Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-02-22
MisteIIanp.
The Willis Family.
(Signed.)

1.-THE following lines, which are copied from
the Youths Companion, furnish grateful in
stance of filial remembrance and love. They
were addressed by the writer to an aged and
revered father, on the occasion of a recent af-
fictive event. They are full of filial honor and
gratitude, and speak well for the heart which
prompted them. They derive an additional
interest from the fact that both father and son
have recently been dragged before the public
in most vindictive spirit, and held up TO con-
tempt, in the work entitled Ruth Hail. writ
ten by daughter of Dea. Willis j
TO MY AGED FATHER,
o" Asas of a s sssy sss r.
BYx. P. WILLIS.
Cares thicken round thee as thy steps grow slow
Father beloved mot turned upon, as once,
And batted back with steadfastness unmoved--:
Chat battle without fame or trump to cheer
That hardest battle ofthe world-,rith
Thy life one patient victory till now ,
Faint has thy heart become For peace thou prayest-
For less to suffer as thy strength grows less.
For o, when life has been a stormy wild
The bitter night long, the way too far
The aged pilgrim, ere he lays him down,
Prays for a moments luling of the blast
A little time to wind his cloak about hun,
And smooth his gray hairs decenty to die.
Yet, o, not vain the victories unsung
Not vain life Of industry to bless.
And thou, in angel-history-where shine
The silent self: f:forgetfulness ioho toll on
For Others until death-art named in gold,
In heaven it is known, thou hast done well
But not all unacknowledged is it, here.
Children thou hast who, for free nurture, given
With one hand while the other fought thy cares,
Grow grateful as their own hands try the fight.
And more-hey thank thee more The name thou leavest
spotess ard blameless as it comes from thee
For this their pure Inheritance life
or unstained honor gone before our own
The father that we love an honest NAM
For this, thy children bless the.
Cheer thee, then -
Though hopelessIy thy strength may seem to fail,
And pitiless far thy cares pursue
What though the clouds follow to eventde
Which chased thy morn and noon across the sky
From these thy trying hours-the hours when strength
Most sorely pressed, has won its victories
From iife's dark trial clouds, that fall
Even to sunset-glory at last
Clouds the glory Of the dying day
glory that, though welcoming to Heaven,
numes the parting hour ere day is gone
Tin the last number of the Musical World,
paper conducted by Richard Storrs Willis,
another brother of Fanny Fern we find a
pleasant description of "A Winter Visit to
Idlewild, from which we copy the following
"reminiscences. suggested by the family por-
traits hung up in the hall of Idlewild j
One parent, we reflected, is still left to us.
How little the old man thought, some fve-and-
thirty years ago, when he wearily remarked
one day, Il shall never live to see the down
upon that boys cheek, that son at that time
unborn would long have gained maturity and
yet his honored life still be spared to US, By
a natural association in our mind we then
thought of this same subject of industry; :
whether such quality might not be trans
missibe in the blood, as constitutional hab
it! Like most legacies it would very likely
tions, and the Oldest son unfairly get the larg
est share-1a view which, however depressing
to ourselves, in the present instance, also in
duced secret withdrawal of the fraternal 're
ward of merit just bestowed. for quality
which after all, was perhaps mere inheri
tance the merit thereof attaching entirely t.
the original possessor of it. And he, certain
ty, though in naught else, has been rich in in
dustry. Had journalism ever, thought we,