Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-01-29

Joy and make even 1.-THE dying bed feel
soft as downy pillows are" The story
is told that during our civil war
soldier boy was dying. He was only
a boy of fifteen. oh said the lad,
II am going to die, and there is no one
here to love me! If | only had my
dear ones here" The nurse said: my
boy, l love you. Let me take your
loved ones place" Then she stooped
over and kissed him, "Ah." said the
boy. that feels like love. Kiss me
again. Then he looked at another
nurse as he said: Wont you kiss me
too? | do not think it would be so
hard to die If could feel that Won both
love me- No, it is not very hard to
bear the burdens of life If we feel that
those who are near at hand love US
and are sympathizing with us. Do you
not read between the lines how ,Jo-
seph's loved ones chung to him because
he was always true to them.
Sad story.
1t is only by loving others that 9TH
ers learn to love us. Some years ago
a steamer was wrecked on Lake Pont-
chartrain. Among the passengers was
family of six children, besides the
father and mother. The father was a
powerful swimmer. First he took his
wife in his arms and swan toward
shore. Then he came back five differ
ent times and took off a child each
time. But now his strength was al
most gone. Only one child remained
Only one, and yet the question was,
Could he save him? The father swan
out to the ship and called to his young
est boy: Jimmie, jump! tits papa,
jump The boy jumped into the sea.
All that the father then could do was
to clasp his last child in his arms. and
both sank together into watery grave.
You say "a sad story" Yes, but to
me a beautiful story. 1t is the story
of family devotion. 1t is the story of
a father loving his way into the hearts
of his children and of children giving
back their love to the father Such is
Joseph's life to me. Wherever | turn
| he seems to be loving his way into the
hearts of his associates. His heart
seems to be so big that it can forgive
chCIy SuCD1y anu lONC CNCIy O1t. Ctl0
almost every one was compelled to
love him. My friends are you like Jo-
seph, rich in the worlds affections?
Do you love people? Do people love
you?
But Joseph was rich also in his op-
portunities of doing good to others.
When child he dreamed strange
! To ho1 ,ic oh
bowling down to worship his sheaf and
his brothers stars doing obeisance to
his star. When he became man those
dreams were literally fulfilled. What
happened when he became prosperous?
Did he strut around the room and say:
Think of what l have accomplished!
| Think of how men are cringing the
knee to me!' Nay. He practically
made the same prayer of thanksgiving
which Jenny Lind, the Swedish night
ingale made when she first found out
she had throat filled with golden
notes of perfect musical harmonies He
said: "Oh, God, l thank thee for the
! prosperity with which thou hast bless
ed me. With my talents may l honor
thee by serving my fellow men," And
did he not honor God by noble, self
sacrificing service?
Picture him down in Egypt as the
prime minister of Pharaoh He could
have made millions upon millions of
dollars for himself during the seven
years of plenty. Did he. do it? Nay.
He gathered together the corn. He
stacked it up in granaries. Then when
the seven years of want came and the
starving people began to cry, Bread,
bread! Give us bfead!' Joseph opened
the granaries and said: Here, friends,
come and buy corn. Here is enough
bread for all and to spare" Out of
your seven years of plenty are you
helping to care for any who are ,strug
Cling in the seven years of want? You
told me only the other day that you
made more money last year than any
three years of your previous life. An
sWer me now this question: During all
the months of last year how many hun
cry mouths did you feed which did
not belong to your own family? Eff
teen? Ten? Five? Two? Not one,
not one! My God! Can it be that we
are the selfish Dives, caring not for
the poor Lazaruses starving upon our
very doorsteps,
Joseph's Sacrifice.
Then picture the great prime minister
of Pharaoh taking his old father and
brothers into the royal court and intro
ducing them there as his relatives. Ia
cob, the father, and Reuben and ST.
neon and Judah. and the other brothers
were nothing but shepherds. With
their fiOcks they were nomads. Of all
classes in Egypt the shepherd life was
despised the most Yet when joseph
went up in the world and made a sue
cess lie did not despise his family be-
cause they were living humble life.
He said, If prosper my family must
prosper" He brought Jacob down to
Memphis just as he was. He said to
the king: Pharaoh, my father has