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

shss0h tOf tuS utct liuit. mat WIS
holy drive you took on the morning
you went TO take your hrst communion.
You did not speak much that morning.
but your thoughts were very deep and
very high. They were as deep as your
sins. as high and MS great as the
forgiveness OF God. Oh. why have
you not always kept walking I'm that
patbf Christ walked with you there
twenty years ago. Jesus as guide Is
ready TO lead you back TO that path
and walk with you there now. VIII
you seek the old path-the path over
which you went for the first time to
the communion table OF the Lord?
Hiebway OF blossoms.
There is still another path which you
once trod This path Is fragrant with
blossoms. Like the tabled trees OF old.
the heavy bfauches which line 1t are
laden with silver bells Ii Is the path
which once led up TO your marriage al
tar. Ii Is the path over which the fall
en- rice is strewn and where the merry
laughter OF the bridesmaids IL trying
TO drown the joyful SITUATIONS Of the
wedding chimes. The blossoms which
line this pathway are orange blossoms.
The silver bells are those which
once played Mendelssohn's wedding
March," Whore did that path which
ended at the marriage altar first lead
you? "Oh." you answer. ut led me
arst among the briers and over the
stony grounds. My courtship days
were not all sunshine. For a long time
1 did not know whether I could win
The hand or my heart love. In the first
place, ] was not socially her equal.
Then y was penniless and had nothing
TO offer but my two hands and q will
ing heart. Then my lie was not what
1t ought TO have been. But she had
] went 20 church with her. gave MP
drinking and ] promised her j would
surrender my heart to Christ. Aud, do
you know. the night she gave herself
to me she made me kneel with her and
we both made a prayer that God would
hear and help me keep my vows" All,
yes. my brother. know Just how you
feel when you think OF that old path
which led up to your marriage altar!
When you took the trembling hand Of
that young girl In yours you truly felt
proin,ssu God the, and tLsfe, 10. hes
sake as vel rs yoer own, to live q
good. true. pure, noble Christian life.
Have you kept your vowY Are you
willing to 60 TO church with her now
as YOU did when you We're engaged to
her? Are you helping her to set the
right example before your children
your children aud hers? Remember,
man, you made a promise to her and to
God on the night or your wedding.
Will you seek the old path OF conse-
Grated love. which wound through the
days OF your courtship and ended on
the night you took your heart love as
o bride from her fathers home?
Keep Your Pledges.
But there Is still one more path 1
want you to seek. That IN the one
which led down by the cradle OF your
children. When your first child was
born. IL you had the least spark OF
manhood In your makeup. you wanted
TO be good man for your baby's sake.
Even the lowest form of human being
feels the uplifting power when a child
~ born to him. In the graveyard of
Henniker. y. H., can be found n tomb
stone with the name, "Mary, wife Of
Thomas Wallace" chiseled upon IL.
The history OF that name is this: In
June, ITO. q ship was sailing across
the Atlantic 1t was attacked and
boarded 10y pirates. The crew was
strapped to the mnsts. preparatory to
being thrown overheard and drowned.
lust before the wholesale murder was
TO take place the captain of the pirates
found In stateroom a woman by the
name OF Mrs. James Wilson, with u
newborn baby lying by her side. He
Instantly asked her, lis 1t boy or n
grip "a girl" was the answer. "WiIl
rou let me name herr' the rough pirate
asked "If you will will unstrap
-FOUR husbands crew and lot your ship
20 free" YES" was the answer.
Then" said he. II name her Mary"
Nary Wilson grew up to be an old wo-
nan and died Mt the age Of ninety-four
Tears as Mrs Mary Wallace and was
buried In the little graveyard at Hen
'iker. As that pirate In all probability
'aved that crew on account of the
or his own little daughter. so
HE birth or every firstborn child
makes almost every father pledge him
eli TO God TO be better and purer
nan and noble Christian Have you
Iept the vow you made when your
list baby was born? So /
Besides that, my brother. have you
Isso tried 20 follow out that pledge you
made to God In the night when your
ably was very sickf You well remem-
'er the grave faces OF the physicians.
lou well remember how you knelt by
he crib and said. 20 God. II You viii
make my baby well I pledge 70 you
ny future life.s- You well remember
hs pledge you made TO- God an the
light your baby: died. Nearly every
'us OF us has had q chiidss death
q our family. Have you kept that
'iedgsf Have you Kept tAe pledge you
nade TO Coo on the old path which
nee led down to the cradles OF your
fyiAg children and now also leads
'own - the graves Of your dead ba-
et Ths Wav 20 Happiness.
but how are you going to fnd your
ray bach to these old paths? Some OF
ou have been away, from these paths
or many years You are lost. COM
Ietely lost You viii never And your
ray out from the mountains of sin
nless You have divine guide. The
Importance OF guide to one lost In
he mountains Of earth or of sin can
ever be overestimated. remember.
nme years ego. when bicycling through |
he mountains Of West Virginia. we
'ere completely lost. We wandered
round and around until the sun sank
nd the twilight covered up her somber
ice with "A black robe and hid herself |
total darkness. We CROPPED our way
long. shudderIng at the fiendish yell |
: a screech owl and the glittering eyes |
hat might be those OF providing pan |
her. After awhile we saw a dim /
ght in the distance. We struggled !
until we could knock at that house
nd be taken In. Then In the morning
Q were safe because our host, as a
hide. directed US on. Today, We lost
nd wearfcd sinners Christ "a raody 20