Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-12-23

come jealous or fault finding. Before
you lower the standard of love which
father and mother should bear 10 each
other before the children 20 with me
for n little while back Ia the carpenter
shop aud see Joseph protecting his
wife from the slccrs of the world and
shielding her honor with his name,
which lie was ready 10 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 iaviOurs struggle for daily
bread when he became n young man
was also the result of .Ioscph's journey
10 the manager Of Bethlehem Of Judaea.
When Joseph went To Bethlehem with
Mary he seemed to say. II will look
after thee and the young child" But
there came u time when Joseph could
no longer look after Mary and Jesus
Death came IN and took Joseph AWAY.
Then Jesus had To step into JoscplI's
place and become the support OF the
rest of the family.
Now, Of what did this family consist :?
Every Bible commentator who ever
penned II description of Joseph makes
him out 10 he middle aged or an
elderly man nj the time Of his marriage
10 Mary. Some assert that not only
was Joseph II middle aged man when
he married Mary. but that he had other
children. Personally do not believe
there Is any objection to these two as
sertions Scripture itself seems 10 har-
monte with these two suggestions In
the first place. We find that the Bible
never speaks about Joseph after the
scene In the temple. when Christ as Il
boy is talking with the doctors. ,Io-
scph was not with Mary NJ 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
cruclfixion. Therefore the Bible reader
has right 10 suppose that Il short time
after Jesus came to young manhood Jo-
scph the carpenter died. Then Christ
has to 20 10 work and take his foster
fathers place IN the workshop. lie
had tn do rs your elder brother did on
the farm when your father died When
Christ was little more than boy he
had to do n mans work aye. and more
than 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 II weary hour In that carpenter
shop when Jesus. with aching back
struggled on 10 fight the wolf of cold
and of hunger from the door. There
must have been many blister upon
the hand from the almost ceaseless
gripping of saw and plane and chisel.
There must have been many Il bleeding
finger and blackcncd thumb when the
tired arm was 10 longer able 10 direct
the hammer Alright and instead of strik-
Ing the iron nail II crashed into the
bruised flesh. Christ rs the man SYM
pathiZcs with the hungry. because
Christ rs the boy perhaps often went
faint TO bed that his brothers and sis
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 10y side they
must have stood by the husbands
grave. Side by side they must have
drunk deep out of the chalicc filled
with their bitter tears Christ was
nuriurcd and cared for during his years
of infancy because Joseph the car
pcntcr stood by his manager. Christ
was better fitted for his life work of
sympathy bccausc the children of that
young shoulders Ia support