Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-09-20

vineyards and cultivate them and
market the fruit and divide the pro-
ceeds with the other children until
they become Of age and can care for
their own" The eldest son Is con-
scientious. He takes care of the vine
yards OF his brothers and sisters, cult
waiting and pruning them, and brings
them to high state Of development.
Each Of the vineyards goes out of his
hands as one brother or sister after
another comes of age. The eldest son
then discovers that while he was car
ing for those other vineyards his own
vineyard has fallen into ruin. The
writer Is describing the folly Of n
one sided policy, the neglect Of one
duty to perform another: ms the
teacher so attentive to the progress
of his own pupils that he neglccts his
own development and falls behind his
time, or the preacher intent on the well
fare Of his flock, while his own sons,
who had the first claim on him, are
neglected aud go to ruin.
The Life Of n Vine.
"How long do the grapevincs llve?"
l asked an old grape grower. "Do they
have comparatively short life, like
that Of the peach tree, which, ns u
horse, dies from old age anywhere
between fifteen and twenty years? Do
they live on and on, as the walnut tree,
bearing even after it has reached the
century mark" | had the owner of
the greatest walnut ranch in southern
California tell me that in Harlem,
New York, there was growing walnut
tree over hundred years old. He
went to visit it some time ago, because
1t was said to be growing upon city
lot where the owner was soon to cut 1t
down, MS he intended to build an
apartment house OH that lot. And he
furthermore told me that this tree was
bearing Just rs good walnuts at the
time he saw it as any walnut tree on
his ranch. Well" answered this vine
yard grower. chat depends. If Il vine
yard Is taken care of the vines seem
to have no age limit. There are In
southern California grape bearing
vines which were planted by the In
dams under the old Spanish regime
''Rut what If man neglects his vine
yard or waters it too muchi' 'If a
man tries to force a vines grapes and
does not allow it to sink its roots deep
enough into the soil, that vineyard
will die. In other words. if man
cares for his vineyards Alright they
have practically no age limit. With
my eyes | have seen luscious grapes
growing on vines over ninety years
old" This was the testimony of the
grape grower. Did not your Christian,
godly parents care for their gospel
vineyards Alright? Did they not let the
roots sink deep enough into the ground
to bury their fibers in the rich soil
which lies deep under the Calvary
cross?
Looking back over the long years of
your childhood and young manhood,
you cannot think of day in which
those dear old folks were not diligent-
ly at work in caring for their gospel
vineyards. Your father never started
days work unless he first gathered
his family about him and said, Come
prune our vineyards of all seltshness
and sin" Then, that good man was
not satisfied with simply walking
through his vineyard and sticking out
an arm here and a hand there, and
with the pruning shears cutting off
1>n1 nj hot InnI
but he got right down on his knees
in order to be able better to see his
imperfcctions. As he cut and sla shed
at the evil nature of his own heart, did
he not keep saying, 20 Lord, help me
to cut away all the evil tendrils of my
sinful life?"
When the springtlme comes. the rich
green, tender shoots begin TO grow
upon which the rabbits love to feast
! To prevent this injury, the wise owner
of the vineyards builds his wire fences
clear around the vineyard to keep the
four legged pests out. When the army
worms marshal their hosts by the
thousands and the millions and the bill
lions and move forward to annihilato
those vineyards, the owners of the
vineyards build their deep, wide
trenches about their precious fruits
so that these worm destroyers cannot
get in. as the cavalier of mediaevaI
times had his meats filed with water
about his walled castle to keep the
enemies out When the rich grapes
come, the vineyard owner has his
armed men, as sentinels, continually
moving in and out among the vines tc
drive away the quail that would eat
up the young grapes. Thus did youi
| Christian father and mother continu
ally build their spiritual wire fences
and dig their bitches and fight away
! the little foxes of evil and the quai
of temptations which would come tC
| destroy their spiritual vineyards. Die
they not daily lift between themselves
and the world the precious promises
'f God? Aye, they literally soaked theil
! Ives in the commandments Of God, &c
that they could not be tempted by any
temptations greater than they could
bear
Better Inheritance.
Do not tell me that when your Chris
tian father died he left you no inherit
Ance. You say, when he died til,
farm went to my elder brother" Blu
your fathers greatest asset was not II
| his farm You say, "IIe had n it'll,