Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-10-02

ways straight path" Though the
last will and testament which he
signed made provision for a few trim
kets. q Bible and a gold headed cane.
and perhaps a snuffbox. that father
left you the grpndest legacy a boy
ever received. He left to you an un-
furnished name. the example OF o
fathers life well ana honestly lived.
Even as | speak now ana talk about
his past life blush mantles your
check. When you contrast his pure
life with yours aud you remember
some OF the mean, sneaking things you
are accustomed to do In your dealings
with your fellow men. you say: "T
wish had always followed In the foot
stops OF my father. ! wish I had al
ways followed In his straight path
Why don't you. my brother? Why
don't you now? Are the thickets too
strong about your Are the jungles Of
sin too dense? God 10 telling you to-
day to seek the old paths. Ask for
the old path. the straight path, the
honest path. which your father once
trod. Seek II nowl
sBla.ing" Marks.
Then. again. further study the
"biazing" marks along the paths which
led up to the home OF our childhood. /
find out that these paths were Chris
tan paths and always led toward the
throne Of God. How do i know9 SiIp-
pie enough. Let me Illustrate: When
1 was In Europe l always, as far as
possible, got away FROM the beaten
tracks OF tourists. i never could see
what enjoyment there was for sum
mer tourist to go 10 Paris and hve
with Americans In an American hotel.
cans In a hotel run there for Amer
leans. and 60 TO Berlin and live with
Americans In Berlin. when I 80 10
Europe as far as possible i live tbsre
amopg the natives. and for the most
part among the common people. Now,
again and again, when I have turned
my back upon European cities and
climbed the unfrequented paths which
lead over the mountains, I have been
startled with 6pding here a cross and
there an altar. ] would find these
crosses and affairs far. far away from
any house or church Then. as have
concealed myself among the trees and
waited, ] have seen weary peasants
come along with great big packs strap
ped to their shoulders. Then have
seen them stop and look around to see
IL any one was watching. Then have
seen them unstrap their burdens and
lay them at the feet OF the image OF
Christ and then and there kneel in
prayer. Well. my friend. In going
along the pathway which was "blazed"
by your mothers bread knife and knit
ting needle. come upon affairs every
where. End that there was hardly n
step that she took In life but she had a
place where she could stop and kneel
In prayer. And at every altar I find
fndcntntions In the rocks where she
laid her burdens ut the Saviour's feet.
And, oh, my friend. what lot OF
burdens she had 10 lay upon her Sa-
viour's breast in her journey of lifel
There was that awful burden OF phys
ical sickness. ] do not know how you
may remember your mother, but most
OF us think OF mother when she was
physically sick. She seemed to be so
long dying. Now IL was the pain IN
the head; now IL was the disordered
nerves. Then II was that hong, hong
time, when we had a trained nurse.
How is mother todayT' the younger
children would ask. and we would an
swer, Not very well. my dear; not
very we'll" think one OF the sad
dest and yet the most beautiful pray
ers my mother used to make, I'm the
last year and n half OF her earthly ex-
istence. was this: 20 God. may my
children never have to physically suf-
fer as I have suffered" Yet, for the
most part. our mothers lost their phys
icai health by living and doing for Us.
a GIoriHed Roadway.
so little farther nlopg this Chris
tian path Of your dead mother. I fnd
also the place where she laid at Chrisrs
feet the burden OF her anxiety FOR the |
salvation or her children. Some people
love to think OF their mother, FIRST by |
her sitting and SEWING for
their advent Ii Is a beautiful sight 10 |
see the young wife by the evening |
lamp, with her needle In her hand. |
making the little white garments for |
the stranger soon 10 come, Our moth
ers thought and planned for the cradSs
and the little wardrobe weeAs before
We were born. They did It 90 that
when they should lie down upon bed |
or suffering all might be well for thu |
little ones welcome. That Is a beaut1- \
fui vision. But. oh. 20 me Il Is n far
more beautiful sight TO see a young
wife upon her knees in prayer. To
think OF bec praying 10 God that hss
unborn child might grow up to be q
good mau. a good woman. And you,
my friend. sitting before me, from that
moment when your mother first prayed.
for you until her death she never left
that altar before which she was con-
besecching God for the saliva
Ton OF your soul. Along that Chris.
tan pathway she first led your totters
ING bet In that Christian pathway
she frst taught you 70 utter the baby
prayer. Now lay me down to Sleep"
In that Christian path she gave you
her dying benedietion. Will you not i
seek the old path, the Christian path
Of your glorified and saintsd mothsrf
IL Is q path covered with wild flowers
and fragrant with perfume. Those
lowers and that pathway have been
With your mothers tears. -
But there Is another path to which ]
would call your attention today. II Is
hat which you once Travelled when 60
ng to Sunday school and to the church
II your childhood. II that church was
n the country. then there was poetry
n your going. When the call of the
village bell rang those notes would
,ress their way through the atmos-
'here like bubbles OF air working their
way up from the bottom OF a stream.
fhey would come nearer and nearer to
1our ear. as the bubbles come nearer
IND nearer TO the surface OF the wa
ers. Then with a happy laugh they
would seem to burst. You would first
lear those notes when you would be
'iding toward the town. Father and
mother. brothers and sisters would all
10 crowded together In the one car
1age. My. there was big load e you
Who used to travel that roadi No WOO