Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-10

siped about the neighborhood. Some
of us side with the parent. We shy:
mo matter what the father may have
done, the son has no right TO turn his
back upon his sire. He has no right to
despise the parent who cared for him
when he was little child and who ed
ucated him and started him out as a
young man into the world" On the other
hand, some Of US side with the son in
stead of the father. We say that some
| fathers are mean and selfish and grasp
ing. They never want to give their
sons their rights. 1t Is told Of old EN-
peror William I. of Germany that when
the court artist painted picture of
the German court. with Crown Prince
FrederCks foot upon the lowest step
Of the throne, King William called the
artist to him and said; Take that
| boys foot Off that throne step. AS
| throne for myself" But in all proba-
| bility IL you can get to the inside facts
of that quarrel between the father and
the son they can all be traced to dis
position in the father which has been
| Inherited by the son. The father may
have been high strung. nervous, quick
| tempered. overweight, overworked.
impetuous man. The son may have
inherited the same fiery disposition. It
Is a scientific fact that opposltes CON
| join, not sImilarities. The positive and
the negative poles work together in
harmony. not the electric wires carry
ing the same current. Tho reason the
wife is able to live tremendously with
the husband is that her nature is en-
tlrcly different from his and is its nat
ural complement The father and the
son were continually irritating each
| other One night there was Il domestic
explosion. The father ordered the son
from the house. The boy never came
back. He went to live in another city.
He plunged into life Of dissipation.
The father blamed tho son. The son
blamed the father But are there not
grevous faults on both sides?
Heal Family Troubles.
Take. for Illustration. that difficulty
which exists between the daughter and
her parents. There are faults there inst
the same. Faults are on both sides.
The daughter may have grown up to
be the pride OF the parental heart She
was the idol of her father and mother.
They sent her to school and gave her
every educational advantage that mon
ey could procure, but while they were
giving money and. seemingly, every
advantage those parents were not care
full about the acquantanccs their
daughter was forming. They were not
careful about looking UP the records of
the young men who were calling during
the evening hour. The result of this
parental negligence was that the daugh-
Ter formed an affection for young
man who was not regarded favorably
by the parents. They did everything
in their power to prevent the marriage,
but the trouble was that the parents
awoko to the danger too late. The
young girl was obstinate; she married
against their will. After the daughter
LETT home she felt that her husband
and children were not wanted back in
the place where the wife and mother
was born. therefore she does not visit
where they are not welcomed. The
parents, in an unguarded moment, may
have said that all their children want
ed of them was their money. The
daughter is poor. but very proud. At
times she has not had food enough even
for her babies. How much happiness
1t would give on all hands if a recon
citation could be effected and if the
parents, remembering that their negll-
gencc contributed to the trouble, and
the daughter, remembering that hard
words, spoken in moment of irrita-
tlon. should not weigh against long
years of love and parental kindness,
should come together again and agree
TO forget the faults on both sides!
What Is true of the difficulties be-
tween parents and children is also true
OF the difficulties between brothers
and brothers. sisters and sisters. In
eYitably faults are TO be found on both
sides. Therefore what is the practical
conclusion of all this trend of thought?
You, man, and you, O woman, have
no right to complain about the injus-
tees which others have done against
you unless you at the same time have
done all in your power to atone for
the sins which you have, Intentionally
or unintentionally, done against your
brother. II you will go and honestly
ask your brother to forgive you the
wrong you have done him. In ninety
nine cases out Of hundred that broth
er will ask you to forgive the injus-
tees he has done you. Then, as you
are both ready to atone for the evils
you have done each other, there will
be no further cause for domestic strife.
Try TO smother the flames of family
trouble by asking your brother to for
give you the wrongs you have done
him. Try it. my friend. Try it. Try
II before the coming Christmas testiv-
ittes,
Family discussions should cease, and
Immediately cease. Why? Because
nearly all family troubles are caused
by one member Of family misjudging
the motives and position of other men,
bers of the family. Because it IS al
most impossible for people In one
sphere of life to properly appreciate
the difficulties and the trials and the
worries and the dlsappointments and
the heartaches which are continually
nagging and sapping the lives of people
In other spheres of life. Because II IL
not easy for one to read "the signs Of
The times" through another's specta clea