Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-11-03

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OF life upon the boy because he is a
true friend 10 the child. planning his
best development He wants TO make
the most out OF his son and bring him
TO the highest physical. mental. moral
and spiritual development. God is do
ing for us in a wide sense what the
earthly parent is doing for his child in
limited sense. He Is placing his bur
dens upon us 10 develop us. He IS not
making us struggle for the mere pleas
ure of seeing us suffer. He is COM
pelling us 20 be caretakers that we
may grow in strength aud climb the
higher mountain peaks OF inspiration
and power which he has lifted for our
thrones, and yet today there are but
very few who have grace enough to
thank God for the divine hand which
has Smitten. them as well as for the
divine lip which is ready TO speak the
words OF comfort and good cheer.
Spiritual Growth.
Spiritual growth Is not developed so
easily near the perfume of a flower
garden as among the thorns and the
decorations, the agonies and the suffer
ings of ravine Of thickets. The stron-
gest wing. the keenest eye, the swift
est foot and the sharpest intelligence
are not found i'm the meadow lands, but
in the deserts. There the lizards must
run like the lightning or the strong
beaked road runner" will snap them
in twain. There the buzzard, with his
great wings spread abroad as the sails
of ship. must be able to course on
hour after hour In search OF food aud
with almost omniscient eye watch the
lacking wings OF other buzzards miles
away 10 see whether they have found
any meat or else that buzzard must
soon starve and die. There the coyote
must have the wisdom OF the serpent.
all the stealthiness OF the fox, all the
speed Of the deer, the olfactory sensi-
tiveneSS Of the hound, or else the rab-
bit and the ground squirrel can never
be bis. To live in the desert the spring
must be as swift as the panther's; the
endurance must be so great that wa
ters hundred miles away are not out
of reach TO quench the parching thirst.
Every ear must hear the slightest wills
per; every intelligence must be the
most far reaching, or else the beast, the
bird or the serpent will die. In the
deserts OF life God best develops us.
not in the meadow lands. Not in the
easy places do we become the strong.
true, pure, good and noble men he in
tended us to be. In the desert places
we find the highest development OF
moral and spiritual life. The strongest
flowers grow not as dollhouse plants.
but like the trailing arbutus and the
crocus, seeming the hillsides near tim
Der lines, whose lullaby is the whis-
Ting wind OF the early spring and
whose soft couch is not the green grass.
but white quilt of drifting snow.
Canst thou not realize that the harder
the wind blows the more easy Is It for
the sea captain TO trim his sails and
the swifter the ships speed toward the
desired harbor2
BcneRcent Troubles.
Troubles are bencficent when packed
upon mans back I'm certain Quanti-
ties. They may and do develop the
physical and mental and spiritual man.
But though the soldier goes forth with
brave heart TO fight the battles OF his
country, with a haversack upon his
shoulder. he could not fight. no matter
how brave the heart. il he had con.
victs chain riveted TO his ankle and a
mountain. OF oppression tumbled over
upon his breast Thus, while IL is tho
duty OF true parent to put certain
burdens and cares upon his child TO de-
velop him. il is also the fathers duty
10 see that his child shall not have too
great burdens 10 bear. which will
break his back and crush his will. As
does n true father. so God plans for
us. Whom the Lord loveth he chas-
teneth. God dealeth with you as with
sons. For what son Is he whom the
father chasteneth not7" That means
as the father reproves. rebukes and
sxhorts and develops the child by the
heavy hand OF trouble so God the En-
Their deals with his own. But in CORN.
thians 1 also read these words as o
qualifying clause: God is faithful.
who will not suffer you TO be tempted
above that We are able, but will with
the temptation also make a way TO es-
cape that we may be able TO bear it."
That means that when troubles or
temptations come upon us greater thaa
We can bear then the Lord. who Is al.
ways planning for us. will step In and
stand between us and that temptation.
Thus L lind God the developing friend.
In the next place i find God the pro-
tector. God the shielder. God the ward.
er on OF too great dangers when we
are not able 10 care for ourselves.
Must he HeIpea.
~ ma -.
possible 1t is for some men to help
themselves unless they are first helped
by others. Last summer IL was my
privilege. with q couple OF gentlemen.
TO go camping through the mountains
Of southern California For long timo
had wished TO penetrate these noun
tains and so and live for awhile upon
some OF the Indian reservations. The
great san Luis Rey festival was 10
TAKE place among a couple OF these
tribes. We timed our trip TO witness
this festival, so important In Indian
life. There saw some OF the old In.
dians. almost as ignorant and super
suuous as their ancestors were cen.
turieS ago. An old Indian missionary
told me some OF the strangest facts
about them. Said he: do YOU know
that many OF these Indians believe in
ghosts and apparitions, just as did
their grandparents? Though they talk
but little during the day. yet they hest
tate to go out at night because they
are afraid or the darkness. They al.
ways whistle or sing TO keep the spirits
from tearing them TO pieces. Then
here is another popularity about them.
with all the Advancement or civilian
hon everywhere seen, many OF these
Indians have never learned even the
laws of health. They build
their adobe houses with no adequate
means OF ventilation. When they he
come sick some OF them Will go to bed
Then they will have erected four posts
at the four corners OF the bed, in the
DID Louis XIV style. have seen the
friends cover these posts over with
and not leave one loophole for
he fresh air to get in There the sick
man will lie and simply be smothered