Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-10-04

IL
waters drag as out, there Is the life
saving man on the beach. with his
corsets OF cork about him and his long
saving line attached to the belt He
VIII plunge In after us, and friends on
the shore win ge' hold OF the line and
pull both of us out from the angry
surf
Outside the Life Lines.
How safe one feels when bathing I'm
the ocean inside of the life lines! We
feel great deal like the little chickens
playing around the BARNARD, within
call OF the clucling hen. If anything
goes wrong they can run and find shell
ter and safety under the mothers
wing. So with the old homestead.
There we always felt safe. III any
thing went wrong we could always run
to father and mother and find help and
strength. But when the bather goes
beyond the life lines then he is taking
his life in his hands. And when we
leave the old homestead then we must
meet our struggles and temptations
alone.
First Night Away From Home.
Have you ever seen your feelings
, better portrayed than in the great pic
ture Hovenden painted, called 1.-The
Breaking of Home Tiesr 1 have a
fine copy of that picture hanging on
my dining room wall. Some people
declare the mothers face is the most
wonderful part of that picture. Others
draw your attention to the dog, 9TH
ers to the youngest sister or to the old
m Rtff fhn
gestive part of that picture to me is
the chin of the boy, who is about to
leave home. AS / stand and look at
that chin I can almost see it culver.
It seems to say: "What am 1 going to
| do? Away from father and mother
| and all the dear ones, where, shall 1
| spend my evenings? Who Will take
care of me when 1 am sick? oh, 1
wish did not have to go to that great
big city, with all its temptations and
loneliness. Why, there is no one am ong
those city people whom / can call
friend" All, leaving home is no joke.
Turning your back upon all your
youthful associations is no pleasure
day jaunt 1.-THE Breaking of Home
Ties" when the young man starts
| forth In life to battle with the world
alone, is one of t1e saddest moments
In all life's journcy.
And yet was nos Is utter helpless
ness, this awful % ness, this widen
ing isolation, the means of bringing to
you one of the most marvellous of di-
vine revelations? When the revolving
wheels of the railroad train were TAX
ing you farther and farther away from
your old home your eyes filed with
tears. You kept looking out of the
| car window. You were not looking at
the new country, but you were seeing
the dear faces in your old home There
among the passengers you kept offer
Ing this prayer: 30 God, my mother
er's and fathers God, be with me in
| my new life" Then when you closed
your door for the first night in your
little hall bedroom in the big city
boarding house you knelt down and
said the same prayer. And then what
happened? You remember it as though
it were yesterday. Your room seemed
to be filled with singing angels. You
knew not whether YOU were I'm the
body or out Of the body, so wonderful
was the celestial glory that shone
around you. The same God who spoke
unto Joshua appeared unto you and
said: Fear not, my child. AS was
with thy father and mother, so will
be with thee IL thou wilt trust me and
follow me-" Was that vision haIll-
cination? You know II was not. You
know it was a glorious revelation from
God. Have you trusted Christ and fol-
lowed him as you promised to do when
young man on your first night in the
great city? If you have not, then tell
God today why you have not and ask
again for a renewal OF his divine man.
Hesitation.
But time passed on. You soon go;
used to your city life. The green coun
try ways wore off. The hobnailed
shoes were exchanged for the leather
the rough clothes Of the village store
for the fashionable productions of tn.
expensive tailor. Then came your mar
rage. And that led on to another rev
elation, perhaps the best of all your
life. Would you have me describe the
scene? There is not much of scene
to describe. For some months YOU
have been walking around with q care
worn, anxious expression. The ap
proach OF great danger to your wife's
life oppressed you. What If she should
die? You prayed as you went about
your work that God would spare hel
life. Then suddenly n CLEAN of glori
GUS light shot through the blacl
clouds. After awhile the white capped
nurse came out OF the room and said
you can come now. But you must
step very gently. Yes, the doctor says
she is going to get well, but she had 6
very narrow escape. Hush! You mus
be very quiet. for a relapse would
surely kill her.
Another Revelation.
Then the nurse led you into a dark
ened room. Then she went over to 6
little crib and began to unroll bis
bundle. She kept unrolling the bundle
and unrolling 1t until she finally came
to a wee little bit of face. AS the
nurse left you bent over and looked
intently at the child. Then a strange
divine personality seemed to hover
around that crib. A loving voice seem
ed to say: MAN, have appeared unto
thee before, but never with such ear
nest supplication as now. Knowest
thou not that THIS little one is a gift
from me to thee? EIe is bone OF thy
bone, flesh OF thy Il. Thou art re
sponsible for his pn zeal, mental, NOR
al, spiritual and eternal welfare. What
thou art he shall become. He is thine
| m m0Id aud 70 foSbio,, tt,o,, x1;I+