The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-07

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 com monplaee. Finally, worn out with work. she was dying, and all her four children gathered about her 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 a prominent lawyer, took her in his arms and said; Mother, you have been good mother to us. You have made iI possible for us to be what we are." Then the woman's tired face light ed up with a smile as she answered. "Oh, Willie, why did you not tell me that be- fore?' Such praises come to late. l tell you they are too late. If 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 they are miserable. Their smile Is tear. Their laugh is a sob. They never enjoy themselves unless they are moan ing over corpse twenty years old. To Evergreen cemetery df Brooklyn, for many months, there used to go a widower who everybody said was crazy. He did not bury his wife in a grave, but placed her body in a vault There in this tomb he had all his wife's furniture and knick- knacks. He had her picture hung upon the wall, and her chairs by her easket, and her books upon her bookshelf, and her work basket and table by her side. Then every day this widower used to go early in the morn ing to that tomb and stay there until late at night He would sit In her chair and read poetry to her deaf ears and talk to her as though she were alive. You say that man was crazy? He was no more crazy than thousands of people who, day in and day out, go to the graves of their loved ones and weep and lament over the past, instead of going out into the world with Christian 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, enunciating the tremendous fact that young man does not honor dead parent so much by weeping over a grave as 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 the dead"
 An Incident of War.
 But think there is another reason why Christ spoke the words of my text. Jesus Is here not only enunciating the fact that the primal duties of life should never be made subservient to the secondary, but also the great truth that a man has his duty to the world at large as well as to his father and mother, his wife and child, his brother and sister and friend. Because men and women are bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, that is no reason why we have not duty to our fellow men who are not akin to 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. l remember some years ago. during the Spanish-American war we were encampcd in the old fair grounds of Springfield, the Illinois capital Deweys guns at Manila had spoken. The troops were being hurried to the front. Our reg iment was to move south within q couple of days. The surgeon of our regiment came to my quarters one night and said, Chaplain, read that" It was a letter from Chicago telling him that his wife was lowering between life and death as the result of a very serious operation, and she wanted 10 see him just for few hours before he went south "Why don't you run up to Chicago tonight and come back tomorrow" we asked. You will be here in plenty of time" "The colonel 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 be hangedl" said l lmpulsively. If my wife were dying, orders or no or ders I would go to her" Then you would be captured as a deserter and per- haps shot" said my companion quietly. For the good of the service l must obey orders and go with the regiment. My duty to my country is now even greater than my duty to my dying wife" "Yes. surgeon" said I, you are right. There are duties in life even greater than those we bear to our loved ones, dear though they may be- God help you in this your hour of trial"
 So Christ in these words of my text was enunciating infinite and omnipo- tent truth. Jesus is practically saying Young man, higher than your love for father or mother or wife or child is your duty to me and to the great world at large. Come with me and help save the millions who are dying in their sins. Come with me and bring back to a life of puri- ty and love those who will never know me unless they see me as a result of thy guidance. Come with me. Come with me-" This sentence. Follow me, and let the dead bury the dead" is only another