Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-08-09
LESSONS FROM THE BIRDS.
By Rev. H. M. Wharton, d. D.

rows are nuisance, and people try to
kill them out because they drive other
birds away. But God cares for the
little sparrows aud they are worthy
of our attention also. / was hurry
ing along the street in Baltimore one
rainy day, my umbrella over me and
the rain pouring down, when, turning
a corner, / saw on the old marble
steps of house two little birds 1t
was a large sparrow and small one,
which | took to be a mother and her
child. The mother was trying every
way to persuade her little one to fly
up into a maple above them and get
out of the rain, and out of danger,
for it was the step of a public build
ing, and the poor thing was likely to
be trambled to death. But the young
bird had but few feathers and they
were wet, and do what it would it
could not fly. The anxious mother
would chatter away and tell how dan
gerous it was to be there, and how
nice it was to be UP in the tree. Then
she would fly up in the tree to show
the little bird what to do, but still it
couldn't fly. | stood there looking on
wondering what she would do next.
The mothers tender care the perse-
vering efforts to save her little one,
the repeated example, flying up to
teach her child to rise above danger,
all seemed as plain to me as the eff
Of hmm flor
had tried again and again and could
not get the little one out of the rain,
the mother bird came down and stood
beside her child as close as she could
get, and took the rain as it came. She
seemed to say, "NVell, my child, if you
can't get away, mother will stay here
with you" That is true sympathy
suffering with those who suffer.
A little girl came from school one
day and said, Mamma, Ada was
err, and she sat in the desk with me
and put her face in her book and cried
all day" What will you do, my
daughter" Il just put my face in
my book and l cried, too" Sympathy
Let lis do like the bird, stand by our
fellowmen in their sorrows and 1t will
help them bear their burdens 1t is
what Jesus does for us. Sympathy Is
not feeling only, it is getting down
and helping him bear it. Rejoice
with them that do rejoice and weep
with them that weep Bear We one
another's burdens, and so fulfill the
law of Christ"
One day lady sat by the window
sewing; suddenly she heard the cry
of birds, in the deepest distress, and
she looked out to see what was the
matter. There was a great big snake
that had crawled up a tree and was
devouring the helpless little ones,
while just above them the poor heart
broken mother fluttered about in the
widest distraction. But it was too
late; her children were gone, and her
home was left desolate, Il sad reminder
of her folly in building so near the
ground. SO I think it is with people
who have no higher ambition than
earthly pleasure, wealth or honors.
They build too low. Their hearts
home is in easy reach of death and
the devil, and depend upon it the de-
stroyer will come, soon or late. Let us
build for God. Let us lay our foun-
dations in the eternities, and we shall
then be above and beyond all danger
LAY up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust
corrupt and where thieves cannot
break through nor steal" Build on
the Rock, and the winds and rains
and floods of time or eternity will beat
upon your house in vain.
Short Meter Sermons.
There never yet was a sermon that
could have any force on head full
of fashion.
The burdens of earth demand that
out hearts be nourished with the bread
of heaven.
Some folks feel sure they are build
ing on rock because their hearts are
hard as flint.
The spirit of brotherhood never
needs to hire billboards to have its
good deeds made known.
There are too many people hungry
for love for any one ever to talk of
suffering from loneliness.
Some men think that the ladder to
heaven has but three rungs, called
wages, salary, and income.
1t now is perfectly safe to prove
your charity by giving away your
wornout winters clothes.
There always is tendency to judge
such things as love by the divorce rec
ords rather than by the many happy
homes.
You cannot reach men helpfully SO
long as you have a sense OF having to
reach to them instead of standing right
by them.