Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-08-05

cate attentions which would have made
her happy. After she was dead he
was imbittered by his consciousness
of his negligence and added to his
fault vltuperation of the people around
him. Better for him and them had the
sorrow for past failure toward his wife
led him TO kindness toward his living
friends. Perhaps this young man of
my text was one who had i'll used
his father while he was alive, and
now that he was dead he wanted
to give him big funeral. Do YOU
wonder, II this was SO. that Christ said,
LET the dead bury the dead?" Post
norton culogieS can never atone for
antemortem injustices.
Told Her Too Late.
In Virginia Il young woman was left
n widow with four small children. She
taught school and painted and stitched
and took in washing and worked all
day and far into the night In order to
send her boys to college and to give her
two girls fine education. After awhile
these children grew up ana went out
into the world ana left their old mother
alone i'm the cottage where they were
reared. Being fiuely educated, they
grew ashamed OF the mother who had
done SO much for them. Her speech
was not aS classical as theirs. Her
hands were callous with toll. and In
her looks she was very commonplace
Finally. worn out with work. she was
dying. and all her four children gath.
cred about iRr bedside. conscience
smitten with their Ingratitude. They
now realized how they had neglected
the best friend they ever had. Then
one of her boys. now n prominent law
yer took her I'm his arms and said /:
Mother, you have been a good mother
to US. You have made II possible for
us to be what we are" Then the wom-
ans tired face lighted up with a smile
as she answered. "Oh, Willie. why did
YOU not tel me that before?" Such
praises come too late. l tell you they
are too late. II we are TO praise our
loved ones. we must praise them while
they are living and not when they are
dead
Some people are never happy unless
Ivy ave fHiStiuDlc. 1udiE oluile II u
tear. Their laugh is u sob. They never
enjoy themselves unless they are moan.
Ing over corpse twenty years old. To
Evergreen cemetery OF Brooklyn, for
many months, there used to go q wild
over who everybody said was crazy.
He did not bury his wife in n grave.
but placed her body in a vault. There.
In this tomb, he had all his wife's furni.
ture and knickknacks. He had her pic
ture hung upon the wall, and her chairs
by her casket, and her books upon her
bookshelf. and her work basket and
table by her side. Then every day this
Tidower used TO go early in the morn
ing TO that tomb and stay there until
late ar night, He would sit In her
chair and read poetry 60 her deaf ears
and talk 10 her as though she were
alive. You say that man was crazy ?
lie was no more crazy than thousands
of people who. day in and day out. 90
to the graves OF their loved ones and
weep and lament over the past. instead
or going out into the world with Chris
tan courage and doing as the dead. or
rather as the redeemed. spirits OF their
dear ones would have them do. Christ
In the words OF my text. Is not telling
that young man TO be dIsrespectful to
his dead sire. He Is. however. enun-
ciating the tremendous fact that n
young man does not honor n dead mar
ent so much by weeping over a grave
rs by living the true, honest, noble
Christian life which that dead father
would have him live. LET the dead
bury the dead" might be translated
into the words. LET the dead ones
precepts live In the living. and let the
living fulfill the mission OF tbs tiead.p
An Incident OF War.
But l think there IS another reason
why Christ spoke the words of my
text. Jesus Is here not only enunciat
ing the fact that the primal duties of
HE should never be made subseryient
TO the secondary, but also the great
truth that man has his duty TO the
world at large as well as 10 his father
ana mothaR his wife and child. his
brother and sister and friend. BE.
cause men and women are bone of our
bone and flesh or our flesh that is no
reason why we have not duty TO our
Fellow men who are not akin 10 us
by blood-duty to your fellow men
and to your fellow mems children
whom you have never seen. A man
never learns this lesson more easily
than when he is a soldier. | remem-
Der some years ago, during the Spen-
ish-American war, we were encamned
in the old fair grounds Of Springfield.
the Illinois capital. Dewey's guns at
Manila had spoken. The troops were
Being hurried 10 the front. Our regi.
ment was 10 move south within n CON
pie or days. The surgeon of our regi-
ment came 10 my quarters one night
and said. Chaplain. read that" II
was letter from Chicago telling him
that his wife was lowering between
lie and death as the result Of a very
serious operation. and she wanted TO
see him just for a few hours before
ne Went south. Why don't you run
up to Chicago tonight and come back
tomorrow" we asked. "You Will he
here IN plenty OF time" THE colo
mel won't let me. The orders have
come down that no leaves of absence
can be granted. as we may go to the |
front any moment" Orders se |
said impulslvely. IF nv
WIFE were dying, orders or no orders |
would go TO her." "Then you would |
be captured as a deserter and perbans |
shot," said my companion quietly.
For the good OF the service I must |
'Dey orders and go with my regiment.
Ny duty to my country Is now even
greater than my duty TO my diving
wife. YES. surgeon" said I, "you
ire right. There are duties I'm life
even greater than those we bear 10
'ur loved ones. dear though they may
Dc. God help you in this your hour
II trial."
SO Christ In these words of my text
vas enunciating an infinite and omn.p-
tent truth. Jesus is practically saw
ng; Young man. higher than Your
owe Tor father or mother or wife or
MID is your duty to me and to the
'reat world at large. Come with me
no help save the millions who are