Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-03-18
Swinging on the Gate.
Another week nearer Home |

|
Another week nearer Homel
Another blessed Saturday night added
to the triumphs OF Eternity as II has been
snatched from timel
The lover thinks he Is ono week nearer
the day when she will be his love forever
while the sweetheart thanks God that one
week more has zone from her life of hatet
unnilfllmentl The sick sufferer who is ex
pecting death thanks God that another
seven day vail has been removed from be
fore the door we all must enter once, anC
wonders if another week viii be all 70,
earth or q part for Heaven.
Tonight we walked home, for the cars
were crowded We were thinking of the
labor we had done since last week went
and this one came. There were so many
letters written-so many columns of edi
torial written-so may requests granted
and so many refused-so many made glad
and so many disappointed, Just as it is in
| life each day, you know. And we were
thinking and wondering how many thou
sands, or hundreds OF persons IN the lane
would read this Saturday Night what VT
had written and printed since last W.
| closed the labors of the week, wiped oui
| pen so clean, and placed il on the little
rack to rest against the morrow.
As we walked along we saw leaning
over little iron gate in front of a neal
brick house pretty, chubby-taccd boy, as
| il waiting for some one Looking TO q
window, we saw middle.sged woman
sitting thereby with q paper in her hand
as il reading.
"Hello, little captain You are tho boy
that has red cheeks and bright eyesl What
are You doing out here in the cold ?"
Tam looking for my papa ~
where is he coming fromY"
"Down town, sir, and he comes aGoot Y
What is your name"
Bobby"
"lIow old are your
Five years, SO my mamma says |"
"Where is your mammaY"
AT the window! Don't you see her
I can 7"
"oh, yes-that is she, sure cnoughp
"Yesr
"When does your papa comeY"
He always comes a0DI And l an
waiting for him, and Sc is mamma !"
"Well, Bobby, you are nice little boy
Do you love your papaY'
Yes, sir"
"Woll, he will come pretty soon. May
be he is stopping TO buy something tc
bring youY"
81 know he is--and he'll kiss me wher
he comes, and he'll kiss mamma, too
cause he always does, and / kiss him, anC
mamma kisses him, toop
"Well, Bobby, hadn't you better run il
where mamma is, and look out of the win
dow till papa comesH it's cold out here 7
"No, sir-I don't want to He'll come
fer he always comes noo !"
just then, down the little one spran
from the gate, pushed 1t open and the
scampered down the sidewalk few rod
to meet the one he had been waiting fol
and who he knew always cape no1o!
Perhaps some of you saw him. He wa
a wellbuilt man, clad in honest garl
His cap fitted close to his hcad-his Goa
was closely buttoned-he caught tho littl
boy in his arms and kissed him-then le
him down and walked along with prout
firm, muscular step, like monarch anon
men. No wonder the little boy swung o
| the gate-no wonder the wife sat lookin
out of the widow for his coming. He he
! the hand of the little one who trottC
| alongsby his side. AS they came to u
gate, by the side of which we stood car
, lessly, the woman at the window aro
. and walked to the door, the man passC
by-little Bobby looked at us with u smi
and said
al told you he'd come"
They passed into the house, and "
came to ours.
The man did not notice us. Perhaps /
never heard of us-perhaps he has.
may be he is man that hates us, an
says bitter things against us. Well, neve
mind-he is good to his little boy-he
good to the one he loves, who is MANN
to little Bobby-he comes home Saturda
night with proud, firm step-he is a ma
--he loves his home ones, and we lik
him.
That man is living to purpose. He
true man, of use in the world. Tw
hearts, atleast, besides his own, were mad
glad by his coming. And he was good nc
to keep them waiting, as thousands an
thousands of men, and women ,itoo, kee
their loved ones waiting, when the heel
is hungry for love, and the minutes dra
like hours. He was workingman-h
hands and clothes told us SO. The wee
went and he came-not late, as if he hate
to come home, but early as if his heart wi
there. Little Bobby was proud of hin
He knew his papa would come; and wit
warm and earnest kiss. Little BObh
was happy. The father was happy, or h
looks lied-and they did not.
Now, we have Been thinking till Ii
hands on the watch. face before us poiI
to midnight. What good world tn
world would be If every home had q ga
where swung and waited little on
knowing that now papa would come wit
a kiss, smile, and good heart. If
! every home, by window, were seat,
some loving woman and loving wife, wal
: ing, not dreading, the approach of h
husband, knowing he would be there {
, time, quick, firm in his step, prompt
his manhood, and sober, like one who
! monarch of himself, and therefore over a
And all men might be so-can be so,
:. they will. And then what a glorio
I, world in which to live
= And we have been thinking, and mt
! write 1t before we quit work, of the tho
, sands of little boys and girls who mig
= swing for hours and hours on gates,
= the women who may watch at WindoN
a for hours, wondering when will come
how will come--tho one who is at hea
a real good, but who lacks the nerve TO
4 the man he ought to be, can be, shoul
!. and would be, if he would only pause
think, and see if there was not bett
r way TO happiness than he was in. Al
= we have been thinking of the poor wido'
n whose husbands can never more TO the
come, no matter how long they watch
. | windoWs-of the men whose wives q
. gone, never more TO return-o of the @
\ phans who have no one IN come hon
Il now and catch them to their arms al
= love them. And we have been wonde
4 ing if any man who reads this will
|. brave enough to go TO his home lit
= earlier each night, and try TO be GOO
e earnest man, who will be proud of hin
. self and of his manhood of whom /
home ones will be SO proud as he is
serving. We know some will, and soL
:. will think they will, but when comes d