The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1852-11-26
I'ARKER'S ADVICE TO HIS SON,
s.A @ ON MOONSHINE. M

WTN,N ~AN AAO>~ANN~A4AANAAe Ilff.r
eLock'ee here, my 500, did you ever
see a streak ofquiet moonshine playing,
and iiickering, and dancing on d gave
stun, in % lonely county churchyard,
while the tall mseiin' house spire rose
sbose The trees, like great finger point
ing the road we Inust 60 all, eh-did you,
.Thomas?h
"Can't say as ever did. | never
goeA into grave yards, they're so gloomy
like; grave s ones are kind Of conjurers
that brings upinn felier's mind, all kinds
ofghosis, apparitions, and sich like
-"Well, Thomas, that maj be; but did
you ever see moon beam any wheres?'
e'OH! yes, ,6father,l've seed 'sm in tae
nighttime often, when Jake and have
been bobbin fur ecls."
"Yesi so far so good, but do, these ERE
STEAKS oflight ever put.you in mind Of
anyihinga"
2 aNo, no.hin'particul only that they
Gums from the moon.''
Y "WellsTnomas, I'll tellyou. what they
puts me ,inmind Of, and Ldoes it--now
recollect;I tells you SO as YOU can scrape
oht d litile advice from sitA-d'ye hear?
Now don't 90 TO sleep. Wake up, and
listen, then; put that pipe Gown. Moon,
beams--,hem 'ere little runa way streaks
o light as don't like to stop a, hDme--al-
ways puts me in mind Of great many
differen, things, ana Of one thing special
ly-ihai one thing is 'ere-l always com
pares 'em 10 life. Life is nothin, but a
streak Of mounshine, atfops and iut.
iers abouton earth for awhile, and then
fiies'up u its old home-the home il come
from. One evenin' couple Of years
ago, was siitin' bj your mothers grave,
out in Camstoka, thinking deeply, akind
or solemn like 10 myself, about the uncer.
tainty of human cakllaIions-you know,
Thomas; that the grave is right in among
lot Of weepin' willers, them trees that
is always a mournn' and handin' their
leaves down and shcddin' thein as we
do tears-well, while Twas "a :hihkin'
away, lookin' fret at the grave and
then at the trees, there came, stealing its
way thro' the leaves, lonesome ray ol
moonshine, and rested ON the head stone
of her grave al first; il kind o's,:uck me
III was curious too, notwithstanding
CLEAN was poor Susan's spirit, and then
| il hit me that i, was The ghost of dead
streak of sunshine that wdS buried some
.pl.ere in the darkness. g / stared at il for
good long while, until il seemed tome
as though the whole grave.y, I'd. was
paved with moonlight an inch thick. !
shut my'eyes for a second, and then
opened them, the moon had sailed under
acloud, and taken with her the ray ;then
far aminute a itseemed darker all round
me, than if "a dozen nights had ali iclabbed
together 10 make things dark and fearful;
then thought Of life, aud | though! OF
how many people there would be- that
ninhi snnffad niit of ofIge3istence perhaps
had been---on the same inmate of time
thatihe streak Of moonshine left.
sNow take my advice, Thomas, and
when you begins to (f fever you are so
foolish) think Of beiDgsa great man, al
ways recollect the streak Of moonshine
your daddy saw upon the hcad-stone OF
your dead mother--think Of it as a war
MIN fromaber, tho'she beseold, and burr
ed in she damp grimnd--7to warn you not
to look to the fnIurel Of greatness, which
is-i- noonshinc! !oiiaup ises iI.Ias ai
II loves you,a aTbomas,lbu' don't never
try to be great; cos when you do sue
ceed in your iryin' you'll only be tomb
! stone for SANDER and malice 10 shoo
their moosnhine at, Donl do it?"