The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1908-04-10

neral pyre of her dead husband. There
the little child was of such infinitesi-
NAL value that the crocodiles used to
fatten their young upon them. and
there infanticide was so common that
some mothers could not tell how many
of their babies they had fed to the
scaly, loathsome reptiles. Would you
look for those happy homes in licen-
tious Rome. where marriage was con-
sidered a spiders web and where vir-
tue could not be found In the Roman
lexicon and where some women had
been married and remarked so fire.
quently that they had difficulty in re-
Numbering their alliances? Would you
find those happy homes among the
African jungles. where cannibals ban
| quoted upon the flesh of men or among
the nomad tribes of North American
Indians, where woman was looked
upon as beast of burden? Tell me, In
all the history of the world, if you can.
| where motherhood and childhood are
so honored and the names of wife and
sister and daughter and mother so re-
vered and where the domestic life is
so happy as among the firesides Of
Christian homes. Oh can you ever
cease to thank God for the light that
was sown for you under the domestic
roof?
Your mother was not great woman
as the world looks upon greatness. She
was not famous authoress, like
George Eliot or Alice Cary or Eliza
beth Stuart Phelps. She was not a
great reformer, like Susan B. Anthony,
or a great leader of armies, like the
Maid of Orleans. She was not an art
list, like Rosa Bonheur. She was an ex-
pert In washing dishes, but she had
never cultivated the magnificent art of
decorating china as some of her daugh-
tiers do. But from the very moment of
her advent into the world she was an
honored member Of the community in
which she lived. First the home of her
mother was filled with sacred 10y
when she was born. Then during all
the days Of her girlhood she was treat
ed with the tenderest protecting care.
Then your father came to court her.
L.
her children arose to call her blessed
And when at last her poor tired body
was laid to rest by her dead husband
hundreds of her friends whom her life
had blessed stood about her open grave
to weep there Tell me, where can you
find such honor paid to womanhood
except in a Christian land filed with
hrfC 4 7
state that the great tidal waves of
gladstone light roll through the rooms
Of the Christian home? Has not God
blessed the Christian nations with the
highest type of domestic felicity?
Christian Governments.
But as the home is only one of the
units of society we must study how
God blesses the governments of the
Christian lands as well as the individ-
ual iresides. Here we also find the
great tidal waves of gladstone light
flowing everywhither. Here we find
the governments not run for a few,
but for the many. Here the rulers
are the servants of the people. Here
the governments are "of the people
and for the people and by the people,"
This fact was not true in olden times.
before the Christ love was acknowledge
ed in the hearts of men. Then il was
the governmental doctrine of the "di-
vine rights of kings" Now it is the
doctrine of the divine rights of the
people"
We look with amazement upon some
of the stupendous buildings which the
great potentates of the east have erect
ed. All! There were giants In those
days." giants so big that the earth
will never produce their like again.
And the trouble about those old giants
was that they grew so great by OPP
pressing the people whom they ruled.
Did you know that the rulers of Egypt |
in order to build the great canal which |
has made the present city of Cairo
possible took thousands of men from |
their labors in the fields and forcibly |
drove them TO the bitches? And as a
result of that conscription 10000 men |
persisted. Some people may find gran
deur in that but | only see brutal
tyranny.
What Egyptian traveller has not stud
led the famous citadel built by the .
great Saladin? 1t is a wonderful struc-
ture. But did you ever hear how he
built It'll will tell you. He built 1t by
enslaving all the captured crusaders
and compelling them to labor there for
the rest of their lives. Aye. there were
giants in those days, but thank God
we did not live in them. for In all prob
ability we should have had our lives
crushed out Of us by some tyrant as
your foot might crush an insect in a
country path. But now all the injus-
tees OF the feudal system are gone.
Now every mans home Is his castle.
Now man must respect the rights OF
man. One mans liberty ends where
the equal rights OF another man begin.
And mark you this. the vi, ...e Ga.
of the people were first taught t.
world through the agency of those o..
tons which first acknowledged Gil
as their Saviour and Lord. An
wrong in declaring that grea: 81 /
waves Of gladstone light bless that
ton which Acknowledges God as IL |
Swine Ruler and Guidel
The Church Spire.
Don't you remember that old picture /
you had in your childhood readerT II |
stood at the top Of the page and told /
the story Of the shipwrecked sailor /
who was landed upon an unknown Is
land He thinks he is TO be eaten by /
the eannibals. but he climbs a tree. !
and Of in the distance be sees a church .
spire. Then he knows he IL safe. for |
wherever Christ is honored In any com .
Dunity there Is safety. The best sure /
ty Of personal rights is a church altar.