The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
A BIRMINGHAM BOHEMIAN LOSES THIS
REMARKABLE LETTER FROM A BROTHER

srasped them How many opportunities.
how many days have you lost and
thrown away simply because you lacked
the will and energy to work and make
each moment count for some good? For
the past two years. or ever since you
have been mixed up with "the little
girl you have 1aid down" on every
job you have had-days at a time you
did not go near your work. You ca
reused about at night, were in no shape
TO work next day, got in trouble, and
consequently your duty was not per-
formed as it would have been had you
been there. and furthermore. you lost
your friends and the confidence of those
for whom you worked. You threw
your money away. did not try to save
anything, and formed companions out
of fellows who were without character
and who cared nothing for you but
your money Still you bewail the fact
that everybody is down on you and that
you have been slave all your life.
That's all the product of remorseful
conscience as no one is down on you
except yourself Getting back to the
subiect-you know that you wasted
your time. and yon certainly can't say
that you have tried to better yourself
for better position
Some one has said: The hours
perish and are laid to our charge; for
time, like life can never be recalled
The writer should have said, quickly
perish for, OH. what a short time it
seems since we were children. l can
hardly realize my rs years. and it
seems only as yesterday when our
grand parents were as young as our
parents of today, and our father and
mother still younger, strong and beau
tiful It Will be only a short while,
a breath or two. before we ourselves
win be old and our father and mother,
like theirs, will have reached the end of
their journey. 1t Is indeed sad
thought to me--the shortness of life
more especially SO, when we waste our
time from day to day. and live through
the Whole programme with no ultimate
idea in view performing no work real
ly worth while, and leaving nothing be-
-~rN
Are we through our lives and our ac-
tions or rather inactions, are we to fill
the declining years of our parents witt
sorrow and inisery2 Are we to add tc
their gray hairs, are we to burden then
ana add gFeater to tne ioad they ar,
now carrying? No, dear John, we ar,
not to do that. We must be strength
ana pride to them and we must to the
best of our ability try to realize for
them their prayers. We must, ere il
is too late, let them catch glimpses of the
realization OF their dreams and visions
OF manly and honorable sons, dreams and
visions OF theirs since they first held us
as infants in their arms Sometimes, at
night, and when alone with myself and
my soul, | form pictures in my mind of
what | thought those days of long ago
meant to our parents | try to UNDER
stand their wishes and | try to interpret
the thoughts and aspirations of father.
fnen try o pierce the distance of miles
and try to see them as they are now.
try to reach them. to think of what they
might be doing, to read the thought with
ir their hearts. and to hear the prayers,
Which | know go daily to heaven in our
behalf No. John, we can't disappont
them. We aust nerve and steel our
selves against the pitfalls and temptations
which Leset US on every side We must
be up and doirg; laboring night and day
to gain that which our parents would
have us, successfully unyieding to temp
tations. and denying ourselves those
things which We know are wrong and
hurtful to the best of our manhood.
If we suffered alone for our sins il
would not oe so awful, but the suffering
and the misery we heap upon the heads
of those down home is a thousand times
greater than that we bear. God knows we
and we drag not only them but all pos
terity to the depths we descend.
know how weak and futile these words
sound. / cannot express the thoughts
within my breast. and | cannot write
the things as l would like to tell you.
But, remember John. that 1 have laid
my heart bare to you. | leave you the
fudge as TO whether or not what [ have
said is true, whether or not love you
q
helping YOU In this, your time of trouble.
It has hurt me, 1t has burned my soul
as a white-hot brand. but do what l
think is best.
Take this as a lesson. Get alone with
yourself, search your heart and pray to
God to direct you and to give you
strength to fight the fight now before
you. God has said "And behold | am
with thee and will keep thee in all places
whittier thou goest. for | will not leave
thee until have done that which / have
spoken to thee Of; and again: lie
of strong and good courage. fear not
nor he afraid of them for the Lord, thy
God, He 1t is that doth go with thee, He
will not fail thee; nor forsake thee. The
God of our father and mother the Gcl
in whom our sainted grandparents lived
and trusted and died made those promises
and we cannot deny Him. For our only
hope OF salvation is God and Christ and
we must go to them or we are lost.
] sincerely pray that you will come
out of this all right Be good boy. fol-
low the teachings of mother and pray to
God to keep you. With all my love, your
brother.
Asheville, N. C.. April 2s ,als