The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-10-12
Economy Social Improvement and the General Wekfare

seek rest AMI health amid the breezy uplands
where every breath comes laden with the in
cense of thousands and thousands of butter
cups and daises, meadow pinks and crimson
clovers; weary wanderers, who, coming from
that far away land where the purling waves
dash over golden bed-have yet to learn
whether the loved ones at home are waiting
to receive them, or whether, listening to the
sound of the pale boatmans s oar they have
gone 'over the river resting now on the far.
ther shore; busy workmen, bearing with them
the implements of their handi raft, seeking a
new field of labor wherewith to snpnly the
wants of those they would coin their hearts
blood to save and protect from sorrow ,deso
late ones, whose hearts have gore down into
the grave over which the spring turf rests and
the willow bends j; pale young mothers going
home so proudly happy, bearing so lovingly
in their arms some little Willie or Charlie or
Mary that grandma has never seen men with
the fnrrows of many sins plowed deeply in
their foreheads-who shall say how much
deeper in their hearts-side by side with those
who viewed each day as jewel lent by Hea.
ven to be returned to the kind hand above,
set in the tried gold of trusting worship and
loving deeds. . ... -t.,. ...
Gladness and woe. purity and CRIME, wealth
and poverty, love and hatred, were there, as
the huge train went rambling and screeching
farther and farther up among the woody hills
of the breezy uplands. Fe...f a 2
And she-she was 'only an old woman
Her black bonnet must have been the mode.
many a long year ago and her old fashioned
cloak was guiltless of any affinity to the pre-
vailing style. while her big parasol with its
blue and white calico case, was no exclusive
affair, but large enough to shade whole fam.
ily. Slight and tottering, she looked like one
to whom the support of strong, youthful
arm would have been great blessing. But
she was all alone-and 'only an old woman
By accident she had taken her seat 10 the
wrong car, for, at certain station, the train
was to be divided, part to go mp among the
maple crowned hills of The Green Mountain
State, the remainder to roll farther on and on,
amid forests of spruce and rocks of granite
grey So our old traveller gathered up her
bundles, and moved slowly towards the door.
Did you ever see fair face distorted by the
hidden mask of i'll temperP Did you ever
hear voice that sho1ld have been low toned
and sweet, raised to pitch of qnerulous i'm
patience ? So it was now. AS the feeble
feet slowly traveresed the long car, close be-
bind came one young and fair, whose ilcurbed
impatience at last found vent 10 the harshly.
spoken words-'Come, go along quickly, or
else let me pass you
All in vain the old woman uttered an apol.
ogy for ber slow progress and the softly
spoken suggestion of noble. earnest looking
man who sat near, that she must be patient,
was alike unheeded. ''z zt
What mattered it? She was only an old
woman and she was in the way. And SO the
proud beauty gathered up the folds Of her rich
travelling dress, and rudey crowded past, nev,
er deignipg backward glance to see whether
her careless jostling had thrown down the old
lady or not.
Alas! for her the casket was beautiful, but
the soul that should have been ..........s
aA gem of purest ray serene"
! was dark with the cloud of scorn and pride.
-, @Oh what is woman-what her smile
Her lip of love--her eye of light
/ What is she, if her life revile
! The lowly Jesus2 Love may write 90
His name upon her lovely brow,
| And lnger in her curis of jet
& The light spring flower may scarcely bow r
Beneath her step-and yet and yet, =.1ns5
Il Without the souls sweet grace, she'll be
lighter thing than vanity -'a o.s=n ri
Onward again dashed the fiery engine, and
| sat and pondered, thinking of the feeble old
woman and the proud young one-thinkiug
what an invaluable cosmetic is the glow from
loving heart-tbinking how truly beautiful
it makes even plain face-thinking what
strange companions beauty and scorn are
thinking how Jesus went about doing good,
and that those who follow in His steps are
! owned by Him as his brothers and sisters
thinking unutterable things. Aud so the time
passed away, and bye-and.bye, on changing
cars, found myself occupying the same seat
, with the old pilgrim who had interested me
so deeply. Trz es..s + 1-
Poor old woman All through the wint
er's cold days and nights the heavy hand ot
sickness and pain had been laid upon her with
crushing weight, and now, with her feebly re
. turning strength she was going up among the
scenes of her childhood, to sit once more be
meath the shade of the elms that dropped over
/. the moss.grown roof of the old homestead
again to sleep in the little chamber, where
t when wee, toddling thing, she used to knee
!. down by her mothers knee, to say g-...-.
. SNOW lay me down to sieep;n So 81 90
r to visit the church, where, standing in ave. the
shadow of her first great grief settled dowr
# over her spirit and she looked through tears
i upon her fathers dead face TO breathe in the
a fragrance coming from the liyjeweled wanes
r Of the hillside pond. where, in her girlhoods
e bright flush, she listened to the words of love
e spoken by that dear voice that had cheered
g so many years of her long prilgrimage. and
q was now waiting ION the other side to welcome
}. her home. ..s
o Yes and there had been many new graves
made in the church yard since she was home
|. last-she must go there where father and
e mother, brothers and sisters, the dear old pas
If tor who had led her to seek Jesus, and loved
: ones many-all rested together. ,.
: To those around her she was sonly an olt
h woman standing on the confines Of the grave
1t Yet who can doubt that the whispers of mem
IT ory brought back young life to the worn an,
Il |