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

l2oA huoW WHAT 10 lnlnk GU say luat
It Is Gods will that my wife died. I
know It Is not Gods will. 1 know my
negligence killed her. For months and
months my wife coughed badly. She had
two or three hard spells of sickness. The
doctors told me she ought to go south,
but somehow could not bring myself up
to the resolve to let her go. The journey
would cost lot of money. Besides that
I needed her by my side could have
saved her If had sent her south in time.
Oh, why did I not let her go? Why did I
not let her go?" That is the remorse the
true mother and father have when their
boys and girls go astray. "Oh. why did
not do different when my children were
by my side? ny did I not pray more
and live better than did?"
Trusted Too Much.
But my friends, though your parents
made many mistakes in your bringing up,
tell me were not most of their errors
made on account of the gentleness rather
than the meanness of their hearts? Even
In their weaknesses would you not have
had them Just IS they were? Let me see;
you started to go astray first because they
trusted you too much. They never thought
that you would or could do wrong. When
you came home from college they were so
proud to see yor. They had kept sending
check after check NY how hard 1t was
to get that money! But 1t was for their
boy. And, oh, the awful awakening they
had when they found the money they
sent. that hard earned money, was being
spent for SIM Don't you remember how
their hands trembled when they were
placed upon your shoulder and their lips
quivered when they kissed you for the
first time after tina. shock? Dom you re-
member how their tears-not your tears
but thers-were left upon your cheek
Ii -of.4r
ing home?
Don't you remember how angry your
father became -7hen your employer first
insinuated that you had embezzled some
Of his money? Old as he was. his clinch-
ed fist was ready to knock that employer
down. But after the undeniable proofs
were presented what cid he do? Did he
| allow you to be sent to jail, as you ought
to have been? 1t did no good to pay up
that deficit or embezzlement. Since then
you have been cheating every one else you
could. No, he did not let you go to jail.
He could take every dollar that he had
saved up to care for your mother and
himself in their old age He turned 1t all
in and signed notes for a thousand dol
lars more to save you from your just pun
| ishment. He ought not to have done It,
but now in his old age are you still going
to sin and have him lacerated by remorse
because he has been too kind to you?
But Is it to be wondered at that parents
on account of their great love for their
children, err manytmes over by being
| lenient? For years never had sympathy
for fathers and mothers who, as I express
ed 1t, were willing to pay their children's
expenses to perdition. 1 always said If I
had any boys and they got drunk once l
would forgive them and get their clothes
out of pawn and get them on their feet
again. If they stole once 1 would keep
them from going to Jail But If they did
1t the second time, to Jail or to the coun-
ty poorhouse they would CO. AS my own
boys are now growing up. do ! think
would do it? Perhaps But I fear
would do just as most fathers do.
would make the mistake of giving all
had. of running into debt and, IL neces-
sary, perhaps of destroying my own good
name, IL I could only save my boys. Oh,
hayward children, it is not you who
should blame your fathers and mothers
for kindness which proves to have been
mistaken! They were indulgent to you,
they were blind to your faults, they
| trusted you, believing that you would do
right You see now, as they see, that 1t
would have been better for you If they
had been more strict and severe. But will
you blame them for that? 1t was their
love for you that was their fault How
have you repaid that love? Return, be-
seech you, and beg their forgiveness.
Backs Too Weak For Burden.
| But there is another reason why we
| sympathize with broken-hearted parents
who are bearing the heavy burden of
hayward and sinful children. Those bur-
| dens are placed upon backs too weak to
carry them and upon hearts when they
are too tender to suffer. 1t makes a great
| deal of difference how man can bear a
| burden whether he is old or young. sick
or well, tottering or straight limbed. You
| would not hitch an old horse up to load
| he could easily have drawn in his prime.
Neither, foolish son. should you make
| your parents In their old age bear the
| burdens of your sins.
| How old are your parents? "Oh," you
| say father is about sixty years of age,
and mother is about the same" You
know when our parents married they did
not do as many people of the present day.
They did not wait until they had amassed
fortune. Then the daughters were
ready to start with the sons at the bottom
of the ladder to climb up. Therefore they
married when they were young. Once
young together, now they have grown old
together" And then your lip quivered as
you say: but mother is not as strong
as she used to be, and that old pain has
come back in fathers heart He had a
fainting spell last week" All. yes, they
are growing old togetherl Perhaps one
of thepn is already gone Is 1t not a mean
act an awfully mean act, on your part
to take broken down woman or an old
broken down man and place upon them
the burden of your unpardoned sins? They
once carried you in their arms: now you
ought to be willing to let them lean upon
your arm. They once wiped away your
tears; now you should be willing to wipe
away theirs They once lived and are
still living to make you happy; now you
ought to strive to make their last days
happy. Do not put that heavy burden of
your wickedness upon their hearts. They
are too old to bear 1t.
But" some one says. my father and
mother are not entirely dependent upon
mo for their happiness. AS my parents are
fashioned family. Their family was a big
one. I have four brothers and three sis
ters. and. with the exception of one BROTH
err we are all alive today and have fami-
lies OF our own. Two of my brothers are
gospel ministers. I am the only black
sheep In the family. Thus you need not
on. Of six who are Christians is not such
a bad record. All, my brother. when
you speak like that even though you are
married I know you have not yet faith
omed the dept. Of your mothers and
fathers love. The true Christian parents
happiness is dependent not only upon the
Christian lives of few. but Of all their
children. No matter how many children
Christian mother has. she is never happy
rnless all are in the gospel fold. She will
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