River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-04-24

AShANNNANa
discretion, cannot call to mind some
scene over which the mind fingers with
delight And how sweet the joys of
reflection as the mind reverts to them.
They are halowed scenes in life's mem
DRY, never to be forgotten.
But there may have been other part.
ing scenes-careless, indifferent, unpleas.
ant, may be--and what are our feelings
as we revert to these. If only careless,
it may be well, yet far from producing
agreeable reflections; if indifferent, a
sad thought broods over our souls as We
contemplate the same; if unpleasant, a
thousand misgivings follow US, and
even haunt us by day aud by night.
Think OF these things, and then ask
yourselves whether this picture Is over
drawn. Time may blunt the pungency
of grief, but it only sharpens the COM
Functions of conscience, and sometimes
it even induces a deep contrition of
heart in view of that one unpleasant
scene at parting. In our outwardlives
we may seem to fall back upon our Dig
nifty, and affect to despise these little
episodes But they still find a place in
our hearts. Gladly indeed would we
blot them from memory's fair page,
never more to behold them; gladly
would we grasp the hand we once
scorned, that forgiveness full and free
might flow from heart 10 heart. Who
does not know this?
What then, is the lesson we would
gladly impart? Certainly it is fore
Swallowed. 1t is this: "Bepare ofthe
Parting Hour" A thousand reAec
tions are crowded into a moment, and
this moment may be fraught with the
happiness or misery Of a lifetime. A
poet once said, Eternity itself cannot
restore the less struck from the min
Ute" Think Of this. Are you happy
at the hour of parting? Are the voices
around you sweet AMI melodious? Ii
matters not whether it be with single
friend, father, mother, sister. brother or
lover, that you are taking final or tenn
roraIy leave Of, or whether it be with a
group Of friends. II it be the parting
hour, beware Of 1t. ooh, how | wish
it had been otherwise, has been the
mental exclamation of thousands, aud
plentiful and bitter indeed have been the
tears she'd over a careless parting mo.
ment. Then and there, perhaps, was
snapped a tender cord never again to
be united. The busy fingers of Time
eau accomplish wonders in the social as
well as in the physical world, but they
can seldom, if ever. re-unite the sun.
dered ties of an unpleasant parting.
Yes, beware of the Parting Hour. 1t
is not a dream--it is not delusion
soon to be forgotten. Say not that we
shall soon meet again, since that would
be insoent defiance to both Time
and Destiny, and you have no more
command Of the one than you have OF
the other. While man may not be a
mere machine, it is well to remember
that there is such thing as Destiny.
But it is not philosophy that we
would teach, nor yet pursue the may
labyrinths ofreason. 1t is lesson Of
moral, or Of social duty that We would
impart, drawing our instruction from
facts and experience alone. Let US
seek to make all partings pleasant.
Life is fraught with none too much
happiness at the best, aud why should
we with ruthless hands, or careless
words, at the Hour Of Parting, cast
shadow Of pain on the Future?