The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-11-30
ANNUAL FATHER AND SON
BANQUET SUPPER DEC. 3
State Secretary Byron N. Clark to
Deliver Principal Address
This War

The annual Father and Sons Sup
per will be held Saturday Dec. 3, at
the Methodist church. At the present
outlook this years supper will be a
record breaker because all those Who
have attended the banquet in the past
years viii be on deck this year, to-
gether with many more new con
yerts
Byron n. Clark, state secretary OF
the Y. M. c. a.. will be on hand as
the speaker OF the evening Mr.
Clarks wide experience as "Y' sec
retary and his work In France, makes
him we'll qualified to deliver this ad'
dress. 1t is hoped that every father
aud son will cooperate to make this a
big success.
A certain man had two sons, and
the younger of them said to his father;
Father, give me my portion OF thy
time and thy attention. and thy com
panionship and thy counsel which fail
eth to me-. And he divided unto them
his living. in that he paid the boys
bills. and sent them to a select pre-
paratory school, and 70 dane ng
school, and to college. and tried to
believe that he was doing his ful duty
by the boys.
And not many days after the father
gathered all his interests and ispira-
ations and ambitions and took his
journey into far country, into a land
of stocks and bonds and securities and
other things which do not interest a
boy; and there he wasted his precious
opportunity of being chum to his own
son. And when he had spent the very
best OF his Life and had gained money,
but had failed to find satisfaction,
there arose mighty famine In his
heart; and he. began to be in want Of
sympathy and real companionship.
And he went and joined himself to one
of the clubs of that country; and they
elected him chairman of the house
committee and president OF the club
and sent him to Congress. And he
would fain have satisfied himself with
the husks that other men did eat, and
no man gave unto him any real friend
ship.
But when he came to himself, he
said: How many men OF my ac-
quaintancc have boys whom they un.
derstand and who understand them,
who talk about their boys and asso
ciate with their boys and seem per.
fectly happy in the comradeship OF
their sons, and | perish with heart
I MI arto 10 ~
son, and will say unit him: Son, have
sinned against Heaven and in thy
sight; | am no more worthy to be
called thy father; make me as one of
thy acquaintances." And he arose
and came to his son. But while he
was yet afar off, his son saw him and
was moved to establishment, and in
stead of running and falling on his
neck, he drew back and was i'll at
ease And the father said unto him:
Son, | have sinned against Heaven
and in thy sight; | am no more wor-
thy to be called thy father. Forgive
me now and let me be your friend"
But the son said; Not so, ! wish 1t
were possible, but it is too late. There
was time when | wanted compan.
ionsnip and counsel and to know
things, but you were too busy. got
companionship and got the informa,
tion, but | got the wrong kind: aud
now, alas, am wrecked in soul and
body; there is no more heart left in
me and there is nothing you can do
for me. 1t is too late, too late, toe
late!"