Milford chronicle., 1905-12-22
S e E II

Z N rhen aIazy wes - -
81 '--s.e .en,bt They gos-
r siped about it. ace looked
upon her as bad woman. In the
sight Of those Hebrew people she was
a social outcast. Joseph was at first
much troubled. The Bible tells us that
he was about to break the bonds of the
marital engagement and put her away
1 privily," but when an angel Of the
Lord appeared unto him and said that
/ Mary was to become the mother Of
/ the Son of God, "for that which is con-
ceiyed in her is of the Holy Spirit" at
once this brave, noble carpenter he
came her protector. lie knew that he
would be despised for marrying her,
yet he hesitated not one instant. He
stepped right up to her side He put
his arm about her. He said: Marry
me, Mary. and SANDER shall not touch
thee. l shall give thee the protection
of my name" Then he turned and
faced the cynical, sneering. scohing
deriding world as with flashing eye
he said: This is my wife. He who
strikes at her strikes at mer Did
you ever read of a more noble and
manly act than this of Joseph, who
gave to this trembling girl the protee-
tion of his name at the most sacred
moment of her life?
l am glad that the man who stood to
Jesus in the relation of a father should
have been so noble character and
that his boyhood was spent in home
so hallowed by marital affection. If it
was important for Jesus. the Son Of
God, to have the example Of a loving
father and mother continually before
him during the years of his childhood,
is it not also vitally important for your
children to have the example of a low
ing Gather and mother before them?
The divine love is first revealed to a
child through the Bible? Oh, no.
Through what the minister breaches
in the pulpit or the Sunday school
teacher tells him in the Sunday school?
oh, no. 1t is first revealed by the gen
tleness and kindness with which the
father of that child deals with the
mother and the mother with the IA
ther Beware, O parents, how you
lose your tempers before your children.
Beware how you let selfshness creep
into your hearts. Beware now you be-
come Jealous or fault finding. Before Before
you lower the standard of love which |
father and mother should bear to each |
other before the children go with me /
for little while back to the carpenter |
shop and see Joseph protecting his
wife from the sneers Of the world and |
her honor with his name,
which he was ready to give her when
before the priest he looked into her
eyes and said, MARY, thou art my be
loved wife until death doth us part"
The Influence of a Good Man.
Thus the influence of a good man
lives on after he has passed away. The
noble life of some dear one may have
you to deeds of nobleness
while he was yet with you. Let its
power abide with you now that he is
gone, making you useful to those
around you and to the Master also.
Oand- Of Mary. lie was Christs de-
fender from slander prenatal. He was
Jhrist's caretaker in Bethlehem. He
vas part Of Christ's existence in the
exile. He was Christ's pro-
ector in Nazareth. And as you watch
he face of this noble carpenter may
-Ou be able to say, 20 God, if it is
lot thy will to make me a Moses or a
oshua OF a Caleb or a David or a
'aul or John, let me be true and a
aithful Joseph of Bethlehem, Joseph Of
and Joseph the husband Of
lary, Of whom Jesus was born" Such
t least is my desire when look upon
le rough face and the eallous hands
Joseph the carpenter.
copyright 1905, by Louis Klopsch.I