The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-07-09

put away childish things" But in ref
erence to my children, have never be-
come Il man. | have never ceased to
be a child. Well, ole day at the din
ing room table was joking with one
Of my children. Some people might
think l was teasing her. After the
dinner was over and the children had
left for school, a gentleman who was
guest at the table said: 'Mr. Tai
mage. | would never tease a child like
that. When l was young my father
never cared for me. He used to take
fiendish delight in tantalizing me
whenever | came to the table l al
ways used to come late in order not
to meet him. And sometimes. on ac-
count Of his teasing, | would not speak
to him for months at time. All, no
dren and to make them think that he
does not care for them t.,',},.:l | heard
that man speak thus. II = myself.
Poor fellow. He must ll.t.t 'oent his
childhood days as young n1,!I spent
his"
/. David,s Childhood.
Where do find the intimation that
David had an unhappy childhood? l
think we have 1t in the story of
Samuel's visit Have you ever care
fully studied that incident? Why,
parental favoritism is sticking out all
over 1t. When Samuel came to Beth
lehem to find a new king of Israel
among Jesse's sons. what did the
father do? He brought every son he
had before the prophet, except one.
He seemed TO say: Samuel, here are
my seven boys. Did you ever see Il
finer lot Of young men? Any one of
them is fit to be king" And as the
father speaks thus look of loving
pride spreads over his features But
the prophet Is still not satisfied. He
keeps looking and looking. He IS
looking for some one else. Then he
says to Jesse. Are here all thy chill
dren:" With that a took Of disdnin
comes into the fathers face as he an
swers: "Af, yes: there Is still another;
but he is a puny. understood stripping.
He does not amount to much. You
surely. do not want him. There yet
rcmaineth the youngest. and behold he
kecpcth the sheep" Thus as Jesse
pushed David his son into the back
ground on account Of parental favorit-
ism for the other children. some of us
have lived through bitter childhood.
We have angrily felt that our father
or mother did not care for us as they
cared for the rest. David well knew
what ii was to weep during the long
nights Of his childhood. And yet to
day he comes to all boys and says:
MY young friends. do not worry. God
will yet scatter your gloom. There Is
bright dawn coming for you. Look
how God has led me out of my child
hood trials. Weeping may endure for
niglA but joy cometh in the morn
ing Boys and girls, young men and
young women. with your fresh young
cheeks wet with a shower Of tears.
will you believe IT.
But David had more dark nights
than those found IN his childhood days.
He also knew what the struggles Of
young manhood mean. He knew what
it was to work for years to perfect
himself for an important task and then
to be laughed and sneered at and de
MED opportunity to do what he knew
he was fitted to do He was just like
hundreds and thousands Of young PEG
pie adrift in our large cities, struggling
to get foothold In life when the world
will not recognize their physical and
mental capabilities. f t5a.-..
p Il A Revolutionary Story.
Perhaps l can illustrate my thought
by telling you the sad history of Cap
tain John Calender of the Revolution
airy war At Bunker Hill this young
American hero was in the command 0!
an artillery company. Something got
wrong with his cannon. and he ordcret,
the soldiers to drag them to the rear /
that they might not fall into the hand
Of the enemy Just then General Is
rael Putnam rode along the lines, anf
he saw what Calender was doing. IL
charged the young man with being
coward and ordered him back to TIN
line of battle at the point Of the pisto.
Immediately after the battle. upon th'
testimony Of General Putnam. youn.
Calender was degraded and in dis
grace retired from the service. Tn
daunted by the, injustice which wa.
done him. young Calender enlisted l.
the army as an ordinary private. lie
CALAMITY fought through battle afte'
battle. At last the attention OF tbs
great commander in chief. Georg
Washington. was drawn to this young
soldier. And toward the close Of til.
war General Washington investigated
the cause Of calendars dismissal, lie
reversed the Unjust sentence, of Put
nam. He restored Captain John Cal
lender to his original position. making
his commission date from the ,degrada
ton at Bunker Hill. So we find our
young Captain John Callendefs every
where. They are young men Of brain
and force and power. By the injus
tices and jealousies of their fellow men
they are kept in the background, and
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