Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-12-18

W
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
shielding 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 Struggle For Bread.
The Saviour's struggle for daily
bread when he became young man
was also the result of Joseph's journey
to the Manager of bethlehem of Judaea.
When Joseph went to Bethlehem with
Mary he seemed to say, Il will look
after thee and the young child" But
there came time when Joseph could
no longer look after Mary and Jesus.
Death came in and took Joseph away.
Then Jesus had to step into Josephs
place and become the support of the
rest of the family
Now, of what did this family consist?
Every Bible commentator who ever
penned a description of Joseph makes
him out to be a middle aged or an
elderly man at the time of his marriage
to Mary. Some assert that not only
was Joseph a middle aged man when
he married Mary, but that he had other
children. Personally 1 do not believe
there is any objection to these two as
sertions. Scripture itself seems to har-
monte with these two suppoSitions. In
the first place, we find that the Bible
never speaks about Joseph after the
scene in the temple, when Christ as a
boy is talking with the doctors. 10
seph was not with Mary at the wedding
of Cana of Galilee. He was not with
Jesus during any of his tours. He was
not with Christ at the time of the
crucifXion. Therefore the Bible reader
has right to suppose that short time
after Jesus came to young manhood 10
seph the carpenter died. Then Christ
has to go to work and take his foster
fathers place in the workshop. He
had to do as your elder brother did on
the farm when your father died When
Christ was little more than boy he
had to do a mans work-aye, and more
than a mans work. Jesus had to sup.
port his mothers family.
Christ by the forced toll and strug-
gle must have been fitted for sympathy
with the struggles of young men and
young women. There must have been
many a weary hour in that carpenter
shop when Jesus, with aching back,
struggled ON to fight the wolf Of cold
and of hunger from the door. There
must have been many a blister upon
the hand from the almost ceaseless
gripping of saw and plane and chisel.
There must have been many bleeding
finger and blackened thumb when the
tired arm was no longer able to direct
the hammer Alright and instead of strik-
ing the iron nail it crashed into the
bruised flesh. Christ as the man SYM
pathiZes with the hungry, because
Christ as the boy perhaps often went
tiers might have enough to eat. The
ties which bound Mary the mother to
her eldest son were very sacred. Side
by side they must have struggled to
rear those children. Side by side they
must have stood by the husbands
grave. Side by side they must have
drunk deep out of the chalice filed
with their bitter tears. Christ was
nurtured and cared for during his years
Of infancy because Joseph the car
penter stood by his manager. Christ
was better fitted for his life work Of
sympathy because the children of that
same Joseph were thrown upon Jesus
young shoulders to support.
The Influence Of Good Man.
Thus the influence of a good man
lives Oh after he has passed away. The
noble life of some dear one may have
stimulated you to deeds Of nobleness
while he was yet with you. Let it's
power abide with you now that he is
gone, making you useful to those
around you and to the Master also.
This truth must have been a difficult
one for Mary to learn. 1t is, in all
probability, difficult one for you to
learn also. When the next Christmas
holiday comes there may be a vacant
chair at your table. There will be the
silence which comes from the absence
of voice you would like to hear There
will be many hand clasps and many
"Merry Christmases" sung out, but
there will be one hand clasp you will
not. feel and one Merry Christmas"
you will not hear again on earth. But,
believe me, if my Interpretation of this
character of Joseph is true, even in the
death. or, rather, in the resurrection
and the redemption of your dear ones,
you will yet find that Gods ways are
the best ways. although we may not
now be able to understand that all
things are working together for good to
them that love God. Remember that
Joseph the carpenter dead was as much
essential to Christ's filial service as
Joseph the carpenter was when alive
And SO. my brother, when you look
at the different pictures commemora-
tive of the Nativity | do not want you
to spend all your time watching Mary.
or the infant Christ, or the shepherds,