Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-04-04
Written for the Heraa4l
Letters for Children--No n.
By wILD-DIRD.

- 1880 ASAAsIt
DEAR CHILDREN - promised to tell
you why ! selected my grandmother's life
to write about The first reason Is that |
loved her So lnu Ii that | wanted to pay
tribute to her. memory, and the practical
reason i, that | Wish to talk to you about
respecting and loving the aged Only
think, dear children, how we shall feel, if
we live to be old people. After we have
labored SO long and so hard, for the good
Of others, after we have spent long nights,
waiting upon dear sick ones; and toiled
year after year, from sunrise till evening,
and suffered a great many things, and be-
come weak and old, when our eyes are dim,
and our foreheads are wrinkldd, and our
limbs are weak, 0 then we shall want some
one to smile and cheer Us, and wait upon
US. Then how sad we shall be, if little
children think it is trouble to wait upon
us! How it will make cur hearts ache TO
have others not love US, and say they don't
care for us because we are old We shall
want little children to think a great deal
Of us, and come and clasp their arms around
us, and kiss lis, and remember that we
were once as young and bright as they
are. We shall want every one to care
more for us because we are old and feeble.
We shall wish the children would all speak
courteously to US, and never be cross nor
impatient to us. We shall want them to
come quickly when we call them; and be
always ready to do Us a favor; and We
shall think they ought to remember we
are older than they are, and know great
deal more than they do; and we shall feel
abused when children are not Wing to
take our advice. There is but one way
in the whole world to learn how we should
treat others, and that is to treat them just
as we want others to treat as. And when
tie blessed Savior was on earth, He said
to his disciples, "All things whatsoever ye
would that men should do TO you, do yc
SO to them" and | want eeery one of you
10 learn that verse. You will find it in
Matthew, 9TH chapter, 18th verse. It is the
only good rule to work by. And there is
not a thought nor word, nor action, which
this golden rule viii not measure, and show
Us whether il is right. Think Of it, dear
children, when you make up your mind to
say or do anything to others ask yourself
If YOU would like to have others do so to
you; and if you would not, then stop, and
don't do it, for it would be wrong, and
dispease the great God: for He sees every
thought, and wants our thoughts to be
kind and gentle So let Us please God by
honoring our father and mother, and being
very kind to all the aged. God says Thou
shalt rise up before the hoary head and
honor the face Of The old man, and fear
thy God" We see by this, that God is
calling us all to be kind to all old people,
and TO show great respect for them. 10
rise up before the hoary head" means that
ne must pay cbeisance to them; and how
very angry the great God Of Love must be,
when an aged person is passing through
the street, and children run suddenly to
him, and say bad words, and call him old !!
III tell YOU now, children, God viii surely
remember such things; and we have done
these things we must be sorry It, and
not do it again; ii we goon SO, then when
we die, there will be nojoy for US, for the
door of heaven will not be opened to us,
and we shall be sent to eternal death; for
the unkind who love cruelty cannot enter
heaven. Yet, dear children, when we try
t. do right, we find we need God to help
US. Inny next letter | hope to tell you
about the Prince of Life, who is always
ready to assist us in doing right, and who
will give Us new hearts if We seek to hear
hinl.
Then dear little children, whenever you see
An aged man walk in the stree,
Remember, that once, young as yourselves
He Walked with sprightlier 'eet
But now his limbs are weary and old
With toll, with care and with pain,
o, run, little children, speak kindly TO him
Itwir cheer his sad heart again.
And dear little children. whenever you see
An old women tottcr along,
Remember that once, alright little girl,
she played With the juvenile throng.
But now her cheeks are wrinkled and thin,
And nos sof The roses remain.
o, run, = lie children, speak sindly to her'
It win aser her sad heart again.
OF dear title children, you never can know
How much kindness and lore are worth,
TIL you become old, hoary headed and worn'
And totter along on theearth.
When your eyes grow dim and your cheeks grow paie
And your heart like weary dove,
Oh, then, little children, you'n know how sweet
are the smiles andthe woas Of love.
You know, little children. whenever We want
The sweet, bright lilies 70 grow,
We take ly seeds and hasten away
IN the mellow earth tc SOW.
And the lily seed brings the lily flower,
For each seed brings forth its own;
And we know s-hat kind Of plan, vii grow
BY the kind OF seed. .iat'ssown.
LIS. az title children is it with Life;