Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-06-13


of raising our voices against these
blighting tendencies, and earnestly
and solemn1y repeating the words of
our Lord: take heed that We despise
not one of these little ones"
Chlldless Homes. The thunder
tones of Gods wrath sounds forth in
the words. ''Take heed,' when the de-
spising of these little ones makes them
unwelcome guests in the home. It
is no longer fashionabl BILE to rear large
families, or even any families at all.
How often the ewly-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 a 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 njure up,
these words of Jesus stand out like
1ette-S of fire: Take heed, that ye
despise not one of these little ones!"
The presence of children in the jew
ish home was a manifest evidence of
the blessing of God, and the cry of the
childless wife was, give me children or
I 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 maudlin condition from TOD
much wine, made one request of the
Lord, that she might have children,
and God gave her the desire of her
heart. David sings: 10! children
are an heritage of the Lord: and the
fruit of the womb is His reward. Hap
Ply is the man that hath his culver
full of them; they shall not be
ashamed, but they shall speak with
the enemies in the gate.'
Responsibility of Parenthood.-
Through the open window comes the
pleading, persistent notes of 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 a live
lihood for himself. 1 notice she does
not commit this important task tic
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 his
! strength and was forming habits, his
mother had been at his side to guide
| his feet and take the sting from the
poisoned darts of the enemy of her
| boys soul. The foul word, the I'M
clean thought, the lustful habit, the
| lying tongue, the evil associate would
| not have usurped her place in his
heart if her watchful eye had beer
| 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, is
to despise these little ones, and per-
| haps forever turn their feet away
from the Lord. I do not know how
it is in your community. your city.
| but in the locality where | live many
children live upon the street and so
home to eat and, when the hour
grows 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 the
ringing of the curfew bell, but most
of all we need an awakened parent
hood which will not SO despise these
little ones as to feel that they are
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 is
your solemn duty to patiently and
lovingly develop. "Take heed that yc
despise not one of these little ones"
Angels as Ministering Spirits.-It is
beautiful thought, and one fully
warranted by the words of our text,
to know that Gods angels have spe-
cia1 care for the little ones, "for
say unto you that in Heaven their
angels do always behold the face of
my Father which is in Heaven" 1t
is as natural for the little one to
unfold it's mind to the thoughts of
loving Saviour and Heavenly Father
as it is for the bright-faced flower
to turn towards the warming rays of
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 the
tender little hearts, if only the world
illness and unbelief of the parents are
not allowed to first plant their blight
ing seeds of death there. The little
lost lambkin out on the mountain
side is of more concern than the
ninety-and-nine sheep safe in the