Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-01-26


the crowded street | met no familiar
glance; no cheerful good morning gave
new spring and elasticity TO nv spirit;
NJ friendly hand grssped mine-l was,
indeed. in solitude
"Amid the crowd. the hum the shock of men.
To 70 hear to ieel I'D to posses;
To roam along the worll's tired denizen.
With none TO bless Us, none whom can bless,
Mihions of spi-n 'or shrinking from distress.
Not with kindred consciousness endued,
II we not. would seem t. smile the less.
On all that followed, fsttered sought, or .ued-
This is to ne aiOne-this, this IS solitnde!"
had u>l lett country village, and
h"mr. where. for rw, NY Eve years. |
had heer growing familiar with nv sur
Ioundings; children had hetn born and
grown TO manhood und nv eve: young
p-"ple. that entered on life's chang-fuI
s age Of care and responsibility with my
s+lf. lad grown old, and silver hairs up
on heir brows reminded me that even
the summit at life d seen the soil
tary house gather ar und il The thriving
village, with H. churches. scho, houses.
stores and hotels It's factories and work
shops. It's cour house and printing rffice:
sern The bare p les with the few sprigs
upon The top. grow INTO avenues Of beau
ufui trees; had eaten fruit from vines
and rees OF nv own planting. and now
| was alone il! great city Like an o. .
Tree tern up by the roots. / felt that ev
er, brauch and 6br- of feeling was with
r,ing and bleeding Tor the want of the
eeI waters of ighborhood kindness
and friendship for one who had 50 long
cherished and nurrured them But cir
cumStances had required that the uproot
ing should he N sde, and sirove To thirl
il all for the best. and rhat a genial Wes
tern soil would soon heal the wounds.
and bring it for,h again in vigor and
strength.
So pondered | my way, among III,
busy multitude, when my eye caughr tn,
grateful sight of show window full %
hnwers. FlOwers are always friends;
hey talk to M; they answer hack nv
thoughts. and tell m. stories of love ano
holiness that no ears but mine can hear
| stopped ins'inctiv,ly. and forgot hu
rraus and bedsteads. chairs and Carpets
and walked into the shop. 10 feast nv
eyes upon the simple beauty of spring
TinietS an roses.
Isr"od gazing down deep into the eyes
of "VIo.a iriculor" and asking il al
about my pets at home. home it wa
home: but now the home Of n stranger,
mine no more when was startled by
a soft.eweeI voice at my side. saying. ia
answer 10 my thoughts, They are very
heHuriful!"
| ! looked. and face met my gage tina
fastrned itself upon nv mind. The sun
beam gIshce of her eye burned it dowr
upon the page of memory.
She was lady of medium s zA. will
dark hair falling in rich soft curls be
: de her FAC; she might have been thir
y. she might have BEEN old-r. but tn,
freshn,s, and youth of her spirit shon,
SO through her features. that felt lha
she vas yet in LIES sping time. An
sw-red her remark and then leaning ou
elbows upon the stand. the brsuriul anw
els linking Us togeth. r. We stood ant
chau-d like old friends l did not sre
until she turned to go away. thai sh'
wore a rich embroidered velvet cloak q
that her hat was of the finest and plain
es; only saw her look and heard he
Voice OF gentl- kindness.
.-Hers was a face to brighten light.
And send back sunshine with an added glow"
She was 6tung up a new home. snC
so was /. and when our chat was done
We parted. But was no more alone il
the great city; there was one familiar
face. one pleasant voice. sp aking gen
tie, encour ,ging words, and the voice
and face went with me, and gilded III,
furniture, and made the salesman voic,
less cold and s-l6,h; it walked by m,
still on the street, and it sat by the fire
side at home; Told my children of il
| described her, and though we saw he
no more, We all loved to think Of. anC
talk of the beautiful lady. And many
time. and oft, when her presence seem
ed to float beside me, and her words O
cheer strengthen my heart. have asked
the question, Il wonder who she was
Was il her face that was so beautiful
SO very beautiful above all otheIs?. No
it was the pleasant soul within that ght
ed it up. and made ii glow with some
Thing more than earthly. to my view.
Reader, kind word costs li,lle, anC
the stricken and sorrowful will often bles
you more for it than for gold; there ar,
thousands on life's varying paths tina
only ask this kindly recognition. thi
willingness on the part of those they NEE
10 answer back loving kindness, and hu
man sympathy, and their earth woul(
become heaven of brightness, and in,
heart repose among its flowers in hop.
and trust.
} OIL how little of the human is there
in that soul, that shuts itself up from ,h.