Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-19

sisters at work In the field or chopping
wood to cook what he eats.
II ha goes outside IL Is to play. base
hall or whittls pine at the nearest dry
good store. II he condescends to take
iob he spends the money at soda
or coca-cola fount, or In cigarettes to
smoke. He Is mean as well as lucky 10
have such friends to support him.
know girls who are working Tor dear
ISs's sake 10 ease the burden on ther
old parents shoulders. with just such
prodigal sons. reaping the reward OF
these girls labors.
But the premium Is placed on the
worthless prodigal son. I know widow
with two sons. the eldest good mother
boy. who furnished her a home and the
necessaries of life The younger one
tramped from place TO place and that
mother worked her fingers OF 10 send
him money. I doubt IL she ever gave
that older boy a dollar in her Ire.
That's the way Ii works.
The elder brother Of the prodigal son
never transgressed his fathers COM
mands. He served him dutifully and
faithfully He told his father Of his
failure to give him so much as kid
TO make merry with his own decent COM
rades. taz
II is the accepted idea that he was
doing nothing but his duty. That was
SUFFICIENT reward and deserved nothing,
not even. a ring on his finger or one
fatted calf 60 kill for his enjoyment.
The compassionate father is all. well
enough His pity for his erring son Is
eommendsble but 1 think the elder broth
er had good and sufficient reason for
being offended. N- tpf
When his father petted him and said:
i'son, all mine is thine, = 1t reminded
me of Mayor Joyner. OF Atlanta, when
he presented the key OF the city to the
old veterans at the reunion-all set down
In the program. but. did not see that
the veterans got a, single privilege they
did not have before. But say rah. for
Atlanta. and those ez-young ladies who
rode In and out with the old soldiers as
en- escort TO the commanding general
II had been possessor Of horse and
a Mother Hubbard uniform I'd have
lined" the cavalry,
Those school boys were simply grand,
worth a trip to Atlanta to see marching
In pIatoons. keeping perfect time with
the drum.
Those boys will never forget the march
and I'll never forget the boys. /. wanted
to hug everyone of them.
/ say. all honor to the boy who stays
at home to help his old parents with
TO be the mainstay OF the home, when
the father fails by reason Of age or
infirmity sess- sw sEl
80 t---s Asf ~ n 10 W. II. A.
Now for closing word and the editress
will leave the subject with you
This parable Of the prodigal son is
the Saviour's parable, or story. told by
Himself TO an unbelieving gain-saying
nation: a people who were going to re-
ject Him and cruelty Him. His mission
was TO the sinner-the erring one-and
He showed the compassion OF the Heav-
emily Father to the sinner. The prodigal
deserved nothing-had wasted his sub
stance in Siotous living, but he was re-
pentant, he did come to his father and
he did beg him to forgive him, and he
would be as his servant ever more. 1t
was that attitude OF repentant humility
which Is the kernal of the parable. and
which the older brother failed to sppre-
ciate or recognize. He scoffed at his
brother and he wanted nothing of him,
So Il Is the elder brother who failed
to come up 20 the thigh mark OF his call
ing I'm Christ Jesus. e