Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-08

ter trials. Then that merry cOmpan-
lon Of your youth changed. She stood
by your side in the crisis. She stood
near you in the sickroom. When
death invaded your home her hand
Joined yours in placing the flowers
about the open casket. She literally
poured out her life for you.
Real Lovers Now.
Now, IN the evening twilight Of
life, It Is not so much the beau.
tiful face that you love, or the mer-
ry laugh, or the golden curls, but
1t is the tender, true, faithful heart Of
that woman by your side who has
shared your troubles MS we'll as
doubled your joys. Though she may
not talk of love as much now MS she
! did when girl, vet you are never
happy unless she Is in touch with you.
When evening comes and you are sit
ting by the library table, the book is
never Interesting, nor does the Are in
the hearth burn brightly enough. nor
do the children play right, unless she
Is on the other side of that table. You
who have been married for a quarter
Of century, you know what It is to
have n devoted. unselfish compan Mon
| by your side. You know what II Is to
have that love pour out its LIES blood
| for you. Like the aged poet, you can
sing this sweet love song IN your old
| age:
| Oh, no, not even whom first we loved
Vert thou as dear as now thou art;
! Thy beauty then my senses moved,
But now thy virtues bind my heart.
| Although my heart in earlier youth
Might kindlc with more wild desire,
Believe mo. II has gained in truth
Much more than 1t has lost In fire.
The flame now warns my Utmost core
That then but sparkled DER my brow,
And. though | seemed to love thee more
Yet. oh, love thee better now.
Real Love For Christ.
| Well that is my idea of the Chris
! tian life. In the beginning We accepted
! Christ from selfish motives. Perhaps
we were in some great religious meet
/ ing, and the evangelist was pcturina
| the torturcs Of the lost. We became
/ so frightened that we grippcd the
! church pew for fear We should fal
/ over the prccipicc Of eternal doom
! But after we accepted Christ with
such a low motive the Christ love be
/ gan to grow upon US. We sec how he
has been protecting us and how he
| has been leading us. We SOC In an
other place how hc has clothed and
fed us. When death came into oul
home we saw his great tears of com
passion and love Even in our financial
distress or social persecution he was
always by our side. Then we began t.
realize how good and kind and loving
he is. As we grow in grace we are
never happy unless we feel his pres
ence near. We talk to him as we do tC
dear friend. We find ourselves say
Ing: Jesus thou knowcst best. Thor
art leading me. o Master, thy love
passeth all understanding. Keep mt
close to thy heart. Let ME never stray
away from thy touch" Church mem
bcrs, are you strangers to the raptur
Gus Joy Of The close companionship o.
this divine association? Then you hav,
never reached the higher development
Of the Christian life. Believe me
there Is something yet for you to pra.
for and struggle for in your Christiat
experience. DO not think today o.
Christ as an enemy. Think of Jesus
as an ever present personal, tender
loving friend. That can be one o
your greatest joys Of the Christian
life. He can he friend who will
never leave your side.
But the true Christian finds in thu
higher spiritual life more than thi!
divine companionship. No sooner dc
we truly become one with Christ thar
we enter into the clevating associa
tons Of the best and purest men ant
women living upon the face Of thu
earth today. We enter into holy as
ISOLATION with those who have felt tn,
divine touch and who have been re
created and made over and beer
stamped with the divine image. These
children OF God are different from al
other men and women. for they arr
radiatng with the power of the spiri
filed life.
Fun and Religion.
But" says some church member
81 do not want to live in a praye
meeting all the time. do not wan
to be singing psalm tunes morning
noon and night Sanctified peopl
may be all right in their places. but ,
steady diet of angels food nauseate
the stomach. like to frollc an,
play other kinds Of games. like t
fish I like to hunt Indeed. lik,
fun just as much as did twcnt,
years ago. In other words, | like I,
do something besides going to churcl
and talking about the Bible and for
eign and home missions" So do gOot
people like fun. So do the purest ant
best Of Gods disciples like rccrpa ton
There is no class Of men and womel
that have better time than Christian
people. But, my friends, 1t makes
great deal Of difference what you cal
fun. If you cannot find your best enjoy
mcnt in life as we'll as your best spir
ttual eXhilaration among Gods chill
dren. then there is something wron,
with your own spiritual life. and yo,
had better get down on your knees ant
ask God to place you in one of hi
spiritual kllns to refine your nature s,
that you will be able to find your ioy,
in holy companionship.
An old proverb goes thus: What i
meat for thy neighbor may be poison
for thee That means the food upol
which your brothers physical organ