The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-07-30
Swinging on the Gate.


The lover thinks he is one weeS near
er the day when she will be his love for
ever, while the sweetheart. thanks God |
that one week more has gone from her
life of hatred unfulfillment! The sick
sufferer who is expecting death thanks
God that another seven day veil has been
removed from before the door we all
must enter once, aud wonders if another
week will be all for earth or a 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 writtcn-so many requests granted
and so many refuse6-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
thousands, or hundreds of persons in the
land would read this Saturday Night
what we had written and printed since
last we closed the labors of the week,
wiped our pen so clean, and placed it in
the little rack to rest against the NOR
row.
As we walked along we saw leaning
over little iron gate in front of a neat
brick house pretty, chubby-faced boy,
as if waiting for some one. Looking to
window, we saw middle-aged woman
sitting thereby with paper in her hand,
as if reading.
sHello, little captain You are the
boy that has red cheeks and bright eyes
What are you doing out here in the
eold?"
II an, looking for nay papa p
"Where is he coming from ~
"Down town, sir, and he comes afoot."
'What is your name p
s'Bobby."
GLOW old are you ?"
''Five years, so my mamma says
'sWhere is your mamma 2"
"At the window. Don't you see her?
I can ~
ooh, yes-that is she sure p
eyes !''
sWhen does your papa Gomez"
s'He always comes no,o y And I am
waiting for him. and SO is mammal
| "Well, Bobby, you are nice little boy.
Do you love your papa ?"
eyes, sir"
| "Well, he viii come pretty soon. May
be he is stopping to buy something to
i bring to you ?''
81 know he is-and he'll kiss me when
he comes, and he'll kiss mamma, too,
cause he always does, and | kiss, and
mamma kisses him too y
sWell, Bobby, hadn't you better run
in where mamma is, and look out the
window till papa comes ? it's cold out
here !'
"No, sir-I don't want to He II come,
for he always comes aowe
Just then, down the little one sprang
from the gate, pushed it open and then
scampered down the sidewalk few rods
to meet the one he had been waiting for,
and who he knew always came NOR
Perhaps some Of you saw him. He
was well built man, clad in honest garb.
His cap fitted close to his head-his
coat was closely buttoned-he caught the
| little boy in his arms and kissed him
| then let him down and walked along with
| a proud, firm, muscular step like mon-
arch among men. No wonder the little
boy swung on the gate--no wonder the
wife sat looking out OF the window fol
his coming He held the hand of the
little one who trotted along by his side
AS they came to the gate, by the side oi
which we stood carelessiy, the woman al
the window arose and walked to the door
the man passed by-little Bobby looked
at us with a smile and said
'sI told you he'd come"
They passed into the house, and We
came to ours.
The man did not notice u.s. Perhap:
he never heard of us-perhaps he has. L
may be he is a man that hates US, anc
hitfor thinoc Ill
er mind-he is good to his little boy-ht
is good to the one he loves, who is nam
ma to little Bobby-he comes home Sat
urday night with proud. firm step ht
| is mamie loves his home ones, ane
we like him.
| That man is living to purpose. He
is true man, of use in the world. Two
hearts at least, besides his own, were made
/ glad by his coming. And he was gooe
not to keep them waiting, as thousands
of men, and women, too, keep their loveo
ones waiting, when the heart is hungry
for love and the minutes drag like hours
He was workingman-his hands ane
clothes told us SO. The week went anc
he came. Not late as if he hated to com,
+ home, but early as if his heart was there
Little Bobby was proud of him. Ell,
knew his papa would come; and with ;
warm and earnest kiss. Little Bobb,
was happy. The father was happy O
his looks lied-and they did not
X X *
Now we have been thinking till the
hands on the watch-face before us poin
to midnight What good world thi
world would be if every home had gat'
where swung and waited little on
knowing that now papa would come with
a kiss, smile, and good heart. IF a
every home, by window, were seatet
some loving woman and loving wifi
waiting not dreading, the approach o
her husband, knowing he would be ther,
on time, quick, firm in his step, promp
in his manhood, and sober, one who
monarch of himself, and therefore owe
all. And all men might be so-can b
SO if they will. And then what glori
GUS world in which we live
And we have been thinking, and mus