Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-12-07

muFuer yOu! Anu tOUuys ~ luuu, !
ask, cannot you stop weeping over the
lives Of some people who have been TN
true to you and open your eyes to the
sacrifices of those who have been de-
voting themselves to your comfort and
happiness for the last ten or perhaps
twenty years?
You have lost a child. He died Us
the result Of his sins, and you know 1t.
Yet you weep and cry for that child as
though he had been to you a saint.
What about the other children? What
about those lovely daughters and that
fine young son who are growing up by
your side? Are you just to them? DO
you try to make home happy for them?
Are you true to them? You have dis.
solute father. "Oh." you keep com.
planning, III my father were only what
lie ought to be!' Well, he Is not. You
cannot help that. But what about your
mother? Have you ever thanked God
that you have such a mother! Have
not her noble example and her tender
sacrifices been enough to start out a
dozen boys like you right, even though
your father has not been what he ought
to be. And yet the strange fact Of life
is this: Most of our modern King Da.
vids will 60 on whining and grooming
and complaining about one person who
has done them wrong and neglect to
show gratitude to the scores Of noble
souls about them who are doing all In
Al. %r thnvVN honrNv MI
blessed.
A Brave Girl.
Oh, the meanness Of not trying to do
all we can for those who are doing ev-
erything for us. Some years ago there
Joined my church one Of the bravest
young women | ever knew. Her futher
died when she was a young girl. Then
the executors robbed the widowed
mother Of her ALL The young girl, who
was brought up in luxury, went forth
to earn her daily bread. The mother
never seemed to care or to realize what
that daughter was doing. From morn
ing until night she kept up her never
ending series of complaints. She com
planned about being left widow; she
complained about loss of money; she
complained because she had to live
where she did and that her daughter
had to be away all day long But
said one day, madam, you surely
should be thankful for that girl O
yours. A nobler girl never knew. o
course you have to be alone, but thlnl
Of her down at the Office working. l
is not very pleasant for her." "Yes,
said the complaining old lady, IL sup
pose I ought to be thankful and no
complain. but it is my disposition. ant
I can't help it." All, me! How man.
Of us are like that dissatisfied old lady
How many Of us are like King David
| We brood over our misfOrtunes 80 lOni
that we not only make life miserable
for ourselves, but add to the burden
Of those who are striving to make GU
lives happy and blessed.
But King David was awakened I
more than a sentimental realization @
his blessings. General Joab gave
him a moral and spiritual galvani
shock, which startled his hands, hi
ears. his eyes. as never before. II
made the king leap to his feet and sto
his foOlishness. General Joab pract
cally said 10 King David: ut is ne
only mean and contemplate for you
ignore the sacrifices your people hav
made for you, but it is more. Th
foolish crying proves to the world the
you are unfit longer to be king.
you do not stop 1t your best friend
will turn against you. Within fe'
weeks you will have another insured
ton upon your hands, compared
which the late uprising will seem onl
a plaything. You will be hurled frol
your throne, and another will tai
your place, and that rightly, for II
man does not do as he ought to do tt
world will throw him aside, and he WI
have no one to blame but himself
All that was brave act of Gener
Joab. 1t was one of the bravest &C
Of his life. He was willing, IL nece
sary, to sacrifice his own life in ord
that his friend and king might see Il
error Of his ways and guard again
the danger lurking at his feet. A
you and ! willing to be as true to Of
friends as Joab was to his king?
An Easy Task.
} 1t Is easy to praise our friends wht
they do right or to defend them WHIT
they have injustice perpetrated again
them. The story is told that maj
years ago the officers Of the army
the king Of Hanover refused TO ha'
! anything to do with a young lieutena
who had been promoted on the field
battle for gallantry. They elaine
that he was not their social equal ev'
, though the shoulder straps Of col
, missioned officer were his. The xii
heard about the boycott. The ne
day at parade he called the young M;
to his side. Then. arm in arm with t
? lieutenant, he walked before the who
army assembled on dress parade. Tn
, that night, as his special guest, I
king took the young officer with III
, to banquet. OF course when the XII
went arm in arm with the young m
. the other officers at once felt he W
r not only their social equal. but frie
D we'll worth cultivating. Yes" ! SO
to myself as l read that story, 'h(
E easy 1t Ia for some Of "s to walk al
I in arm with our friends when they a
= doing right, but how hard 1t Is
: Some Of us to take the hands Of @
q friends when they do wrong and
i speak to them kindly and firmly q
!. vet lovingly, a. Joab told King DaN
70 aho,It hia faulta"