The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-02-14
HAVE ALWAYS HAD
. A SOFT SPOT IN MY
HEART FOR JOSEPH

have always hau a soft spot in
my heart for Joseph, the true-hearted
carpenter of Nazareth.
To Mary, his wife, the mother of
Jesus, the world pays generous hom~
age, and we'll it may.
Her faith was firm at the end; she
was one of those who stood brave
and trusting even at the foot of the
cross.
The world remembers that; and gen.
erously forgets that there were times
when her Son was too great a mystery
for her. Times when she and His
brethren would have locked Him up as
mad, and when He spoke of them al
most as though they were hardly wor-
Ethy of Him.
! N We forget all this, and remember
! her at her best, as she deserves to be
But Joseph we remember hardly at
fall. Yet he must have been Won
Fderful man.
I Like as a father pitieth his chill
dren," said the Son, remembering the
kindness of Joseph. "Suffer the lit
tie children to come unto me"-He
said, holding out His tired arms, and
smiling; even his patient carpenter
father had opened his arms to his own
children at the close of the wearying
day.
Thinking such thoughts as these l
stand reverently before the memory
Of Joseph. This is his distinction-he
so represented fatherhood to his own
Son, that the Son could conceive of no
more splendid title for God than the
single title, "Father."
There is no reward of riches for sue
cessful fathers; no distinguished SER
vice medal; no Victoria Cross.
We reverence Washington and Lin
coin, Luther and Philips Brooks; but
the men who gave them birth and
training have disappeared from our
remembrance.
Yet / know of no business of greater
compensations than the business of
successful fathcrhood.
Recently was visitor at two
homes.
The first was home of abundance;
we ate on rich china, and sat after
wards amid expensive surroundings.
| WoHhSLSu IlAJ u man WIN ldu 81
much should seem to find so little sat
isfaction in it.
Late in the evening discovered the
truth about it.
"Mcn call me Fortunate" he said
to me, "but they do not know what
they say. ! have made failure of
the only thing in life that counts. My
son is worthless-and | let him drift
into worldliness." IL h0>.'
The other home was modest. The
man who dwclls in it will never be
heard of beyond the limits of his own
small town. But he has put humanity
in his debt. The lives that he has
brought into the world will shed glory
ron his name long after he has passed
beyond.
He has paid the price, of course; he
might have gone farther in business
if he had been content to sacrifice 'cv-
erything to business.
But for years he has made it a rule
to take some regular time each day
to be a comrade to his boys. Their
reading, their sports, their problems,
are first consideration on his calcn-
dar. In business 'hel makcs only his
living. At home he is. guiding and
holding lives -, 49, ~ ea.
4"Do not be concerned at my death, y
murmured Samuel Wesley on his dy-
| ing bed. God will then begin to man
fest Himself III my family, l.,
The world has efected mo monument
above Samuel wesley: he has been
forgotten-as completely forgotten as
though he had been king Of Eng
land or a millionaire.
But the influence of his character
will not perish. His is the proud her.
itage of the friends of Joseph--the
unobtrusive,l unremembered fellow
ship Of men who lose their lives in ia
therhood 9aa
|; land losing them, find an immor-
|tality in the undying influence of their
sons. Bruce Barton.