Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-04-08
The Old Folks at Home.

IHe Uld FVihS 1t nOlnos
am now thinking of an aged couple
who are called the old folks" who have
lived together, husband and wife,. in the
same house oyer fifty years. They came
there young, sanguine, and utterly unable
to conceive what they would pass through
in fifty years, or indeed that there could
be an end to half century. They have
reared carefully and properly educated a
large family of children. These have all
gone from them now, have families of
their own, and are filling, each, an impor-
tant place in society, and some of them
high posts Of influence.
They are all members of Christ's
church in the order of their parents. And
so "the old folks" are left alone, just as
they started in life. They have long worn
glasses but at the hour of family wor-
Ship they take each Bible, and read in
course alternately two verses, just as they
did when they read with their children.
Then they sing the old hymns, though
the voices arc not SO sweet, or the organ
as perfect as formerly. They live, it is
plain, from incidental remarks, in the
past, the present, aud the future.
There are &C tain things that they sell
dom speak of, even to one another. They
keep all The playthings which their chill
dren once used, ostensiby for their grand
children when they come to visit them !;
but the forms they see playing with them
are those of their own dear children who
have gone before them, but who left their
image in their memory. The little books,
and even the little shoes. of their bright
and early dead, are carefully laid up, and
though ;hey never speak of them, each
knows that they are precious mementoes
Of the past.
But to see how careful they are Of
each other. The fires of passion have all
burned out, the beauty and freshness OF
life have all passed away, and the rich
harvests of time have been garnered.
But no lovers could be more tender to.
ward each other If either is absent, the
time is anxiously measured till the return !;
and the tootstep on the threshold may
not be elastic as it returns, yet the ear
that hears it and the heart that hears it
are awake. They seem to understand
each others thoughts without words, and
eac:. feels that life would not be life with,
out the other. They think over the past
much and often, and realize that they
have together toiled, and together strug.
glcd and Shared alt the burdens and sor-
rows of life. Every memory of the
past is equally vivid to each. They don't
say much about their separation, so cer-
tain to leave one or the other so desolate,
but it is plain they think much about it ;
and from hints occasionally dropped, it is
evident that each is contriving and plan
ming how the other can be made comfor.
table when thus left alone, each expecting
to be the first to die.
And when they think of the future,
even carrying their thoughts into heaven.
they seem to have an unexpressed fear
that heaven will not he all they desire, il
they can there be to each other nothing
more than old acquaintanccs 1t seems
as if they must carry something Of the
tender feeling which the sorrows and the
experience of life have given them, into
that world, and as if they must 60 hand
in hand forever!
And the thought that they must soo.l
separate, and the one must be left to walk
alone in the rooms, sit alone at the old ia.
Bile. krecl alone at the altar of God, go
alone to me house of the Lord, gives an
inexpressible tenderness to their treat.
ment of each other They never, even
in the days of youthful courtship, lived
more in each others thoughts than now.
Time has covered the rough places of
life over which they have walked, and
years have healed the wounds they have
suffered, leaving only scars; but the
rough winds of life have only bowed their
heads, and you see not the sturdy oak,
but the soft, weeping willow. Memory
brings up pictures Of the past, some Of
them recalling sorrows heavy as humani-
ty can bear, but mellow them down in
her own golden light; and Hope comes
still, not to sing of earth, as she once did,
but of heaven and the ever-opening fil
ture. And Faith, showing nothing to the
eyes, contrves to exert her powers over
them, by mingling her voice in the songs
of Hope!
They will not be with each other long !;
but while they do live, no part of their
life has been more full of tender regard,
genuine respect, unaffected kindness, or
deeper love. The young We ID can't un.
derstand "lhe old folks;" but never go
into their dwelling without seeing some
of the most purified. refined and exalted
traits OF human nature, which is to me
nimitably beautiful And if what have
said shall lead my reader to feel more
kindly towards those who are all around
us known as "the old folks" | shall have
gained my object in writing. Let me
add, that few things are more repulsive
to refined heart than to have such
couple as have described called "the old
folks" by way of erision:-Congrega.
tionalist.
Executors Notice.
80 4