Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-01-15
The Old Home after Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving times have come aud gone.
There have been family gatherings all over
the land. Parents and children have min
| gled their joys, brothers and sisters have re-
newed the associations of by-gone days and
! have gone back to their homes or staying-
places--many a son and daughter has only
a staying place in lieu of the old home
and now the homestead has settled back
into its former calm and shadow, the hall
aud the staircase echo no more TO the rapid
tread of young feet, the laugh of " the chill
| dren"--they were called "the children :"
J they are bearded men and women who took
| theirown little ones by the hand-the whistle
and the song are hushed, the broad-shoul-
dered and the 1.-THE forms are gone. Even
if death has not broken of late the circle,
aud no great sorrow brooded over it, still
these gatherings have in them a tone of
sadness. To father and mother they bring
up the long past-though it does not seem
long-when the little boys and little girls
were home, and needed no Thanksgiving or
Christmas to bring them back when the
home circle was complete. The contrast is
sometimes very bitter now. Father and
mother miss the goodnight kiss, and wish
that they could 60 up and tuck the chill
dren in," as they nestle laughing in their
beds; they miss drowsy replies to their
morning call they would like the boys to
come to have their neck-tes put in order,
and the girls to have their curls arranged
it would be good if they could only send the
boys to black their shoes or the girls to get
forgotten handkerchief before they went
off to school they would be glad to send
them back to their rooms to take off the
torn dress or the pants whose knees had
given out, but which had not been noticed
the night before. But that can never be
again. The boys aud the girls are gone for
ever. Sometimes father and mother talk of
it till their hearts grow sore, and they think
it best not to make each other sad and
then, while perhaps neither knows it of the
other, they lie side by side--with no crib in
which sleeps little one near-and hot tears
roll upon the pillow. till Gods blessed sleep
hides the present and the past in its deep
oblivion. All the children are sometimes
homesick as they remember the old home
and its blessedness, but there are hearts that
are sadder that have not gone out from it,
1t will be well for the children to remem-
Der this when they are away. "Thanks
giving" brought them home, and the re-
newal of the home life was like entering
heaven they went away with swelling
hearts and dimmed eyes, but the rush and
work have crowded out and pushed aside
and it is well-the sorrow of parting. But
they must not forget that they left behind
them two that do not feel the stimulus of
the world, and whose thoughts are more
apt to dwell on the past than on the present
There in the old home are two that talk
very often through the day and far into the
night over the absent. The pet names are
used just as they were years and years ago,
and often they sound tremulously-and that
not because age or weakness makes the
voice falter-and deeptoned prayers follow
with unutterable longings.
Childre away often forget this. They
do not feel it necessary to be holding com.
munication often with the old folks at home |
So while Thanksgiving is fresh upon them
| will whisper in their ear that there is oc.
casion for thoughtfulness and care Just at
this spot.
Some of them do not come home often as
they might. 1t might cost little to break
away from business and "run home " for
few hours, but the loss would not be Sc
rious and need not be felt. Mothers and
fathers kiss, the boy name sounded as it
was twenty or thirty years ago, would be
worth long journey to feel and hear. The
looks of love, the grasp of the hand, the hug
of the olden time, would be good to receive.
1t would be thing of joy for you to see
smiles and hear words OF delight from lips
that have kissed yours thousand times
when you did not know and were too little
TO care about il.
Some of the children do not write home
often enough. To write letter would EN-
gross only a half-hour or so of time, but it
would fill days with gladness in the home
where father and mother are. They some
times wonder that letter does not come. !
have known father and mother wait through
weary months and years while long alb
sent son sent no word TO cheer their loneli
ness or still their forebodings And | have
known that son come home penniless and
worn, to be taken in again. The sons and
the dau, hters who read this will not do
that; they will not permit the years to go
by without sending letter home, but they
may allow weeks and months TO pass (and
pass all unconsciously) before they write.
So it is that | ask them to remember, with
all the loving and tender associations that
come with the close of the year and have
como with thanksgiving about them-that
little talk, even though it be on paper and
only few loving words, will make gladness
and bring return that money and checks
cannot measure. Let visits, and if not they,
at least letters, make Thanksgiving in the
old home all along the CHARACTERIZATION
Huion