Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-06-11
a BITTER rHoUGur.

HITTER THOUGWT. ss
A short time since there said q gam
stleman TO me, "The biiteres1 thought
in life to beautiful woman, must be
that of growing old.' Yes, TO the
woman whose beauty is all of face and
form. Some women grow more beau
tifu', as age comes on. The flower of
spring may fade and pass into glorious
summer, summer yield to rich and
golden autumn, more radiantly beau
tifal than either spring or summer.
Tho woman who, in passing thro' life
takes some thought to adorn the mind
and purify the heart, while clothing
the form In beautiful apparel, cannot
grow old. Tho inner beauty instead
of fading, is enriched and glorified by
age. The green fruit is ripencd and
matured--the rough places smoothed
and toned into harmony and beauty
the weeds rooted out and good seed
planted, bringing forth harvest; all
combine and harmonic into one per-
feet whole, and reflect from heart to
face, from brain to tongue. Youth
may be gone, but you forget to note
1t. It may crafty man to have
leaning npon his arm the most beauti-
ful woman in q large assemblage, but
he will forget her even there, in the
hour Of her most brilliant triumph,
listening to the soulful breathing of
some plain unassuming woman, pos
sessing a heart made pure BY deeds of
kindness to others, and forgetfulness
Of self. A mind enriched aud beauti-
fed BY careful reading and close
observation. With the beautiful
woman, beside him, his thoughts
wander back to the words of tender
ness aud truth--to the soul light in i
pair OF eyes Che forgot to note whether
blue or black) that haunt him when
the owner is far away. When he
compares the selfish exactions OF the
beauty beside him, to the sweet per-
suasive tones and modest retiring
manner OF the plain looking girl who
90 bewitched him, he cannot express
the wish, her beauty was not all on
the surface.
No, / can sec no reason why the
thought of growing old, should be one
of bitterness. God in his WELDON
tempers everything according 10 it's
season, making everything pleasing
and harmonious, fitted for its own
peculiar place, but ii transferred to
other times the effect would be lost.
Imagine the dainty, tender flowers of
spring, blooming meath the misty
haze of an autumn sky-how pale and
wan and sickly beside the gorgeous
tints Of wood and dale and the hardy
autumn flowers with their ,gaudy
colors and rusty foliage blooming
mid the freshness OF spring--tho clear
brightness Of the spring tune; sun.
They would be passed as Something
old and worn and worthless. So, IL 8
woman live Alright she will ripen into
the autumn tints--mind and face and
form, all hRrmonizing to fit the season.
Tho loves and adnirations OF the
spring time Of liie may change ana
pass into Q different form and type,
but never die--the bounty will be snf-
fictent to satisfy all demands OF the
heart. In youth, life is all before u.s.
our whole nature goes out after aii-
ment and support, like the young
teudrils of the vine In spring--wa arc
weak and uncertain and ignorant.
We have nothing to look back upon;
all - b0fore, and much is required u
supply the the demands OF our OK.
pending nature, While on the other
hand, life Is most all behind us, we
draw from past, nntriment to sustaiu
the decline of lifc. In memory VIC
live over the scenes of youth and
primo, forgetting for the time, they
are not with us still. The mind
dwells o. much upon the memories, AZ
upon present surroundings. To grow
old, is not necessarily 70 grow ugly
and repulsive; aud, find no bitter.
ness in the-thO't. SlW-
"rhe pathway TO heaven for ME evermort
seems nearest and plaineat from. Grand
mothers door,
II GNEA.,r.