Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-03-06

Samuel lifted the amounting horn 10
pour the sacred oil upon Saurs head,
and ia one sense Samuel looked upon
him as loving parent sometimes looks
upon the erring deeds of a favorite
child. He tried TO shield him and pro.
tect him and to ward or his coming
doom. And when Samuel did this be
was like Eli. He only FASTENED the
coming tragedy OF this handsome king.
oh, IL Is an awful thing 10 see IA
Their and mother shutting their eyes TO
the sins Of a childi I almost tremble
when I speak upon this. Yet am
firmly convinced that many young men
and women have gone to destruction
In the past not because their parents
have been too strict, but too lenicnt
with the self evident shortcomings of
their children.
There is only one way to deal with
the sins OF children, and that Is to Grad
icute them while they are young. And
the more Insignificant those sims seem
to be II let alone the more surely they
will destroy the temporal and spiritual
life OF the child. Do you see that mag
nificent oak tree growing there on the
hillsidef Yes, it is beauty. 1t has
lifted itself like a mighty giant. No
tornado Is strong enough TO blow that
tree down. 1t has struck its roots
clear down TO the solid rock.
But" you ask, "what are those
strange looking vines crawling up the
sides of that treeT' Then you come
nearer and say: "Why, they are the
vines of the wild grapes. See how fine
they are! I must take some home to
the children" "Ah," l say, lis that
so? Is that tree covered with the
grapevines? Then when YOU are eat
ing the wild grapes you are eating the
lifeblood of the tree" If YOU will
carefully examine the stems of the
wild grapevine, you will find them
filed with a lot of rootlike suckers
These suckers fasten themselves into
the tree and draw the life out of the
tree, aud, give them time, like all YAM
pire ivies, they will grow bigger and
bigger. Then the suckers will sink
deeper and deeper into the tree until
after awhile that mighty tree will
droop and die. Those few Wild grapes
may be very appetizing to your palate
They are very costly when they Kill a
tree to produce few punches of fruit.
: Such are the bitter vampire sins of
the child. Itmay not seem to be much
when the child steals the candy after
you have forbidden him to have II. 1t
may not seem to be much when a child
tells you falsehood. It may not
m No
tends TO go to school when he is going
skating. 1t may not seem to be much
when schoolboy commences TO smoke
cigarettes and drink beer 1t may not
seem to be much when the boy refuses
to go TO Sunday school or TO church
These are little things in a child's life
But, though the wild grapes are appe
thing, remember these little sins are
the vampires sucking away the child's
spiritual life. That fruit Is made out
OF the lifeblood of the chlld's spiritual
existence. Beware, parent, how you,
ike Samuel. allow the sins OF Saul TO
develop unrebuked.
No One Like Saul.
But, lastly. think Samuel grieved
L
fails, who can make n success? Why.
N all Israel there Is not another like
him. He is the handsomcst and the
best. What shall we do? What shall
we do?" But God said: Fear not.
Samuel. will raise up another Take
thy amounting horn and go whore tell
thee. David will do for me what Saul
has failed TO do" So when we find n
great man go astray we say: "Oh.
what shall we do? What shall we
doT' But God will bring us another
Fear not. Fear not. Only follow God
and he will bring the right man TO
thee. II God anoints man. then 1t
Is Gods work. and we have only TO do
his will
And Is II not blessed thought that
no one is essential to the Lords work ?
God is always able to send some one
10 take the vacant place. Oh, how Of
ten we think we are necessary to the
church or society," We say, "what will
the home do without u.s." or what
Wit the church do without usY" or
rEhNwiri orr bnsiness do without us 2"
Never fear, friend. When the time of
eur goirg IL at hand. God will always
have another TO take our place. There
fore does II not behoove us to do our
work so well that when the time of
our departure is Mt hand our successors
VIII find the foundations well laid for
building the superstructure? God can
send another minister to follow US I'm
the pulpit. He will send another teach
er to follow us in the Sunday school.
he will send another person to bless
our loved ones In the home. May we
today be like David. when he sur
rendered his throne to Solomon, rather
than like sinful Saul. who had to be
pushed aside by the divine hand TO
make room for David. Use us, o God.
Use us as thou didst thy sweet singer
OF Israel. Use us. Master. and use US
now!
Copyright. 1905. by Louis Klopsch.)