Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-12-11

| aud trials could realize that bis broth
| ers and sisters along the great high
I ways OF life are struggling under bur
dens quite as heavy as his own-al-
though their burdens may be made up
In different kinds OF packs aud have
siiken cords around them instead OF
henpen rope-he would be more pa
tent In his criticism of others. as he
may hope that others VIII judge him
more charitably. Most OF the seeming
Insults by relatives to relatives are en-
tirely unintentional. AS every man
hopes for mercy aud pardon i'm the day
or judgment so there should be forgive
ness for one who offends another
through inadvertence and not through
intention. The fancied injusticcs be-
tween relatives exist for the most part
In the distorted imaginations of those
who have no right to indulge in un-
Christian and merciiess judgments Of
relatives who really want to be friends.
Christmas Recommendations.
Family dissensions should cease and
Immediately cease. Why? Because
Christmas opportunities Of future fam
lily reconciliatlons may be very few.
They may never come again. We are
intensely shocked at the sudden depar-
lures OF our great men and women.
When Mrs Emma Booth-Tucker of the
Salvation Army was killed on Oct. %
In railroad accident the news was
telegraphed from the Atlantic 20 the
Pacific We commented upon the beau
ufui collin plate which we saw and
read thus: Born June 8. 1860, Consul
Emma Booth-Tucker; Promoted to Clio
ry Oct.S2S. 1903" We were intensely
shocked when King Humbert was shot
and when President Carnot was assas-
sinated with knife thrust. But why
should we be so shocked at the sudden
death or this man or that, as with the
tremendous emigration Of a vast host
each year from earth into the realm
beyond the grave? This Is not a plati-
tude, a purposeless saying. 1t is n
statement which ought to be pregnant
with the most tremendous import TO us
all. Can any here be sure that before
another Christmas rolls around the
death angels wing will not have fut-
tered over our beds?
oh, my friends, IL we are ever going
to have Christmas reconciliations we
had better have them now. Human
life at the longest is short. When
children have grown and scattered how
soon they die. A family may exist In
tact for ten. twenty. thirty years, but
after the death angel calls one child
he rs very apt to come back soon for
another and another until all are gone.
When the family plot is once selected
and couple of graves dug therein the
hearse gets into the habit OF travelling
in the same direction and the black
horses to stopping ut the same gate.
Then the sad truth il that when death
does come regrets may be piled in
towers mountains high upon the
casket, brothers may weep over the
dead brother. the hands may be press
ed and the lips pressed and the FORE
head stroked. but the dead will hear
not one word. He will not lift one eye
lid. He will not smile one look of for
giveness back TO those who want to be
forgiven. oh, regrets, regretsl How
often have we wept our regrets over
the coffin lids! How often that word
might have been chiseled as epitaph
upon the tombstone OF the deadl Re
grets. bitter. heartrending, but useless
regrets! Regrets. burning regrets in
reference TO our kith and kin who are
Cnno