Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-05-31

OLD soldiers. 1t is the same reason
which accounts for infidelity every
where found among the men and the
women OF today Atheism and agnos.
ticism and infidelity are in most cases
not matter of the head, but Of the
life
When man wants TO drink and to
go to place. Of evil resort. then that
man wants TO argue away Christ.
Among the canteen men you find most
OF the scOffers and the deriders Of ,Je-
sus Christ. Among the frequenters OF
the saloons and of the low variety
shows and OF the places Of evil resort
you can find the most OF those who are
enemies Of the cross. II you are ready
to give mp your sins, then you are able
TO appreciate Christ. 1t Is sin which
is binding our eyes 10 the cross, and
not doubt. And would have you fur
thermOre, remember that when you APP
proach the grave, like the old soldiers
the more those sins will get a tighter
grip upon yon and the less you will be
able to see Jesus Christ as be IL. AS I
now call TO the old soldiers trembling
upon the verge Of the grave l would
call TO you: Except We give UP your
sins We shall never see the glory and
tho beauty Of Jesus Christ. Repent
Repent! Repent of your sins or We
shall all likewise perish
A Great Picture.
Oh, that we all might be what every
Christian veteran of the Grand Army
OF the Republic ought TO be. Some
time ago | saw one of the most ORA
matte pictures ever painted by the
brush Of man. A young society wom-
an was seated on a sofa in fashion
able home. \ young man In rcgula-
ton evening dress suit was in n chair
opposite her He had evidently Just
made an offer OF marriage TO this beau
tiful young girl and was waiting for
the answer Her eyes were look ing
into the far distance, and there before
her. on his knees, with a bloody band
age about his forehead, was the ghost
OF her soldier hero, with a pleading
face and with arms outStretChed to
ward her. begging his loved one TO 10
true to his memory That was pow
erful picture. but no more powerful
than | see before me in many and
many an old veterans life. see the
old soldier sitting in the twilight Of
life. He, too. sees two visions before
him. On the one side sits the man Of
the world in evening dress, the symbol
Of the sin and the selfishness and the
evil Of life. He is saying TO the old
veteran: Friend. come with me- We
have often together made merry Come
with me-" On the other side Of the old
veteran | see the ghost Of young sol
der arising and pleading with the vet
eran 10 be rs he once was. when he went
forth TO war. The old face OF the vet
Gran and the young face Of the ghost
are one The young face seems 10
! say: Re like me. BE like me when
you went forth to battle for your ma
tive land when the kiss Of Christian
mother was upon your forehead BE
| like me when you used to knecl down
! in simple faith and say your prayers.
! BE like me when you used to read your
! Bible. oh, aged veteran. he like me-
And there sits the veteran on the verge
OF the grave, with two spirlts-the
good spirit and the bad sprt-plead-
! ing with him.
| The picture changes. Now instead
OF the veteran sitting in the chair
sec your face. o man. The two spir-
! its-the good spirit and the bad spirit
are pleading with you. When the good
spirit in a soldiers uniform turns and
says, BE like me. be like me. be as
you once were when YOU knelt by your
mothers knee" ! hear the strong
powerful voices Of thousands of Chris
tian soldiers like Generals Clinton r.
Fisk and Samuel c. Armstrong and
Generals FallowS and I. :. Grant and
Rutherford y. Hayes and James a.
Garfield and Major William Mckinley
and General o. o. Howard say: Yes
be as you once were when you knelt
at your mothers knee. Be like Christ
Re like Christ" Was the picture OF
the great artist purely imaginative!
Is II only foolish vision Of mine when
I assert that on this memorial Sabbath
day | see all the noble Christian mem
hers of the Grand Army Of the Re
public, heroes IN war and heroes in
peace, talking 10 us and pleading Will
us to be like Christ?
Copyright 1906. by Louis klopsch.l