Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-03-16
drcn right. They must be educated"
Cannot FOrrct Them,

shrinking from their unccasing labors
for feeding. clothing and educating
their children. Now, man, do you think
fury Of the hardest Kind Of work has
gone for the support and development
of the children. that the parents could
ever be independent of them? oh, no.
Your father practically said: III my
children turn against mo, then will my
life he failure indeed II my boys |
turn out badly and my girls do not do |
what they ought to do. then will earth
ly life hold but little JOY either for me
or their mother" My friends. your
fathers and mothers worked too hard |
FOR their children for you TO disappoiut
them in the results of their life's work. |
No matter what you do or say, you
cannot make them forget you or cease
to live for you. Even the sinful plot Of
n Hebrew prince to steal from father
his throne could not make David do
aught but cling tn .ihsalom while ne
was alive and sorrow for the hayward
boy after he was dead.
But another reason why the burden
Of a sinful child is hard for the parent
70 bear no sooner does Il boy or a girl
begin to so aStray than n true father
and mother agonize on account of the
stingings of bitter self reproach.
Mark you this. hayward childrcu-yonr
| parents do not blame you entirely for
your sins They arc blaming them
selves. Trey arc looking away back
] IF In,
say ing to their own hearts: Did do
right whom let my boy do this or that
/ or the other thing: Did ! set my
! daughter tho wrong example: Did
pray earnestly enough for my children
whom they were In my own nursery?"
/ oh. The sadness; oh. the sorrow: oh.
the bitter. bitter panCs of a mcrciless
self Pronunciation which comes to the
parents when the'; boys and girls turn
ont badly. "A foolish son IS the heavi-
ness of his mother" Aye heavy III
deed is he not only on account OF the
boys sins. hut also on account Of those
OF his parents.
Let me illustrate my thought by n
very common incident in life. There
comes n quick ring ut tho bell. The
summons calls me- TO 60 to your home.
There | find your wife dying. I bring
to you all tho gospel comfort | can. |
say: Mr.. So-andso, Gods will no
done The Lord gave. and the Lord
taketh away: blessed be the name OF
the Lord" You say nothing. You
keen your lips closely sealed. The
more l call the less l find that YOU are
comfortcG At last. some day when
we ara alone. I say, "Mr. So-and' so,
what il the natter We'll" you an
swer II do not know what to think.
You say it is Gods will that my wife
died ! know it Is not Gods will.
know my negligence killed her. For
months and months my wife cOuGhed
badly. She had two or three hare,
spells OF sickness. The doctors tod
me she ought to so south. but som =
! how could not bring myself up to the
resolve TO let her go The journey
, would cost lot Of money. Besides
, that. needed her by my side. could
, have saved her If had sent her sortl
in time. Oh. why did not let her 81
Why did | not lei her go:" That is tn,
, Their have when thei' boys and girls
go Assay. "Oh, why did not do d!f
, fereltly when my children were h.!
. my side? Why did I not pray mor'
!, and iv, better than l did"'
y Trusted Too Much.
But. my friends. though your parents
:. made many mistakes in yOur bringin,
fnl1 nnt nf
& roI's made on account Of the gcntlenes
r rather than the mcanness Of thei
~ hearts? Even in their wcaknesse
o would YOU no. have had them just n
II they were: Let III" sec: you started +
r 60 astray first because they trusted yO
n too much They never though. tina
% YOU would or could do wrong. Whe
g. you came HON" from college they wcr
II so proud TO see you. They had kcl
~ sending checN aztec check. My. ho'
"a hard II was to get that money, Rut
al was for their boy. And. OH the awf.
~ awakening they had when the! foui
10 the money they sent, that hard earne
" money. was being spent for sin. Don
You remember how their hands tren
hled when they were placed upon yo,
W shoulder and their lips Huivercd whe
OF they kissed you for the first time afts
that shock? Don't you remember no
ct their tears mot your tears, but theta
~ were left upon your cheek when the
Of kissed you. a pr0digal. returning home
es Don't you remember how angry 20,
IN father became when your employ
re- first insinuated that you had embe
TO- Fled some Of his money? Old as
ri was. his clinched fist was ready
er knock that employer down. But aft
M the undeniable proofs were present'
n what did he do? Did he allow yon
no he sent to Jail. as you ought to ha'
'e' been? 1t did no good TO pay up tn
III deficit or embezzlement. Since thu
vi you have been cheating every one el
ns you could No. he did not let you go
'io Jail He took every dollar that he HI
's saved UP to care for your mother al
W. himself In their old age He turn
'' II all in and signed notes for tho
sand dollars more to save YOU fra
g. your Just punishment. He ought Il
MS TO have done It, but now in his old n
In are you still going to sin and have b
Of lacerated by remOrse because he i
IN been too kind to you!
!. But IL 1t to he wondered at that p