The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-06

they met him at the station with .
team OF Kentucky thoroughbreds and
they went down the street on q dead
run.
He dashed TO the bedside and the
little boy said:
Don't cry. pape. when I get to
HEAVEN and see Jesus, III tell him you
was the best papa In the world to
me, and ycu taught me how to pray.
"a rae ,'ar paJna-. 49,.
Z nc asses Ala ap k.cs,ess ens -
said: 90. s<..' :" =
Lift me hisher," and he put his
arms beneath his little neck and held
him until his arms ached, and when
he lowered him down, he was gone.
But he had lifted him into the arms
OF Jesus Christ long before that
long, long before that
rs II well with thy child?" 7
preached one time In Troy when I
was with Dr. Chapman. There WAS
. man there named Hector Hall. pas
tor OF the Presbyterian church. He
told me this story:
He came from Scotland previously,
either from Aberdeen or Dundee
/ don't remember now--but this Is
the incident. There wAs q man over
tHcFCs MI 64sUHUuh0kuS WIN W01 80
noted as . preacher In that country
as John B. Cough or John G. Wooiey
were here
He was delivering 4 SERMON to an
audience on night whom an usher
came down tho aisls and care him q
note. It said:
-come over here: your boy Is over
here drunk"
He read that note and said:
II haven't heard from my boy for
four years and didn't know where
he was"
He asked the audience to excuse
him, which they did. and ne went to
the place indicated In the note. down
a r1ckety stairway into . dark, dfngy
underground groggery. and there.
breathing the vitiated air and among
the comrades OF darkness Of both
sexes that hibernated there in that
ceMpooi II iniquity, he found his boy
half asleep. and he was snoring In
his drunken stup0r.
He aroused and awakened him and
he was surprised TO SEQ his father;
and partly carrying and partly drag
cling him. no took him out and took
him to an TIM. He put him In bed.
sat there and talked with him awhile
prayed with him, asked him to sign
a pledge, asked him to give his heart
to Goa and asked God to forgive HIM
The boy promised that he would re-
form and the father sat there and
waited until he was asleep. When
he returned TO church 1t was nearly
10 O'Clock. The audience was wait
ing. He told them what he had
done. and why he was SO long In
coming hack. He couldn't get that
picture out OF his mind and he sobbed
and h asked the audience to excuse
him ana forgive him because he
couldn't finish. They did both.
He retired and he slept . little
late in the morning. They came
II met his cousin. He edits a news
paper out In Iowa They said:
Mr.. Sterling. get up We fear
there is something the matter with
your boy: we can't get into the
ROOM"
He hurried and dressed and they
went TO the room and broke in and
there in a pool OF blood. clutcf,ang In
his hand a revolver, he lay with two
holes in his temple. and in his other
hand n note which read:
Dear Father: Shortly amer you
left me last night l awakened and
the old habits and the old appetites
and the old longing came back.
thought Of the past and the present.
Then I looked into the future and
said: My God, II the future Is going
to be like tho past. had better end
II now while I am In grace.
And he said: Father. IL you had
arly set a different example. this
wouldn't bring your gray hairs In
sorrow to the grave"
James Sterling threw himself over
the body Of his boy and his hands
struck the pool Of blood and spatter-
ed on his face He said:
my God. how true! II had only
been a different man myself this
never would have happened"
And there are men In this city. II
not here tonight. that are lei ding
their boys a. straight to damnation
'sfs 1t well with thy child?" Then
live right before them in Gods name.
! beg Of you. and pray with them.
They ray Of Spurgeon when he was
q boy that he was inclined to be way
ward. and one day his mother called
him and said:
"Come here, Charles"
He was . big boy twelve years old.
she said:
| Look here, If you continue to tive
az you ara. you will die In your sins,
and II you do your father and will
witness against you In the day OF
Judgment. We have lived right be-
fore you and We have prayed for
you"
The Real Mother.
Oh. II takes a mother IKE that 70
have her boy become Spurgeon and
by his preaching win thcusAnds ana
thousands 20 Jesus Christ And al
though he IL walking the streets OF
gold, he IL still preaching. my friends,
ana winning people by the influence
and the sweetness Of his life that
he left behind him IN this old world.
Pray with them. believe moth
er's arms and = mothers heart Is
safe anchorage for any boy and any
girl 1 don't believe there are devils
enough in hell to pull boy out OF
the arms Of q Christian mothe1-so
help mes God. I don't! don't mink
there are enough OF them In hell:
but I win tell you, my friends. the
boyy and girls who ara destined to
rule IN church and in state. upon
whichever side Of the cradle they
crawl ont and upon whichever side
you throw influence, win determine
their success or failure.
There WIN BE- some Oliver Cromwell
q. -