St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-01-03
The Old Home After Thanksgiving.
BY THE REV. WILLIAM ALTMAN, d. d.

BY THE REV. WILLIAM ALTMAN, d. d.
Thanksgiving times have come and
gone. There have been family gather
Ings all over the land. Parents and chill
dren have mingled their joys, brothers
and sisters have renewed the associations
of bygone days and have gone back to
their homes or staying places-many a
nand daughter has only Il staying place
i'll lieu of the old home-ahd now the
homestead has settled back into its fol-
mer calm and shadow, the hall and the
staircase echo no more to the rapid
tread of young feet, the laugh of 1.-The
children they were called ''the chill
dren," they are bearded men and wO-
men who took their own little ones by
the hand-the whistle and the song are
hushed, the broad-shouldered and the
1.-the forms are gone. Even if death has
not broken of late the circle, and no
great sorrow brooded over it, still these
gatherings have in them tone of sad
ness. 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 go up and ''tuck the chill
dren in, us 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-tieS 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 a forgotten hand
kerchief 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 and the girls are gone
forever. Sometimes father and mother
talk of 1t till they find their hearts grow
sore, and they think it best not to make
each other sad; and then, while per-
haps 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 blessedpess. but
there are hearts that are sadder that
nave not gone out from it.
1t will be we'll for the children to re-
member this when they are away.
''Thanksgiying" brought them home.
and the renewal of the home life was like
entering heaven they went away with
swelling hearts and dimned ewes. but
the rush and work have crowded ont
and pushed aside-and it is well-tbe
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 ami
TO dwell on the past than on the present
There i'll the old home are two thai
talk very often through the day and fsI
INTO the night over the absent. The
pet names are used just as they wert
years and years ago, and often they
, SOUND northumberland that not he.
cause age or weakness makes the voice
faiter-and deep-toned prayers follow
with unutterable longings.
Children away often forget this. The,
do not feel it necessary to be boldine
communication often with the old folk,
at home. So while Thanksgiving i,
fresh upon them l will whisper in t6ei,
ear that there is occasion for tbougbt.
tulness and care Just at this SPOT.
Some of them do not come home offer
as they might. 1t might cost little r.
oreak away from business and "rur
home' for q few hours, but the los.