Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-06-18

| room hlled with little boys ana girls
and left her there. In that school we
knew that there were bad girls rs well
as good girls, bad boys as well as good
boys, and she had to sit there and as
sociate to some extent with them oil.
Now, who Is going to look after my
little girl when she goes to meet the
temptations of school unless Christ
who loves little children, goes along
and takes her by the hand? Who Is
going to tell her what to do when tho
bad girl tells her to disobey her teach
er and whispers in her ear the naughty
story If Christ is not there? Her
mother cannot do It, Her father cam
not do 1t. We are not there. Christ
only can be her guide and her shield.
Temptations of the Little Ones.
Some grown up people do not think
that little children have any big temp
tations. But I know that some Of the
greatest temptations we ever have in
life come TO us when we are young,
very young. | knew of one little boy
who did not take Christ along with
him to school. One day his playmatcs
did not have Christ with him, he lost
his temper and picked up stone and
threw it at the boys, and he hit an
eye of one of the boys and put it out.
That little boy. who afterward grew
up to be a big man. had to go through
life with his eye blinded. | knew of
another little boy who because he
did not have Christ with him, wanted
to brighten n playmate. as bad boys
sometimes do. He pushed him from
bank into river and the little boy
was drowned. / saw his poor little
body after it was taken out of the
water and l heard the broken hearted
mother weeping over 1t. | knew of
another little boy who grew up to be
thief and was sent to Jail because,
when he was young, his bad little
schoolmatcs taught him how to steal
rcnnics out of his mothers pocket
book. All, children, you cannot afford
TO 20 to school and meet the tempta-
tons Of the playground unless you
take Christ along as your divine pro-
tcctor.
Then, after awhile, you must go still
farther away from the protecting care
of your parents. AS young men and
women you must go out into the great
wide world and live entirely away
from home. You must be like your IA
Their and mother and earn your own
living. Then, if you do not have Jesus
by your side, there are many, many
temptations which will beset you and
trip you up. Are you now going to
drive Christ away from your heart
and life? Remember he is your chief
protector. | once read beautiful
story about a st. Bernard dog which
was killed by the hand of the man he
was trying to save. 1t was on the ia
nous st. Gothard pass. road leading
over the tall mountains of Switzerland
which most of the year is covered with
snow. Travellers going over that pass
often become so benumbed with the
cold that they fall down and are fro.
zen in the snow. The monks Of mon.
astery which was built among those
mountains used to send out great big
shaggy dogs and hunt out the travel
ers and save them. Around the neckS
of these dogs was tied little box fill
ed with food and wine, which the trav-
elers could eat and drink when the
dogs found them. Among those dogs
was one so intelligent and strong that
he had saved sixty eight persons who
had been lost in the snow. But one
night this intelligent dog found among
the SHOWS n traveller nearly frozen to
death. and so to warm him and bring
him back to life the great dog stretch
ed his big body upon the dying man,
as your mother might cover you UP
with a fur lap robe when you go
sleighing. After awhile the traveller
awoke. He thought the big dog lying
upon him was a big bear or wolf. He
took out his knife and drove it into the
heart OF the dog and killed it. Then
the monks, missing the dog, went out
to search for him and found the dog
and the man both dead in the snow
If the man had only known that the
dog was trying to save him he would
have been thankful, 40 him instead Of
killing him, and his own life would
have been saved. But, you see, he did
not know what a friend the dog was
Now, do not want you to make such
mistake as that. l want you to I'M
derstand that Christ IS your friend,
the best friend you can have, for he
can save you from dying eternally. So
| want you to welcome him and cling
to him when he wants to help you and
save you, not only from the sins of the
schoolroom, but also from the sins of
the great wide world at large.
Little Child Shall Lead.
But there is another reason, children,
why you should come to Christ, and
that is so that you can bring your IA
Their and mother, big brothers and sis
tcrs along with you to Christ. Oh, how
many children there are here whose
fathers never ask blessing at the
table or have family prayers by the
home altar! Oh, how many little chill
dren there are here whose fathers and
mothers and big brothers and sisters
are drifting out into life Of sin merely
because they have never answered the
pleading call of Jesus and have not
come and knelt at the Saviour's feet!
Little children, do you not know that
you perhaps better than any one else
can lead your fathers and mothers and
brothers and sisters and uncles and
aunts and big men and big women to
Christ? Do you not realize, boys and