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

try TO recall TINT cruel remark you once
made to your obstinate boyl That re.
mark cut into his heart as surgeons
knife buries itself in the flesh uulverinp
upon the operating table. Have you,
o parent, since that second mnrriag e
which 80 trampled upon the love of
your children, gone regularly to visit
your children, as you used to do before
their mothers death2 DO you send to
them the warm cordial invitations to
come home and insist that they come
with their families? Do you, the par
cnts, try to instill into your children the
thought that their father and their
mother nre absolutely dependent for
happiness upon their boys and girls
affections?
Parents, let me ask you one blunt
question Surprising your children have
done wrong-and in all proba bility they
have-who ought to forgive first? Who
ought to be continually forgiving until
the old sweet relationships are re-
stored? Ought not the irst forgiven, the
chief forgiven, be you, o father, o
mother. you who have been wOrshiping
ut Chrlst's feet for forty years? Ought
1t not to be You rather than your child.
who has not been a member Of the
church more than five years? Ought
not the father and the mother try to
show to their children forgiving ma.
tures, no matter what those childrc,t
have said or done? Remember the
prayer you have been saying ever since
you learned 1t at your mothers knee.
Forgive us our trespasses as we for
give those that trespass against u.s.
That means, "Forglve us. O God. az we
are willing to forgive our children"
Pence on Earth
Cannot the parents who are estrang-
cd from their children realize that the
years are very few in which it is pos.
sible for them 10 have Christmas rec
onclliations? When n child dcepiscs 4
parent living or dead, that child must
suffer the most awful agonies that can
ever come TO 4 human being this side
of the grave. Bear, forbear. forgive
and be forgiven are the teachings, "on
earth peace, good will toward men"
Before the next Christmas comes
around il will be impossible for some
to forgive or TO be forgiven The
caskct maker is even now manufactur-
Ing coffin. The gravedigger is even
now sharpening his pick and spade.
The quarryman is even now cutting n
tombstone. The bellringer IS even now
ready to toll knell Brothers and sis
ters, fathers and mothers, kith and
kin. stop and attune your family rec
oscillations to the notes of the Christ
mas song
Christmas days have not always
heard the angels sing the song, "On
earth peace, good Will to men" In
1000 William the Conqueror, to com
plete his triumph over England, de
creed that all the country should be
devastated between York and Durham.
In all that region every city, town OF
village was RACED to the ground, and
so literally was the order executed that
a famine ensued In which 100000 men,
women and children persisted. So many
Christmases since 1860 have witnessed
their slaughters Of thousands upon
thousands. Not the slaughter Of life
alone, but the slaughter Of heart loves
and heart affections between brothers
and sisters and parents and children
May the Christmas Of 1908 not be a
Christmas Of domestic tragedy. but OF
family reunions. May 1t be the time
when the very angels " heaven shall
again be compelled to sing for Joy that
all relatives at the manger have be-
come reconciled.
copyright. 1903, by Louis Klopsch.l