Milford chronicle., 1906-09-21

vineyards. but mine own vineyard have
l not kept" That is the word picture
of a son who has been left the executor
of his fathers estate. The last sick
ness has come The funeral is over.
The will has been read. The will goes
something thuswise: This is my last
will and testament If l should be
called suddenly away, l leave all my
vineyards to my children, share and
share alike. But that these properties
may be made to pay their maXimums,
l leave my eldest son as the executor
Of the whole estate. He is to prune the
| 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, culti-
waiting and pruning them, and brings
them to n high state of development.
Each of the vineyards goes out of his
hands as one brother or sister afte
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 a
one sided policy, the neglect Of one
duty to perform another; as the
teacher, so attentive to the progress
of his own pupils that he negects his
own development and falls behind his
time, or the preacher intent on the wei
fare of his flock, while his own sons.
who had the first claim on him, are
neglected and go to ruin.
The Life of a Vine.
"How long do the grapevines liveT
asked an old grape grower. do they
have a comparatively short life, like
that of the peach tree, which, as a
horse, dies from old age anywhere
between fifteen and twenty years? Do
they live Oh and on, as the walnut tree,
bearing even after it has reached the
century mark?' 1 had the owner Of
the greatest walnut ranch in southern
California tell me that in Harlem,
New York, there was growing a walnut
tree over Il hundred years old. He
went to visit it some time ago, because
it was said to be growing upon a city
lot where the owner was soon to cut it
down. as he intended to build an
apartment house on that lot. And he
furthermore told me that this tree was
bearing just as good walnuts at the
time lie saw it as any walnut tree on |
his ranch. "Well," answered this vine |
yard grower, that depends. If vine !
yard is taken care of the vines seem I
to have no age limit. There are in |
southern California grape bearing |
vines which were planted by the In- |
dians under the old Spanish regime"
But what if man neglects his vine
yard or waters it too muchY 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 a man
cares for his vineyards Alright they
have practically no age limit. With
my eyes 1 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
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 a day in which
hose dear old folks were not diligent-
y at work in caring for their gospel
Your father never started
/ days work unless he first gathered
lis family about him and said, "COme,
let us ask God to help US
)rune our vineyards of all selfishness
Ind sin" Then, that good man was
lot satisfied with simply walking
through his vineyard and sticking out
IN arm here and a hand there, aud
With the pruning shears cutting off
his bad vine and that dead wood,
,ut he got right down on his knees
n order to be able better to see his
As he cut and slashed
t the evil nature of his own heart, did
e not keep saying, 20 Lord, help me .
o cut away all the evil tendrils of my ,
inful HfeT y
When the sPringtime comes, the rich,
reen, tender shoots begin to grow, :
pOn which the rabbits love to feast :
o prevent this injury, the wise owner !
f the vineyards builds his wire fences +
lear around the vineyard to keep the =
our legged pests out. When the army '
yOrms marshal their hosts by the Il
thousands and the millions and the bill .
Ons and move forward to annihilate a
hose vineyards, the owners of the f
ineyards build their deep, wide 4
renches about their precious fruits n
o that these worm destroyers cannot C
ct in, as the cavalier OF medieval f
mes had his moats filed with water il
bout his walled castle to keep the y
nemies out. When the rich grapes o
ONE. the vineyard owner has his G.
rmed men, as sentinels, continually C
lOving in and out among the vines to 1
4 I Z