The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-10-08
OUR SATURDAY NIGHT.
Merely Opening a Door.


home, new made grave marks
new conner to the city of the
dead since last we sat to our Sat-
urday Night writing.
A full-lepgth grave in country
church-yard; just under the shad-
ow Of the ateeple which rises
above the marles-under the tre-
NOR Of the little bell up there
out from the pews and the pulpit
as the one Who has but retired to
change his dress has gone-out
from close, narrow, cramped life
into his allotment oe labor and re
ward in the broad lasting Over
the River.
We knew him years ago. A
brave, fearless yoath A noble
man. There were more thorns
than roses in the garden Of this
young life, but he worked well
aud bravely, needing not the
brambles, but gathering the roses.
till many the bouquet be plucked
to gladden. hearts and beautify
homes. Narrower than the lonely
cham Der of silence in which the
temple of form in which he once
lived now reposes were the ideas
taught him in the years agone.
But there was i'll his soul desir e
for light and truth. And so, the
growing wings of intellect beat
against the prison-bars fastened
hi ,,,sn1fo <.ll
they broke down the dark barriers
Of ignorance, and out in the free
air, confining the beautiful Eterni-
ty, he rode over the storms to sur
vey the new rest and the new
Home so beautifully called Heav-
| en-.
One day, months ago, when we
sat by the hearth and fender as a
visitor, and saw him sitting on a
sofa just there, holding on his arm
and bosom his loved and beautiful
darling, whose clear eye and gen
tie life made his golden, like her
hair, we almost envied him the
quiet, real life he enjoyed in his
little country home. 1t was and
is SO unlike ours-so widely diff
ferent from the busy ,tiresome, end
less drudgery of our labor; that
we would have given him all we
had for the beautiful life he was
living-tor his sweet home-re rests
and castle buildings, when came
the Saturday Night.
We talked long Of life and its
analysis. It was not long ago.
We once expected to be the first
Over There, for his was the best
health. Aud he asked US SO earn
estly-he drew so close to his heart
the beautiful darling, all his own
he pressed at times such light
yet lasting kisses upon her brow
and lips as she rested there watch
ing for the words that came, that
we looked again and saw her alone
AS now. At last we said:
''Y ou are the nearer home"
''Why think so?''
TO . ht we have seen them
our messengers. To US they say,
Not yet. all the while closer and
still closer, locking and interlock-
ing the souls OF you who are so
good, kind, and true to each other,
that she may soon follow you to
the Land OF the Leal, where you
shall indeed be as one
Tnen her arms drew still closer
about his neck, and he bent low to
kiss the golden haii and to kiss
away the tears from the eyes of
her he loved. Ah, good friends
that simple home of a fellow la
borer was more of palace than
many an one with many mansions.
Then, after all was still a few
moments-after we had looked
| out of a window to see where was
the star we learned to call ours
years ago-after she who rested
there SO sweetly on the bosom OF a
true, earnest, loving, thoughtful
hu- -band. had turned her head so
we could no more see her eyes he
said
.'Som etim es 1 think the day will
not be SO long, and l am ready to
go -but-buJ-but who will care
for my Darling? This is all tina,
holds me to life after the work /
am TO do be done Who will care for
her as do? Who will hold her
life as | do? Who will protect the
one for whom l will be waiting,
and whose life must be with mine
| to complete it tor US both, Over
| There?
''Y ou will protect her?"
"Then [ am ready to go at any
time. This was all that held me
here. / am tired OF life here, and
long to enter it There. To be
sure, it is beautiful here-we all
wish to stay here, but it will be
beautiful There, and to our new
home / am ready to 90, and anX-
| ious to take her. Som metimes-yes,
often, when out from my home-I
feel momentary dread of death
as l tiInk of old lessons, but the
cloud soon floats away, and 1 see
the sky beyond, as now. Tell me
of it, and we both will listen.'
There is so much to tell! You
will know it all before we can tell
you. But in this you do we'll.
Clouds come, and the eye rests
thereon. If you make your eye to
follow and rest on the cloud, it
will lead your gaze trackless jour
neys-bul if y ou look only for the
Light in the East--for the sky be-
yond--the cloud will pass away,
al, d you will look upon a reality.
So with ou. lives--if we look
steadfastly, and thus do strive, a