Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-09-07
Do Not be Cross to the Aged.

''Speak gently to the aged one,
Grieve not the care-wOrn heart,
The sands of life are nearly run,
Let such in peace depart"
Have you not often felt hurt and griev-
ed when you have heard some short
cross, curt, or brusque word, dashed out
at the aged, feeble and decrepit father or
mother at the family fre-side? Has not
your very soul risen up in indignation as
you beheld such want of refinement,
goodness and common humanity even, in
those of your kind? True father and
mother are old, and helpless, rheumatic.
fretful and peeyish, and they may also
have become childish and unreasonable,
and what is worse than all, careless, SLOW
emily, and even uncleanly in their personal
appearance, but don't for one moment al
low disrespectful thought towards them
to enter into your heart, and more than
all, peevish or cross word to escape your
lips-check them every one and keep
them down-sown SO deep, that they can
never disgrace you by any sudden or Wis
ible appearance. Drown out all such
feelings by cherishing their opposites.-
Think of the time when you too will be-
come old, feeble, helpless, and crippled
when you can no longer be sufficient un-
to yourselves" but must go and sit as
guest, as cherished and venerated inmate
let us trust-beneath the roof of your
own child, now perhaps helpless toddling
infant at your knee. Teach your children
to love, cherish, respect and venerate your
aged parents as you yourself hope to be
loved and venerated by them in your turn.
"As you SOW thus shall you reap" As
you teach your children to do by your ex-
ample, SO will they do in turn by you,
and like the child in the old poem they
will say
Papa when I'm a man like you, I'll
then be young and gay
Like grandpapa you'll then be gray,
And feeble, helpless weak and bald,
And then Old Daddy you'll be called.
When to the coacli-loft up send you,
AS every comfort intend you.
just half this blanket l will keep
TO make you warm when you're
asleep"
No matter if you do know better how
thing should be done than the old father
or mother does, it is often best to yield
and please them by doing it in
the old way-you loose SO little and they
gain so much. Second childhood is far
more troublesome than the first, for the
old have once known, and as the powers
gradually fail one after another, they new
er can realize or understand how much
is gone. They only know that they still
wish to be useful and to be honored. loved
and respected-thercforc every one should
give them all that they can of these
things that they so much need. Never,
never, let them feel that they are in the
way! But rather strive always to feel
that it is blessing to have them with you.
Their joys are few, so very few at the
best. Youth, strength, activity, health,
all gone! Oh! grudge them not then,
the little boon of love and respect.
"Cast your bread upon the waters that
it may return unto YOU" BY cherishing
always kindly, loving impulses, we are
ever growing in grace" ever making
wider and deeper the channels of love
which course through our hearts, and thus
in blessing others we in turn become
blest.
We never do good deed, never think
a good thought. without making our whole
future lives the better for it, and SO it is
when we think bad, wrong, as evil
thoughts-their impressions are forever
ineffacable. and the order of bad deeds
ever cling to us and mar and scar our
whole life book
Then let us ever friendly speak,
Unit" the feeble, old and weak,
So when our minds shall wonder back,
Retravelling DER the same old track,
There'll be no shadow of regret.
No word we'll wish we could forget,
For love and duty thus combined
With sweet content will fill the mind.
ELMIRA DRAKE SLENKER
FACTORYvILLE,C Carter County, Aug.
2Sth, 1871.