and you will excuse me if l
! leave the room, for as I get older l
cannot composedly witness pain as
once I could, especially the suffering
| of little children" God comfort and
/ bless the old doctors, allopathie, home
| opathic, hydropathic and eclectic, and
| make them willing to be out of prac-
tice! Before long they will hear the
| benediction of Him who said: Il was
| Sicl, and ve viSifed Me- -
Again, learn from Benhadad's De-
| hayior the unwisdom of boasting OF
| what one is going to do. Two mes
| sages had he sent to the king Of Is
| rael, both messages full of insolence
| and braggadocio. With brimming
beaker in hand he is talking with the
royal group about what he will do
with the spoils of the victory he is
going to achieve that afternoon. He
| takes it for granted that Samaria
| will surrender. He gives command
for the capture of some of the inhab-
| itants of Samaria who are approach
| ing, saying: whether they be come
out for peace take them alive, or
| whether they be come out for war,
| take them alive" But behold the fu-
gitive king in frightened retreat be-
| fore sundown! Better not tell boast
ingly what you are going to do. Wait
| until it is done. You do well to lay
our your plans, but there are so many
| mistakes and disappoint in life
that you may not be able to carry
out your plans, and there is no need
of invoking the worlds derision and
caricature. Napoleon was SO sure of
conduering England, Scotland and
Ireland that he had a medal struck
celebrating the conquest, which he
| never made On that medal was rep
| resented his own crowned head.
| DR.. Pendleton and Mr.. Saunders
were talking in the time of persecu-
ton under Queen Mary. Saunders
was trembling and afraid, but Pen
dleton said: what! Man, there is
much more cause for me to fear than
you. You are small, and l have large
bodily frame, but you will see the last
piece of this flesh consumed to ashes
| before T ever forsake Jesus Christ