Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-12-28

10 or now we should be absent from
our friends, we should still be able to
hear the old voices and. as in a family
album. be able to sec the dear, loving
lips just ready 70 speak.
But. oh. how easy it is to forget our |
absent friends! How easy to get care
less about sending the tender saluta- |
tons of affection which st. John sent |
to his beloved Gaius when he wrote, |
Greet the friends by name" How |
easy when sickness comes or death |
)mes into the home to neglect the |
written words of sympathy. When |
we are afar off how easy amid pressing
cares not to send the letter of encour-
agement and advice and warning
which would help keep that young
man from turning to the left into the
path of sin when he should keep
straight in the narrow path of virtue!
My brother, are you doing your duty.
your Christian duty, to that absent
friend? You know you had mighty
influence for good when you were by
his side Shall you drop that infiu
ence for good merely because you can
not touch his hand or appeal to him ex-
cept through the influence of the writ
ten page?
Stronger Than Death.
True friendship is proof. also, not
ONLY against absence, but survives
| death itself. The widow of your friend
and his fatherless children. his brother
and sister and all whom he loved will.
! if YOU are a true friend. have claims
on you which you will recognize. When
David became king of Israel, one of the
first things he did was to send mes
sengers through the length and breadth
! of his kingdom to see if there was any
of Sauls family living to whom he
could show Kindness for his friend
! Jonathan's sake. One was found. son
of his dead friend. He was a cripple.
and David took him and made pro-
vision for him in his palace. He did
this for the sake of his dead friend.
o brother, is there in your life friend
ship that death has sundered? Was
there some Jonathan who loved you
and whom you loved? Was there one
who helped you when you were start
| lIlS III UuSlIcSS vi w lO SlOOi " SOu AZ
some trouble? Perhaps that friend has
left a wife who needs help, a son who
is struggling with the world, daugh-
terwho needs protection. Let your love
go out to them in loving service. You
can do nothing for Jonathan dead. but
for those whom he loved better than
his life you may do much. How better
can you prove yourself true friend
than by helping them for his sake:
He may be awaiting their arrival IL
the land of blessed reunion. Let then
go there to tell him how your love fol
him frightened their lives.
Thus the "love altar" is not to be 9
; despised altar. We should love the hu
: man race collectively. We should love
: the Lord our God with all our strength
and our neighbor as ourselves. Blu
that does not mean all the members o.
the human family should occupy thu
f same sacred thrones in our hearts
t Christ came to save a world. but Chris
f again and again wendell his way gu
of Jerusalem over the JudRan hills t
lodge in Bethany with Mary and Mar
g tina and Lazarus. who were his tru
Y friends. Christ came to save world
e but when he partook of the last sup
: per he gathered about him the twelve
d even though he knew one of these wa
r a traitor. Thus you should have you
:, sacred friends in Christ. You shoul
l. have those sacred friends as Paul ha
d them and John had them and Peter ha
f. them. We should have those Christia
n friends about US who will lift us u
l. instead of dragging US down-friend
j. with whom we can laugh and sing an
20 romp and play; friends with whom W
IS can while away a vacation. but ais
@ true friends. with whom we can r.
n joice in their prosperity. an3 with whol
a. we can weep over the casket. and wit
h. whom we can kneel in prayer-tru
70 friends. who are true to us becaus
O. they are true to Christ. Thus | bi
2 you do as ST. John commanded Gaiu
a Greet the friends by name" Gre
" them collectively. Hold fast to thel
H. as Individuals.
rs Copyright 1903 by Louis Klopsch.l