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Show "BE A GOOD MAN, PAPA" A poet, many years ago, wrote that a babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure. The influence of a dear little child over the heart of a father, it is impossible to estimate. The editor of The Christian expresses it in the following incident. Leaving home this morning for the office, we kissed our little four-year-old good-bye, saying to him, "Be a good boy." He somewhat surprised us by replying, "I will. Be a good man, papa." Sure enough, we thought, we need the exhortation more than he. And who could give it more effectually than this guileless prattler? The words of the little preacher have been ringing in our ears all day, and whether we wrote letters or editorials, pacified an irate correspondent whose effusions we could not publish, or pruned down a too lengthy report, we seemed to hear the sweet child-voice saying, "Be a good man, papa." If the exhortation had been by Paul or Peter, would it have had more force than coming from this little apostle of innocence? We think not, at least to our heart. Oh! how many little children, if not in words, yet by the helplessness of their lives, and the truthfulness of the little hearts, are pleading most eloquently. "Papa, be a good man!" May their tender admonition be blessed of God to the rescuing of many precious souls from the wreck and ruin of sinful lives. |