Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1870-08-25
Our Lost Ones.

We speak of those who have
gone before us to the other life,
and in the imperfect speech of
earth we call them the friends
whom we have lost. Perhaps a
father dies, after many years of
holy, useful activity, or a little
child, called away in its guileless
infancy, knowing little of the ills
of existence here, and nothing of
the sins which here abound, and
we number them among the loved
and lost. .ff T.. a.ss.t 4a.tH'
Yet the word is true only to one
aspect of the case, and is wholly
inapplicable to the real fact. We
have indeed lost their society for
a time. Their faces we see not
now; their voices are silent; they
are no longer near us, to cheer by
their faith and hope, or make us
happy by their very presence.
To the eve, and the ear, they are
lost. But even in reference to the
present, they are not wholly lost.
Memory still lives. The words
of a pious father or mother, who
has passed away, come to us again
and again, like voices from the
eternal world. The counsels and
admonitions, uttered long ago,
gather sanctity and authority
when We reflect that the lips
which uttered them are now 81
lent, and the hand laid lovingly
upon ours to enforce the lesson of
wisdom, is turned to dust. s.
The recollection of a brief in
fantile life is full of tender men,
ories, and no bitterness mingles
with the tears which we shed.
On the other shore we expect
to meet them again. They are
not lost, save for the fieeting hour
which we call life. '--...
But there are those to whom
the word is not applicable. Is
not that child lost whom pious
parents tried in vain to lead in the
ways of God! In his infancy they
received him as precious gift of
heaven. A thousand times they
prayed for him with flowing tears.
They fondly hoped to see him
grow up in the fear of the Lord,
endowed with every virtue, their
joy and pride, the staff of their
coming old age. But alas tempt
ers have gathered about him, and
piled their arts with success
Little by little, they taught him
first to doubt the principles in
culcated, then to laugh at parent
al admonition as if it were
prompted weakness and timidity,
then to rebel fiercely against pa
rental authority. Step by step,
from sin to sin, his destroyers led
him along, till he became alto
gether one Of themselves. And
now home is hateful to him.
His fathers remonstrances, his
mothers fearful entreaties, only
irritate him. A beckoning finger
held out by one of his evil com
panions has more power to draw
him on to dishonor and ruin,
than loves strong arms have
to hold him back from the
gulf. Like a bird charmed by a.
serpent, he sees nothing but the
glittering, hungry eyes fixed upon
him, feels nothing but the deadly
fascination, and falls a willing
victim into the devouring jaws
waiting to receive him
This is the one whom sorrow
ing parents may well speak of as
the son whom they have lost. not
the other one whose dust sleeps
in the little grave upon the hill
side. Lost to his home and his
parents, lost to honor and graft
tude, lost to virtue and religion.
The other is safe forever, beyond
the reach of pain and sorrow,
remorse and wrath; safe upon
the other shore, in the realms off
peace, beyond the the reach of
the winds and the waves of the
stormy sea. -y...,
sr'f B e 90 J. T. c..
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