While he gathered with hard toil, we scattered. Daily we
saw him go forth hurried to his business, and nightly we saw him
come home exhausted; and we never put forth a hand to lighten his
burdens; but, to gratify our idle and vain pleasures, laid new ones
upon his stooping shoulders, until, at last, the cruel weight
crushed him to the earth!
My father! Oh, my father! If grief and tearful repentance could have
restored you to our broken circle, long since you would have
returned to us. But tears and repentance are vain. The rest and
peace of eternity is yours!
XII.
THE CHRISTIAN GENTLEMAN.
_IT_ has been said that no man can be a gentleman who is not a
Christian. We take the converse of this proposition, and say that no
man can be a Christian who is not a gentleman.
There is something of a stir among the dry bones at this. A few eyes
look at it in a rebuking way.
"Show me that in the Bible," says one in confident negation of our
proposition.
"Ah, well, friend, we will take your case in illustration of our
theme. You call yourself a Christian?"
"By God's mercy I do."
Answered with an assured manner, as if in no doubt as to your being
a worthy bearer of that name.
"You seem to question my state of acceptance. Who made you a judge?"
Softly, friend. We do not like that gleam in your eyes. Perhaps we
had better stop here.
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