Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-03-18

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If could take you back to your old
homestead thirty years ago. would
find all you children sound asleep The
mother and father-what are they talk
ing so earnestly about: Father" says
the mother. cannot you meet the mort
gage OH the farm unless we cut down
our expenses? Then l will have to let
the hired girl go. and will do my own
cooking and washing" well" said
your father. I'VE must not economic
ut the children's expense l must make
more money. We must raise the chill
dren right. They must be educated"
Cannot Forget Them.
Why did your mothers hair grow
white at thirty-five years of age and
your fathers face begin to be Grow
marked!" Neither in the morning,
noon nor night could they be found
shrinking from their unceasing labors
for feeding. clothing and educating
their children. Now, man. do you think
it is possible. after quarter of a CEN
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: IF my
children turn against me. then will my
life be failure indeed. If 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 disappoint
them I'm 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
Hebrew prince TO steal from father
his throne could not make David do
aught but cling to Absalom while he
was alive and sorrow for the hayward
boy after he was dead
But another reason why the burden
OF sinful child Is hard for the parent
to bear-no sooner does a boy or girl
begin to go astray than a true father
and mother agOniZe on account of the
stinglngs OF bitter self reproach
Mark you this. Maynard children-your
parents do not blame you entirely for
your sins. They are blaming them
selves. They are looking away back
over the scenes Of the past They are
saying to their own hearts: Ibid I do
right when I let my boy do this or that
or the other thing? Did set my
daughter the wrong example? Did
pray earnestly enough for my children
when they were i'm my own nursery 2"
Oh, the sadness: oh. the sorrow: oh,
the bitter. bitter pangs OF a merciless
self denunciation which comes to the
parents when their boys and girls turn
out badly. "a foolish son is the heavi-
ness Of his mother" Aye. heavy in
deed Is he not only on account Of the
boys sins. but also on account of those
Of his parents.
Let me illustrate my thought by a
very common incident I'm life. There
comes quick ring mt the bell The
summons calls me TO go to your home
There find your wife dying. bring
to you all the gospel comfort can.
say: MIR SO-and-so. Gods will be
done. The Lord gave, and the Lord
taketh away; blessed be the name of
the Lord" You say nothing. You
keep your lips closely sealed. The
more I call the less find that you are
comforted. At last. some day when
we are alone. say. "Mr. So-and-so.
what is the matter?" WELL" you an
swer. II do not know what to think.
You say II Is Gods will that my wife
died. know 1t is not Gods will.
know my negligence killed her. For
months and months my wife coughed
badly. She had two or three hard
spells of sickness. The doctors told
me she ought to go south, but some
how could not bring myself up to the
resolve to let her go. The journey
would cost n lot of money. Besides
that, needed her by my side. could
have saved her IL / had sent her south
In time. Oh. why did l not let her go?
Why did not let her go!" That is the
remorse the true mother and the ia
Their have when their boys and girls
60 astray. "Oh, why did not do diff
ferently when my children were by
my side? Why did not pray more
and live better than I did,?
Trusted Too Much.
But. my friends. though your parents
made many mistakes in your bringing
up, tell me were not most Of their err
rOrs made on account of the gentleness
rather than the meanness OF their
hearts! Even in their weaknesses
would you not have had them just as
they were? Let me see: you started to
go astray first because they trusted you
too much. They never thought that
you would or could do wrong. When
you came home from college they were
SO proud TO see you. They had kept
sending check after check. My, how
hard Ii was to get that money. But 1t
was for their boy. And. oh, the awful
awakening they had when they found
the money they sent. that hard earned
money. was being spent for sin. Don't
you remember how their hands trem-
bled when they were placed upon your
shoulder and their lips quiyered when
they kissed YOU for the first time after