The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-04-09
What Will You Leave Behind

taking WIN au Olu FARMER once,
be said: When | die, | am going
TO leave behind me, as heritage for
NV children, the home where they
were born, made as beautiful as my
means and uneducated taste will
allow, pleasant memories of the home
liresidc and Of the sunny summer
days, and a true regard for the dignity
and worthiness Of the calling which
their father followed" The old man
was so full of emotion when he talked
in this wise, that he had 10 use bis
[ handkerchief to prevent the tears
telling their tale of manly sensitive.
ness. His bows were widely scatter
ed, having a varied experience in life;
but there was not one of them who
did not honor the old farmer they
called (and reverently, too) Father
nor one of them who was not glad to
visit the old homestead once year.
( Now, we repeat the question,
What will you leave behind -
+ Money? 1t will do your children
little good, comparatively. Money is
easily obtained. But homes are
scarce. The associations which the
men of the world value most are the
associations with their early homes.
No man, no matter what his position,
circumstances or relations in life, who
has had happy and pleasant home
in his youth, fails to remember, love
and long for it. II is the heaven be
seeks. one toward which his heart
goes out whenever he is in trouble il
is the shrine to which be makes pill
T.. .grimage whenever he has means and
opportunity it is the one spot on
earth upon which he is willing to
lavish the wealth he may have ac.
quired. and where he desires to die
and he buried.
What will YOU leave behind, good
friend Of the farm :? Shall the home.
stead be vour monument? Shall the
children return thither as the pilgrim
seeks the shrine of saint? Shall
each tree tell its story of your taste
and good sense-revive in the minds
of your children the time and circum-
stances of the planting Shall il
symbolic by Its growth, and extend,
ed and extending branches, the growth
of your children's affections for you
and the influence your example and
precepts are exerting through them
Shall each stone in the wall, addition
to the barn, the house, out-buildings
improvements, orchard, garden and
/ field, speak to them of the love YOU
once bore them, of the labor YOU
once performed that they might be
fed, clothed and educated Shall
each blade of grass lift itself up to.
ward heaven and testify to your prov.
idence and care? Shall each apple,
blossom in the orchard shed its per.
fume in memory of the man who
planted the seed from which they
sprang. ,r the tree on which they
bloom and laugh in the sweet May
air? Will money compensate your
children for the loss OF such herit.
age? No, sir emphatically, No!
Let US try to leave behind US scme.
thing that shall soften the hearts OF
men and women when they remem.
Der us-be they our children or not
but especially let us who have homes
who are blessed with a title to por.
ton of Gods green earth, see that il
is rendered so beautiful in the eyes ot
our offspring that their hearts viii
always find anchorage there when
ever the longings of loneliness come
over them; whenever the rough
elbowings of an unfeeling world jostle
them out Of humor with it. Let the
coming spring witness some effort to
leave the old farm better and more
beautiful in the autumn. Let the
boys and girls feel that we have left
something behind that money canno,
purchase, and for which it can be- nc
substitute.-Rurai Ner Yorker.