Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-04-20
Our Saturday Night.
SOMETHING TO STAND UPON
BIZ N. n. P0naerOy.

~ - IN -
This evening the stars shine with nm
usual brightness, and the air seems purer,
lighter and more life.like than ever be.
fore. Looking out from the room where.
in we write, the picture Is one Of beauty
Before us Is one Of the beautiful parks fol
which the city is becoming famous. We
see trees, water pouring from the fountain
to fall back into the great granite-rimmed
basin, the little waves and ripples CLEAN.
ing in the starlight. Through the tree.
tops over the water we see lights in win.
dows.
So we know there are houses, and peo
pie. and homes Over There-across the
park-over the Iippled water, theugh We
do not know the names or occupation Of
those who will be our neighbors wheneve,
we cross over to that side Of the park
We know somebody lives over there, fol
lights have been lit; and the more occu
pants from time to time finding homes in
the growing dwellings over there, the
more lights, the more evidence OF life and
work or recreation on that side OF the
water as on this.
We see very clearly tonight. Across
the park-over the tops OF houses
through the evening atmosphere to the
stars the lights in the Eternal Mansion,
which will be our home some day-when
comes the hour to pass from darkness to
light-from labor to refreshment.
The room where we are writing is very
bright also. The figures in the carpe,
seem alive, while from the vase of fresh
flowers before US comes whispers of fra
GRANGE as if the roses, the heliotrope, the
mignonette and the geranium leaves were
all telling us that they lived and were
the same after being cut down, ss before
In humanity as in plants-there are
flowers and there are weeds. But this
difference-we may be weeds to-day, Blu,
we can by self-culture, become flowers to-
morrow
Tonight we are very happy. Our
heart is at rest and over the inner spriHgf
of life there sweeps no breath of that
blast, which at times troubles and makes
discordant the life of the best Of US. Why
this peaoe2 We will tell you.
Again have we won victory. Many
the centest-many the victory in life
Tonight we add another to the list. Not
a victory over others, but over ourself
It was this wise:
Once we had friend-a man younger
in years than the writer hereof. We loved
him we'll, thinking him true and deserv-
ing. One day he turned against us tc
gain profit for himself, and sought to stall
US to the very life. Not once alone, bu
five times repeated. Each attempt thus tt
wound left a sore spot on the soul an6
we said that whenever came the time W.
would strike back and repay his deb
with interest abundant.
This afternoon came the hour for re.
venge. Misfortune overlook him and
stayed his step till we could strike. A
friend came and whispered to US that now
was the time to strike. One word would
send him and his houseless into the stree,
"A word would let him remain in hil
home. We thought of the wrongs he had
done us--of the sweetness of revenge
We started out to say the word and turn
him into tho street-walked on-thought
and thought again. We thought of our
old friendship-of the wrongs he had
done us-of the efforts to injure, and how
glorious it WAS to know an enemy was at
our feet and that we could now strike, as
if to kill. -'l
- -
We had our revenge. Tonight we
have besn out. The house where he
lived yesterday is there STILL Other
houses are there, as yesterday. We ap-
preached the place, olambered, with the
aid of friendly policeman to the first
floor balcony to look in through the win
dow, where by table sat the man, his
wife and two children. Innocent little
ones-what harm had they ever done any
ono In the none hona WOO q lettor- II
told him that his rent was paid for three
months longer, till the times would be
better-thst friend bad paid it for him.
Only that and nothing more.
He does not know who "his friend" was
but his home ones are happy. So are
we 1t is better to conquer ones self
than to strike man when he is down.
The blow given him would have hurt
others more. It is but little matter
but such little matters make the sum of
life, its victories or defeats. j. 1.aa
So, to night, we feel better-happier--
stronger. The few dollars which helped
him and his trembling ones, might have
been spent in dissipation-or boarded for
worse use. We have pnt temptation
rather than fallen man under our feet,
and as the temptation was great so can
we, standing thereon, feel lifted higher,
to look over the trees and the house-tops.
to see more and more of the stars which
shine all about US this happy Saturday
Night. --n.-. 1875