The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-07-19

ket close by it, but no little children
could climb up with tears into her lap
and be hugged to her heart few min
utes, and find such comfort and healing
there that they came down full of
smiles and gladness-no soft feet steal
ing up the stairs to see that the little
limbs were snugly ''tucked in"-no
mother to tell some pleasant story be-
fore bed time, and say in her soft, coax
ing way, "just ten minutes longer faith
er," when the clock struck eight, and
the eager voices pleaded for 'only one
more little story"
No mother to unfasten the knots and
draw off the mittens, and remove the
tippets when the children came in from
school tired and cold. No mother to
run to with every grief or gladness, al
ways loving, alway ready to hear, and
patient and sympathetic, and forgiving;
no mother to make all troubles smooth,
to soothe all sorrows, to explain and
comfort, and heal all the difficulties.
There she was lying, with her frozen
face and silent lips, and her little chill
dren clustering with wondering, fright
ened faces about her, but the ear that
always thrilled to their lightest call
would never wake again, the lids that
were always brimming over with sweet
caresses, would never drop into smiles
again-the little children would never
find "mother" any more!
| Death IN the fanaily ! May be it
was brother, the pride and hope of the
household, just in the glow and strength
of his free, careless boyhood, while the
boughs of his life were full of sweet
singing birds, and the joy of blossoms,
and 10 the storm came suddenly, and
the laughing voice and ringing step
were brought low.
Or. mayhap it was a sister, just bios
soming into the grace and beauty of
womanhood, a sweet "hearth flower"
whose fragrance filled the household,
and whose future was full of promise
as summer morning when it rises ont
e from the east and walks upon the
mountains, and the winds swing their
;. great censors of perfume before it, and
? the birds commence the sweet service;
D for just as was her dawn, just SO fair
r did its sunshine and sweet songs pro-
e phecy her day, but death made ready
his bow, and for her, too, is the hard
pillow and the green quilting which
: the spring shall draw over it.
u Or, perhaps this "death an the. fanai
: ly," came to one whose years were ripe
e as the fruit the wind shakes from
: it's boughs in October, one who sat
S bowed and wrinkled, "waiting patient
d ly," by the fireside, with the SHOWS O.
a life bleaching gray hairs thickly as the
y SHOWS of winter bleach the hills out
side.
r And so these thoughts rung to and
y fro, like solemn dirge rung by bells
3 in the air around us; and suddenly, ir
:, the midst of this, there foated, like :
J, sweet silver chime, the promise, ''ir
T. my Fathers house are many man
+ sions."
II And we remembered, too, that tn,
ID windows of these ."homes are nevei
q closed, that the voice of their music wal
e never hushed because of the shadow
IS ofdeath dropping over the threshold.
J. Oh, "many mansions" whose fair gar
dens border the banks of the River O
e Life, whose windows look off to tn,
n Eternal hills, and under whose shining
q roofs are gathered the families of th'
n Redee merit is never written on th,
3, portals, it is never whispered ,unde
a thine arches of eternal beauty, "closet
'e on account Of a death IN the family! !!
!