Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-12-12
blood Thicker Than Water.

De ID0L Ut WulCu We NSiCOAueS eAN 49,
vent of our Lord.
Dlood Thicker Than Water.
But though God "setteth the solitary
In families" though on Christmas day,
above all other days, he would have
us worship him in communion with our
kith and kin, though we should dellgnt
70 prove that blood Is thicker than wa
ter. yet the startling fact remains un-
controyerted that the grinning skeleton,
which rattles It's bones and clatters its
teeth almost every Christmas eve In
almost every family closet, Is the hid
eous skeleton of domestic strife. By
this statement we do not mean that the
father and mother and the little chill
dren living within the four walls OF a
house are necessarily unhappy or that
most homes are not peaceful and loving.
We do mean, however. that the fam
ily name, taken in its larger relation,
is not always a loving and harmonious
name. We do mean by this statement
that after the father and mother nave
been carried out to their last resting
place to sleep the sleep OF death under
O coverlid Of snow, arrangements often
arise between the married children.
We do mean by this statement that
many and many home has been split
from top to bottom on account OF the
second marriage of father or moth
or. We do mean that today all over
the United States brothers can be
! found at variance with brothers, sisters
with sisters and cousins with cousins.
This nation Is struck through and
through with family strife. The Ap-
palachian mountains. where Kentucky,
Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia
meet, have apty been called "the land
Of the feud." There families have bat
! tied with each other for generations.
There the McCoys and the Hatfields
have we'll nigh exterminated each 9TH
er. There the Howards and the Turn
ers have fought each other to the death.
There the wounded John Philipotts
shot dead the four Griffins, and he him.
self was found unconscious among his
| slain. But though the Appalachians
can be called 1.-The land Of the feud,
the whole United States can truthfully
be termed "the land Of family strife.
If were to enter your family homes
and learn the inner secrets OF those
homes in all probability there woulo
be found not one family which among
its larger connections Is not cursed
with internal strife.
A Family Day.
Christmas day is essentially family
dav. Would it not be possible In the
weeks before its dawn for you to ar
range your family differences so tha'
on that day the old quarrel may be set
tied and all the hard thoughts and hare
words 1t has engendered may be for
given and forgotten? l would sugges
to you today some reasons why suci
reconciliation may be and should D'
effected. l would try, in the name o.
Jesus Christ, to have over the mango
brother clasp hands with brother, SIS
fer with sister, parent with child ant
child with parent. l would try TO d
this because when the Christmas bell
are ringing their carol no man. no VIC
man, can so truly honor the newborn
child called the Christ as by doing hi
or her part to fulfill the angel messag
of "Peace on earth and good Will tc
ward men,"
Family dlssenslons should cease, an
Immediately cease. Why? They nav
nearly all-aye. practically ali-Dee
caused by faults committed on bot
sides. They have been caused by I'd
not calling the kettle black. the ke'
tie retalia .'nG ~ calling the pot BLACK
and at the same time both are 8
blinded by the hot fires of domesu
dissenslons that they cannot see Una
each is black. 1t may not be clear wh
started the family trouble. 1t is enous
to show that il both parties had nc
erred there would not have been Col
tinued domestic disturbance.
Father and Son.
Take, for illustration, the trouble D'
tween a father and his son. Every Ii
tie while we hear Of the SOP OF SON