The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-07-10
NO. 20.

unwelcome guests in the home. II
is no longer fashionable to rear large
families, or even any families at all.
How often the newly-wedded pair, with
set purpose born of hell, deliberately
| determine that no baby voice shall
| make music in their home, nor baby
hand rest softly on the mothers
breast! Selfishness and scientific nom
| sense of the day can dictate longer
| list of reasons why the children are
not wanted than we have space to emu
| merate here. But against every reason
| which the selfish heart can conjure up,
| these words of Jesus stand out like
| letters of fire: "Take heed, that "
despise not one of these little ones!"
The presence of children in the jew
ish home was manifest evidence Of
the blessing of God, and the cry of the
childless wife was, give me children or
/ die. Hannah, in the temple, so over
come by the anguish of her loneliness
as to appear to Eli, the high priest,
| to be in a maudlin condition from too
much wine, made one request of the
Lord, that she might have children,
and God gave her the desire of her
heart. David sings: "Lo! children
are an heritage of the Lord: and the
fruit of the womb is His reward. Hap
py is the mau that hath his quiver
full of them; they shall not be
ashamed. but they shall speak with
the enemies in the gate"
Responsibility of Parenthood.-
| ThrOnub tho oman doxu oprooc TIA
pleading, persistent notes of a moth
er sparrow as she seeks by the tempt
ing morsel in her beak to draw her
little one away from the nest and get
him to try his wings and obtain
strength and skill to sail the blue
heavens and successfully win live
lihood for himself. / notice she does
not commit this important task to
some one else, nor does she leave the
little one for club appointment, or
social function. or even the sewing
circle, until her task is accomplished
and her birding can safely fly alone.
The heartbreaking cry of the moth
er, ''Where is my wandering boy to.
night" would not so often be wrung
from the quivering lips if, when the
boy was first learning to try HE
strength and was forming habits, his
mother had been at his side to guide
his feet and take the sting fror. the
poisoned darts of the enemy of her
boys soul. The foul word, the ur.
clean thought, the lustful habit, tho
lying tongue, the evil associate would
not have usurped her place in his
heart if her watchful eye had been
faithful to detect the sowing of the
first seed, and in one of mothers
quiet little talks she had disarmed
the power of the enemy and made
her boy strong against temptation.
"Take heed that We despise not one
of these little ones" To turn your
child upon the street, to neglect him
for responsibilities in society, in char
liable work, in church activities, ia
to despise these little ones, and per-
haps forever turn their feet away
from the Lord. / do not know how
It is in your community, your city.
but in the locality where | live many
shiIdren live upon the street and so
hame to eat and, when the hour
gsnws late, to sleep. And oh the
crime and nastiness which these lit
tie ones learn between the hours OF
dusk and bedtime. From one end Of
this land to the other we need thu
ringing of the curfew bell, but mos!
of all we need an awakened parent
hood which will not so despise these
little ones as to feel that they are a
nuisance when they are around and
be glad when they are away out OF
sight Oh, the possibility which lies
in that little life which God has com.
mitted to your hands and which it ID
your solemn duty to patiently and
lovingly develop. Take heed that va
despise not one of these little ones. =
, Angels as Ministering Spirits.-It II
a beautiful thought, and one fully
warranted by the words of our text
to know that Gods angels have spe
cial care for the little ones, "for
say unto you that in Heaven theiI
angels do always behold the face OF
), my Father which is in Heaven" II
is as natural for the little one te
unfold it's mind to the thoughts of 9
> loving Saviour and Heavenly Father
: as it is for the bright-faced flower
: to turn towards the warming rays oi
the sun or the lark to mount up into
the heavens with his CHEEKY song
: What sweet and wonderful secrets
the angels of God can whisper in thu
:. tender little hearts, if only the world
a illness and unbelief of the parents ar
r not allowed to first plant their blight
: ing seeds of death there. The littl
4 lost lambkin out on the mountain
|. side is of more concern than tn
. ninety-and-nine sheep safe in tn
:, fold. Even so it is not the will 0
y your Father which is in Heave
q that one of these little ones shoul
# perish" When the tiny bit of hi
e manity comes into the world an ange
d hovers over the little life and watche
d it develop. Heaven is very near an
k the forces of the unseen world al
l. ready to cooperate with the parent
st in drawing that little one toward
I | Cod Rut If the atmoSDhere Of I'll