Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-08-31
D0y-bs'euHS

WIN IiSHtSS Ol tboHgHt, WHhl
wealth Of souliight they ponf in upon
our lives. What cares they tighten
What burdens they remove, What
dark spots they illuminate They |
are ambition to the young and soace
10 the aged Who is there that does
not court and embrace them They
are ridiculed only by those who have
not soul enough to experience any of
the emotions o, sympathy and love.
Present events are at best fleeting.
They come and 90, leaving here "A
ray OF sunshine, thrrc shadow. -
Our minds are not capable OF grasp.
ing ,h-m all and carrying them along
with us; but memory catches the
picture a. it passes, spreads it Upon
the canvass and hangs it upon the III.
ner wall Of the soul, where We can
90 and look upon it VIXEN We will
We do not generally care to look at
them until the mind ia wearled with
present excitement Then We take
them up and u,use over them until
our souls are luIled to rest by their
sweet and gentle influence.
ask you, reader, if you have not
very often drawn aside the curtain
and looked at these pictures of he
past. ask you, if you have not
gazcd at them sometimes, with tears
of pru'ance-s"mctime with the
smile of s-If.sati~ta, ton on your lips,
as the memory of the circumstances
under which they were painted have
clustered before yoar minds And
when you have looked upon them ali,
have YOU not covered them tenderly
again, aid entered upon the every
day duties Of life, with greater ear
nestncss, with sterner determinations,
and loiticr motives. But our dreams
are not all bright. The scenes of
youth, of beauty and Of love, are
mingled with sadness, and as dream
to-day, | love the sad picture best
In the years gone by, see the bright,
happy face of our little sister. She
came to us as "A bright ray OF Gods
own sunshine. She was our house.
hold idol, 40 full of innocent life and
lovliness. The one aim of her life
seemed to be, to do all she could to
please us and tho Savior who had died
for her and whom she loved aud be.
lieved with all the sweet simplicity of
a child's early faith, But a change
came, and amid bitter tears we laid
her away " beneath the low green
tent whose curtain never outward
swings"
Revolving years have brought their
changes. But ever as | visit that
little mound. that can now scarcely
be distinguished from the surround
ING soil, thank God teryently that
orr sister lived and died, thank Him
for the bcauii.'ul lesson Of life thus
early cut off, and thank HIM that He
has endowed me with faculty 10, |
which can view over and over
again the bright lessons she taught
SO i, is with US all Our every hear /
has its grave, and We have buried
ihere-Oh. so much of pleasure, SO
80 much of pam, So much OF the mem.
DRY of the loved ones gone before,
and when the cares and turnoils of
the day are past, we sit down in the
twilight and softly roll away the
stone from the mouth of the sepul
chre aud look in upon our hidden
treasure, look pityingy upon the
hopes unrrahzcd, ;he pleasures un.
tasted, and when ~e have watercd
them with our tears, who shall say
that we will not roll back the stone
again and 90 away the happier and
better for the interview.
Yes, dream ON my Young friends.
Picture life all gladnrSs, all love, aud
il some of your foule>t hopes should
Nithcr and die before your eyes, bury
them tenlerly in the garden of the
heart" where, when sick OF the cold
ness of the mnSympathizing world,
l0u may resurrect them and weep
over them-tduS shall Vou haze
strength
Again say blessed boon,
when all things change-~fortunes
vary, friends depart the world grows
unklnd and We grow cid, the former
things are still with us and we can
stand as mnurners at the grure IL