Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-11-22

the most beautiful woman that ever
lived and as IL her fingers had been
lustrous with diamonds. And you pro-
nounce your fathers name with as
much reverence as though his wisdom
had governed nation instead of being
devoted to making a straight furrow
with plOw. Why is all this2 Why do
you not find fault with the cradle In
which you were rocked? Surely there
must have been something very mar
velous about your parents lives for
you not to complain about them.
Well" you answer, 1.-THE reason I
love the dear faces of my father and
mother SO much is because they were
so good. Why, | am no child. I am
nearly fifty years of age. have been
thrown with all classes of people.
have lived i'm the homes OF the rich as
well as of the poor. And after nearly
half a century's experience I can truly
say that I have never met man or
woman who was more truly trying
to live the Christ life than were my
old father and mother. Why, their
faith was SO simple and true that ii
was divine. remember we'll the time
when financial troubles threatened to
make us sell the farm. Father had
worked very hard that year, but just
before harvest time there came an aw-
full cyclone and battered down the
grain. Then IL was an of year for
fruit. Then mother. chile nursing one
of the neiShbors. was taken down with
fever. To cap the climax father had
an ugly horse. and one day it kicked
him and broke his leg. There we were,
lot of little helpless children. with
both parents sick. can remember rs
though IL were yesterday when father
called me into the room. He said
Harry, my boy, | am afraid you must
give up your school for awhile. | do
not know how God will lead us out
from this difficulty. But he can and
he will He has never failed me yet,
and he will not fail me now.' Then
you look ut me in peculiar way as
you say: And God neveI> did desert
him. He never did oh. my father
and mother were SO good. They were
SO truly good"
The Best inheritance.
I am glad to hear you say that, my
brother. 1t means more than gold and
silver. 1t means more than fame OF
social prestige. / would sooner have a
father and mother such as you had
than to have any other Inheritance
The heritage of your cradle is today
teeming with manifold blessings. Nc
wonder you do not complain of your
parents. Why, 10y every word they
uttered, by every act they did, they
were leading you TO the higher life
and their influence is potent yet. Wher
you think of your parents and think
Of the blessings of your old home
stead, you are content and grateful
There is nothing left In that respect
for you to desire. Doth the wild as.
bray when he hath grass or loweth the
OK over his fodder?"
But there Is another momentous fac
in the record of your life that impress
es me marvelously. | have never hearC
you complain because Won did not have
brain enough or opportunity enough L
earn the daily bread for yourself ant
your family. Now, I have often hear,
some of you complain because yo,
could not dress MS well us some on,
else. have heard YOU complain be
cause YOU could not live i'm CRANE
home, own summer cottage and ruI
an automobile. But have never hear,
you complain that you did not hav,
enough food TO eat and enough cloth
ing TO keep you warm and weathe
tight roof TO cover your head. No
once have You been I'm such straits tina
you had not a five cent piece TO buy .
loaf of bread. Not once has your ward
robe been so empty that you did no
have an extra coat hanging there {,
keep out the cold. AS far as | cal
make out, God has fed and CLOTHED
you aud housed you for fifty years
Having done this, has he not n RICH
To ask you To trust him to the end
With such past and with such n Go,
to care for your future are you no
content? Why should you complain
doth the wild Ass bray when he hatl
grass or loweth the OK over his fod
der:"
But there Is still another fact thu,
never complain about your wife an(
children. Though there are scores ant
hundreds and sometimes fear ever
thousands OF unhappy homes in Thu
city, yours is not one OF these. YOU
are like the patriarch Job in his earlier
End later days. You think YOU have
about the finest wife, the best sons
the prettiest and smartest daughter.
In all this land. And the trouble /:
That your children know how highly
you think OF them. Why, they can &c
anything out of you they desire. You
wife has some common sense as Il
raising the children. but YOU have alb.
soiutely none. But. though you may
be so fond of your children that YOU
nllcw them TO get anything out of you,
are you doing all you can for their
best interests? Your children love
you so much that you can lead them
to enter the Christian life. Now In
your great love for your home and
family you have every incentive to be
faithful to your God. AS parental
undershepherd are you going to prove
recreant TO your trust?
Heathen Mothers Idea.
There Is sad story told that near
the burning CHATS or Benares some
years ago an Indian missionary was
walking. There he saw poor Hin
doc mother weeping by the ashes
where couple of days before the body
or her child had been burned. sBut In
the night hideous serpent had crawl
ed IN among the ashes to sleep. While
the woman was weeping the serpent
began to uncoil itself. Then, the
heathen's superstitious belief in the
transmigration OF souls passing through
her mind, the horror stricken mother