Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1908-03-24
VERY IMPRESSIVE SCENE
Was That at the Avenue Baptist
Church sunday-Father George
N. Mckay's Birthday.
fMrs. caddie Watts Winston.)

Sunday, Marcn llnu, III nohoi VI .is
oldest person in city and county, were
beautiful and impressive. The old, the
feeble the lame, the blind, were
there; people of all ages, and creeds.
The house was full. Around the arch
of the pulpit were the words George
Neal McKay.' At either side were
"1SO9-190S. Christian so years. Dea-
con IS years" The letters were in
silver and evergreens; bamboo vines
were prettily arranged The decora-
lions were chiefly the work of the
Dorcas Society. There We're great
bouquets of cut flowers. On the pull
pit was his chair and near it a table,
where gifts had been placed for the
patriarch. Among the gifts was a
suit of clothes from the church, ana
many individual gifts. There was a
beautiful cake from Mr.. and Mrs. w.
H. Dick with white rosebuds and
dainty ferns, surrounded by one hun
bred waxen tapers, one for every
birthday. AS the venerable. gentle
man was escorted to his seat of honor
the congregation arose in Difference to
one whose life has been SO long and
so well lived. The front seats were
reserved for the aged and Confederate
veterans Also seats of honor for
Mrs. Mckay and his two sons, Messrs.
Collie and Will Mckay, who came for
the occasion. Services began by sing
ing "All Hail the Power of Jesus
Name" Prayer Children's choir
from gallery sang to the aged When
the Battles Over We Shall Wear
Crown" Every voice rose in "Amaz-
ing Grace How Sweet the Sound"
Some of the voices were faint, and
some had not the musical power of
fifty years ago, but all sang, without
organ or piano, the old songs of Zion
that filled their youthful hearts with
love for Christ and His cause, and
that now are comforting them in their
dSO AO OhC AuhQl GU WdACh
were lit, and while burning all sang
How Firm Foundation Ye Saints of
the Lord" Rev. A. D. Sparkman, the
pastor, introduced DR.. R. C. Buckner
of the Buckner Orphan Home, who
was Father McKay's pastor fifty-four
years ago in Owensboro, KY; Father
Mckay his deacon.
AS the candles were put out he re-
marked: "The candle of the wicked
shall suddenly be put out, but of the
righteous shall burn and tighten the
way There has never been an occa
sion here like this. will never be again.
Soldiers of the cross are here, sol
diers of the country, children in de
cades, and half centuries" He read
from Job 9TH chapter, from the Goth
Psalm, l Chron., last chapter, but the
direct text, or foundation for the
beautiful word picture, that pen fails
me to reproduce, was Prov. 22:6:
Train up child in the way he should
go, and when he is old he will not de.
part from it"
He spoke of the Importance of train
ng;-.Whether animal or vegetable;
training is necessary for fruit, shrubs
or stock. The young colt is trained
for a racer, or draft horse; the COW,
mixer or beast; the child, hero,
giant in life, whether man or woman,
or failure. Call to mind you old
fathers and mothers the face and fea-
lures of the mother who trained you
up, the spirit of the father, the firm
ness and intelligence ready for any.
thing, in order to make a man or wo-
man of you. The training in the right
way must be physical, mental and
moral. II the child is properly train
ed the man will be hero. The stalk
of corn is to mature, SO is the child
We are not indebted to God alone to
day, old soldiers, but to our fathers
and mothers, and God, in enabling
them to train us. If it had not been
for my parents-had | been. left a
lonely waif-what would / have been
[ see their faces today with a heart
full of love- So do you see yours
Don't yon remember the dinners, the
suppers, the waffles, the Kentucky
pancakes, the yellow butter and
sweet milk, the fried chicken, the hog
jole and turnip greens, all the delica-
cies for our physical training? She
did not make us pray, pray, all the
time. Your father made you physical
ly strong. You'll never forget to be
thankful to them for feeding your
bodies; your father worked for 1t, so
did mother. Blessed be the memory
of Woodworking fathers and mothers,
of which you before me are the off
spring. Not one of us might have
been here had our parents not trained
us up in the way we should 60 We
have muscle, from food strength A
child must have physical develop
ment; then the mental capacities must
be trained. l knew a boy in my old