Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-12-15
NUMBER "a

sands or our great men and women he
always found them busy. And me-
thinks he postponed calling many OF
them for years because the very In
tensity of their work not only kept
them at their tasks, but kept their
physical faculties bright and active.
There is no power this side Of heaven
which will make man triumph over
his physical ailments and overcome his
troubles and trials so surely as the In
spiratIon of some high purpose OF life
which will never allow him one mo-
ment to cease labor. "What, sick, Liga-
rius?" said Brutus to his friend In the
great Shakespearean tragedy. mo.
Brutus," answered Ligarus to the as
sassin Of Caesar "If thou hast any
noble enterprise on hand / am WELL"
That means, "Oh, Brutus. If thou hast
some work for me to do-some worthy
prize for me to strive after-that hign
aim of life will rouse my tagging ener-
gies and can do the work OF giant?
But" you say, how do you know
that my parents are true Christians
and that they are begging me to reach
out for a higher mental and spiritual
life? Perhaps they do not inspire me
Alright, and that IS the reason am not
doing as they advise and am satisfying
myself with small things" when
you preach that sermon" said my aged
friend to me, "be sure to emphasize
the fact that parents may be just as
neglectful in pleading with their chill
dren for the higher educational and
spiritual life as the children them'
selves are In not seeking it." Perhaps
you are right. my friend, but think
such conditions are exceptional. My
experience in talking with parents IN
all parts Of the country is that they are
anxious for the advancement or their
children. | know instances In when
fathers and mothers are denying them
selves luxurles that they may pay the
expenses of their sons through college.
In earlier years, when a son Is only d
bow OF school, the father or the mother
will try to kindle his ambition ana
promise him that If he will study at
school and do his utmost to get on
they will not grudge the cost of high
or education for him. Is not that your
experience? My brother, will you not
crafty your parents ambition? Think
OF It. In honorIng them by fulfilling
their hopes you are laying the founda-
ton of long and useful life.
"But." some one says, II cannot FOL
low the advice of my father and moth
or. I am not a young man. am MID
die aged. and my hair is already TURN
ing gray. am not a child. am
narent and have children OF my own.
All. sir. | wish | had done as you ad-
wise thirty years ago. But 1t Is too late
now. The past can never be recalled.
My father died nearly a quarter OF a
century ago and my mother ten years
later. | cannot follow their advice. for
their dead hands are now lying over
their silent hearts In the village grave
-" What my friend, you cannot
,o,,ow vorr fatfhhsr,s and mothers ad-
vice because they are ueaa. ". ~.
man. your mother is never so much
alive to you as today.
When Thomas Guthrie, the great
Scotch preacher, grew old he seemed
to become a child again. When he was
on his dying bed he would call to MS
devoted wife and say, MY dear, sing
me a BARNS song" Yes. nothing
soothed him so much as the old songs
with which his mother used to lullaby
him to sleep. Though for awhile you
may have drifted away from your
dead mothers influence, yet her looks.
her songs, the touch of her hand and
her advice are becoming more real to
you every day. Only last week when
you were travelling the old road OF SELF
ishness and sin she seemed to come to
you and put her two arms about your
neck and look into your face as or OLD
and say. "Oh, Willie. why do you live
as you do and break my hearth My
brother. will you back track and read
Just your purposes Of lifel Because
you have mlsspent ten. twenty. thirty
years OF your life will you destroy the
wholel oh. why today Will you not
honor your father and your mother and
live for the truer and the higher spir-
itual and temporal life. as they would
have you and now are pleading with
you to do. and thus prolong your life
for future days of service for CHRISTI
wilt thou not do as they would have
you do on earth that thou mayst dwell
with them and with their Christ for
ever in heaven?
copyright 1906 by Louis Klopschl