Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-19
FOR the VERMONT FARMER,
Twilight.

Twilight and home. The day with its
numerous cares and arduous duties Is mum.
bered with the past, and as the shadowy
mantle Of twilight falls over the house hold,
the members met for a little hour Of rest and
sweet interchange Of thought. 1t is beau.
tiful family picture Of conteut. The happy
husband and father, released from the per.
plexities Of business, enjoys this hour Of rest
aud peace in the home love has made. The
devoted wife aud mother thanks God 10 her
heart for this wealth of love and the safety
Of her treasures, as her dark. eyed merry boy
aud gentle golden.haired girl nestle at her
side, to listen to her teachings Of the good.
ness Of the Father, and to hear again the
story Of the Christ-child. With the strong
loving arm Of her husband about her, little
hand clssped in each of hers, she repeats the
ever new story in tones subdued and low,
aud patiently answers their many childish
questions. Aud the influence Of this quiet
hour is felt through the long years that
come, bringing changes aud sorrow and care ;
yet the heart is stronger to meet them, for
the lessons learned in the twilight hour.
To the Christian pilgrim the twilight
comes like au oasis in the desert. He has
journeyed far, his burden has been heavy,
and now in the gentle hush of twilight he
bares his burning brow to the cool, damp
kiss Of the evening breeze. His heavy bur-
den Of the day forms pillow for his aching
head, as weary and foot-sore he lies down to
rest and he sleeps, happy in the conscious.
ness of duty well performed to God and
man, while his heart is filled with love and
gratitude that he is days march nearer
home"
To the worldly and ambitious man the
twilight comes like the breath Of Heaven
In his thirst for worldly glory he has sacri-
feed all the purer and nobler feelings of his
soul. Fame is his God--at her shrine he
has laid the devotion of life time. But
the heart is unsatis6ed, and in this quiet
hour be reviews the past. Though he can
sway the multitude with his brilliant elo
quence and though his power is acknowl
edged among them, to him his life work
looks meagsr, and after all these years o.
toll aud struggle, the thought brings not the
calm satisfaction to which he had looked for.
ward. THE still small voice whispers; Come
unto me all We that labor aud are heavy la
den, and l will give you rest" while a low
ing hand seems reckoning him to the res
aud peace of the straight and narrow way
But the restless soul would drink still decpe
of the exciting draught, and he turns away
from the gentle pleadings of his better na
turo. Yet, as he miugles once more in TIL
strife and turmoil to which his ambitious as
pirations have led him, deep sigh of regre
escape his lips for "what might have been
in that twilight hour.
The soldiers on the tented field enjoy tn
calm, the peaceful twilight. when 10 though
and spirit they can go to those iar-off home
and hear once more the voices OF their love,
ones for whose safety they are now periIin,
life before the death.dealing canons Of theil
countrys foe. In the peaceful hour Of twi
light all strife is forgotten, and a yearnin,
hunger takes possession Of those soldier heart
for one look iuto the faces that watch in vail
for their coming. Perhaps their longing i
more intense for the little white letters they
hold 80 tenderly; for the mail has come anc
they have read those precious lines till thu
dusky twilight has shut the words from the
view and they spend the hour in eXchang
ing home news or in thoughts of those who
have penned the brave, hopeful words. tina
fill their hearts with new courage.
and so talking low their thoughts wander OF
The twilight comes solemnly creeping;
TILL, clasping the letters that came by the mail,
The soldiers lie dreaming and sleeping;
And they utter no oath for n while after this,
For the words of the dear that love them
Lie over their hearts like the wing Of dove,
Bearing blessings from heaven above them"
/ To the aged pair, who hand in hand hav
travelled lifes journey together, the twilight
hour seems like the gate of Heaven. On
by one they have seen friends and childre
leave them for the spirit world, till they ar
/. alone. Even through their tears they ca
{ see in the dim distance the glorious splendo
4 Of those pearly gates through which thei
] loved ones passed, aud they feel they are no
r lost-ouly gone before. A calm holy quie
Q fills their hearts, as with clasped hands an
e bowed heads they sit together in the twilight
Is it the zephyrs toying with the shrubbcry
or is it the rustic Of angel wings that fall
like music on the carr We can almost BE-
lieve that in the holy hush the golden gate
again swing open and their dear ones are a
lowed to come noiselessly back across tt
river and spend this brief hour in the hoU
that has so long been desolate without then
Lifes day for these aged pilgrims is pas
l. the twilight shadows are gathering, and as
the heat of the day they worked togethe
sharing each others joys and sorrows, S
= now, their labors over, in the peaceful call
of lifes twilight together they wait the sun
nous home-to endless day.
Twilight and home. Sweet, blissful hour
i when memory leads the tired heart bac
: through the dark halls Of the past. ono
u more to live over the scenes of its happ.
Z oare-free childhood, when the little circ
was complete and the twilight hour the hal
piest of the day. Aud now it is the mo
e peaceful when, with this home picture sti
e IN view, it can look forward to Anoth'
: home-the circle once more complete to
l. broken no more forever. Thank God "a
: the twilight which hrinns ON Its Minoa sue