The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-11-05
SATURDAY NIGHT
SERMONS
W-Aa By
= REESANIJEL
g W.pURVISDl
THE BoY WHO WORRIES YOU.

OF all the tender touching tales there
is none more appealing than that OF
David waiting ut the. gate for tidings
of Absalom. Absalom was David's old
est and favorite boy. the son of n
heather mother. handsome. winsome,
marvellous hair jolly. reckless. mag
netic. resoureeful. crafty. his wits
sharpened by exile for the murder Of
his half brother Amnon Handsome
is as handsome does" applied to Al,sa
lom He WAS an Apollo from tip to
toe but he was d demagogue. a leader
"jollier" He stole the hearts of the
men of Israel" What u political vote
getter he would have been-a great
hand shaker. great promiser. skillful
1atterer. a good set Of teeth in his
smile. cordial. interesting manner.
Now he was in rebellion against his
father. the king. The father had sent
soldiers against the young renegade.
David had given orders. Deal gently
with the young man for my sake. :"
But that long, beautiful hair caught In
an oak as he was dashing by General
Joab was glad Of chance TO even
things UP with the young prince. and
be pushed his spear In between his
ribs. When David hears the news his
heart is broken. Many fond father
has uttered the same wall. "Oh. my
son Absalom, my sou, my son. would
God could have died for you.''
A Chip Of the Old Block.
pity the father. Many man see
ing the weeds by the roadside of his
life recognizes the place where he him
self scattered the seed Absalom was
a chip off the old block. and David
knew it. If you would train up enid
in the way he should go. 90 that way
yourself. Many an Indifferent father
says. preacher. | wish you would do
something to reach my boy" Poor
fool! The boys greatest preacher Is
his father No use preaching truth II
you lie yourself.saThe same with drink.
Or cards or women. Did David know
what Absalam had been doing right
alongi 1t would pay some fathers to
learn to ride bike" or take hike
with their boy David had been guilty
of some sins that shut his lips to his
boys sins. God. that's awful. Does
any ghost rise In your home when
yon clide Your boy. my friend? When
you learn Of Tom or Harry's downfall
don't always blame the "gang" he
went with The mother will sing
"W here is my wandering boy tonightY
as she watches the clock and the
pendulum beats against her heart
Jack never went to sleep without
kissing me good night. III wait for
him" God help her, she'll smell to
bacco AMI whisky Here Is the flame
that never dies out
"ls the Young Man Safer.
No. he isn't! The devils at the stile
My church is on the edge of the tender
Ioin of Il great city. Oh. tue mothers
who inquire and the letters that come
to my desk. Il know yon are busy
pastor. but won't you look up my boyi
He and father had words. lie left
bone in anger Tell him to come back
We love him still" Say. mother.
saw your boy. Absalom. last night in
the city mission. He spoke of you with
tears He was grimly reticent when
mentioned his father THE Old mans
all right. but he wanted me to walk
the path toward the church while he
walked in the opposite direction No
the young man Is not safe. Drink. reck
less spending of mone.., debt. wrong
companions of men and women beckon
him. One letter got Id rather write
back that the boy was drowned or
killed The man who carried the news
to the mother here In Philadelphia that
her boy was the first one killed at Vera
Cruz had better news than I've had
when | said the boy was living.
wrote to dead soldier boys mother:
There are things that are worse than
death. A past Joy may be better than
Il future sorrow" Say. father. with
boys still at home, set n good example
Everyday dealing with prodiyai sons
and daughters makes me say. Proven
ton Is better than cure"
Absalom's Tomb.
In life Absalom had raised a lofty
pillar in the Kings Dale. Instead there
is a great pit in the forest Of Ephraim
with a huge heap Of stones cast in
upon his bloody and dishonored corpse
Sin brings folks to strange graves
One half block from whore | preach
and write is the city morgue My
clothing still gives evidence of my
visit there this afternoon. but moth.
ing can take from my mind the horrtd
pictures see every week Absalom
is In pauper's coffin in Pntter.s field
or on II dissecting table mt the medical
school. You've stood M RHrr's grave
at Princeton and irving's at larry
town. One is In the pit in the woods.
the other in the Kings Dale. Down
broadway beneath the guardian spire
Of st Paul's | stood where General
Montgomery sleeps In his perpetual
fame: then ut the Metropolitan Muse
tln of Arts looked on the cenotaph
of Edgar Allan Poe. erected by the
hand Of charity. with it's nio,lrnful in
scriptfon: HE was great In his genius.
unhappy in life wretched In his
death" It is not far over to Green
wood to the mound where alone Tweed
found refuge from outraged Justice,
which had pursued him half way
around the world When the angel Of
IN fS1tk I'm 6. NJ = he