The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-19

whom the sacrifices are made. I go into
the sculptors studio, and I say: Thor
waldsen, why art thou bending SO loving
~ over yonder piece Of cold marble?
Has the stone a hearth" .Oh, no. an
swers the Danish sculptor. II do not love
this stone because 1t has heart. l love
II because 1 have put my heart into It
il my effort to bring out the beautiful
figures which there I see slumbering or
reckoning to me from the cold stone"
Why does the artist love his canvas and
the composer his oratorio? Because
their life's work has gone into the crea-
tions of those masterpieces of art or
or music. Why did Christopher Wren's
life seem to be anchored to st. Paurs
cathedral and Isaac Newtons life to his
laboratory? Because In these places
those men spent most of their earthly
existence in order to work out the prob
lens of their lives.
Love inspired by sacrifice. That is true.
Then how can a true father and mother
help loving their children, How can they
ever separate their existence from the
joys and sorrows, the successes and
failures of their children? Oh. how many
sacrifices they have made? Was it ten
years of sacrifice? More than that
twenty years, thirty years, forty years.
For years and years the burden of rails
ing their families never left their minds
and hearts. If l could take you back to
your old homestead thirty years ago, l
would find all you children sound asleep.
The mother and father-what are they
talking so earnestly about? Father"
says the mother cannot you meet the
mortgage on the farm unless VIC cut
down our expenses? Then I will have
to let the hired girl go. and I will do
my own cooking and washing" We'll"
said your father, we must not econ
omize at the childrens expense. I must
make more money. We must raise The
children right. They must be educated"
Cannot Forget Them.
Why did your mothers hair grow white
at thirty-five years of age and your faith
ers face begin to be Grow marked2'
Neither in the morning. noon or 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 Gentry 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 IT my children
turn against me, then will my life be a
failure indeed. If my boys turn out bad
ly and my girls do not do what they
but little joy either for me or their moth
err" My friends, your fathers and mothers
worked too hard for their children for You
to disappoint them in the results of their
lifes 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 a Hebrew prince to stea; from father
his throne could not make David do aught
but cling to Absalom while he was alive
M no NUaXWard hOV after
he was dead.
But another reason why the burden of a
sinful child is hard for the parent to bear
mo sooner does a boy or girl begin to go
astray than true father and mother
agonize on account of the stingings of a
bitter self reproach. Mark you this. way
ward children-your parents do not blame
you entirely for your sins. They are
blaming themselves They are looking
away back over the scenes of the past.
They are saying to their own hearts Did
do right when I let my boy do this or
that or the other thing? Did I set my
daughter the wrong example? Did pray
earnestly enough for my children when
they were in my own nursery?" Oh. the
sadness; oh. the sorrow; oh. the bitt err.
bitter pangs of a merciless self denuncia-
ton which comes to the parents when
their boys and girls turn out badly! "a
foolish son is the heaviness of his moth
err" Aye, heavy indeed is he on account
of the boys sins. but also on account OF
those Of his parents.
Let me illustrate my thought by very
common incidert in life. There comes a
quick ring - the bell. The summons
calls me to go to your home. There find
your wife dying I bring to you all the
gospel comfort can. I say: Mr. So
and-so, Gods will be done. The Lord
gave and the Lord taketh away; blessed
be the name of the Lord" You say MOTH
ing You keep your lips closly sealed. The
more I call the less find that you are