Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-03-21
Fireside Department.
= -l-Il
Don't Forget the old Folks.

Let me saw few words to children
who have gone out from their old homes
but who have parents still. There Is
always a liability, where sons and
daughters have gone away from the
home Of their childhood and have form
ed homes of their own, gradually to
lose the old attachments and cease 10
pay those attentions to their parents
which were so easy and natural IN the
olden time. New associations, new
thoughts, new cares all come in, hlllng
the mind and heart, and, if special pains
be not taken, they crowd out. the old
loves. This ought never to be. You
should remember that the change is
with you, and not with those you left
behind. You have everything new,
much that is attractive in the present
and bright in the future; their hearts
to the past, they have most in memory.
When you went away, you knew not,
and will never know till you experience
it, what it cost them to give you up, nor
what a vacancy you left behind. They
have not, if you have, any loves to take
the place of the old. DO not, then,
heartlessly deprive them of what you
still can give of attention and love.
Visit your parents. If you live in.
the place, let your step be, perhaps
daily, familiar one in the old home
if you are miles, yea, many miles away,
make it your business to go to them.
In this matter do not regard time nor
expense; the one is well spent and the
other will be fully, yea, a hundred fold
repaid. When some day the word
reaches you, flashed over the telegraph,
that father or mother has gone, you will
not think them much, those hours OF
travel which last bore you to their
side.T YsfFE tH
Write to your parents. have known
father and mother wait with sick hearts
through weary months, longing that
some word might reach them from an
absent son. They have watched the
mails till in despair they have ceased to
expect any more, and while they may
not have the grief of great bereave-
ment, they have what is almost as bad,
the bitter consciousness that they are
not in mind enough eyen to call out
few lines from one whose infancy and
early years they watched with slecpless
love. Sons are often guilty Of this
erime-I can not call it less-from sheer
neglect or Incidence. While an hour,
perhaps few moments, would suffice to
write letter which would suffice to
give unspeakable satisfaction, they let
months and even years slip away in ut
ter Indifference to all the pain they are
causing. Oh, how full is many moth
er's heart of sorrow and foreboding,
when just few words from an absent
son would fill it with joy and praise!
Such Indifference or neglect is shame
full and wicked. One need not wonder
that sons guilty of it are not prospered
that they wait in vain for those turns of
fortune which will send them home, as
they dream, to surprise the old neigh
borhood with their wealth. Their
thoughtlessness has been productive on
ly of disaster.
Keep up your intercourse with father
and mother; do not deem it sufficient
to write when something important is
to be told, do not say, ''No news is
good news" If it be but a few lines,
write them; write, if it be only to say,
81 am well, ,''if it be only to send the SAL
utation that says they are "dear," or
farewell that tells them that you are 'saf-
fectionate" still. The little messengers
shall be like caskets of JEWELS, and the
tears that fall fondly over them will be
treasures for you. Say with a warm
hearted SON
The hills may tower, the wave may rise,
ana roll between my home and me;
let snail my quenchless memories
Turn with undying love to thee!''
In the passing Of human life there
frequently comes time when the mu-
tual duties of child and parent and re-
versed. Advancing years bring child
hood to the one and the care of child
hood to the other. To the aged father
and mother the days of labor are over;
the work of life has been done. Now
attentive tenderness becomes the duty
OF those who once gave it all. Now the
parent is the child, and the child is the
parent. The watchfulness and care of
many years ago is to be repeated over
again, only that the giver then is the
receiver now. Toa true hearted child
acre is return of love which it is good
to make. There is a deep satisfaction
in being able to repay by words and
looks the lavished love of the by-gone
time.-Lite at Home.