The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-04
Hopes and Remembrances.
80 for the touch Off vanished hand,
And the sound of voice that is still"

greatly changed would be their bearing
towards rs after such return. But Ger
tainly not more changed would be their
conduct towards us than ours towards
them. What mutual sympathy, defer
ence tenderness, forbearance, courtesy,
would this reunion throw over the whole
intercourse of subsequent life! Under
such circumstances we may suppose that
daily life would become to US, at least
for awhile, what it seemed to be to Charles
Kingsley when, in his last, sickness, ne
said to his wife, 'This is heaven" 1t
may give distinctness to our reflection to
notice that the case actually occurred
three times in the brief period of our Sa-
yior's public ministry, and for aught we
know even more frequently; once In the
family of Jarious whose daughter was re.
stored to life, once in the home of the
widow of Main and her restored son, and
once in that of the sisters at Bethany on
the resurrection of their brother Lazarus.
We cannot doubt that in each of these
cases the voice of the Great Teacher
brought veritable touch of heaven into
an earthly home; and that for awhile
the restored intercourse of love was little
short ofSt. Paul's description, ,"our conver-
sation is in heaven" What Christian
ity did for these three sorrowing homes
may serve to give US an idea of what 1t
can do even here, and will do more COM
pletely hereafter, when the touch OF the
vanished hand shall again be felt and
the silent voice again be heard.
There are two toilers along the path OF
life each representing large class, who
are more needful to each other and who
can do more to help and cheer, each other
than all the world beside. The husband
and the wife, by Gods appointment, stand
in q relation of mutual care and sympa-
thy and nearness, which no others on
earth hold. While they have each 9th
er's respect and approval and heartfelt
appreciation, they can stand fast in their
integrity, or toll on in their daily task of
life, although all the world should be
against them. There is no relation IN
which happiness can be so surely won,
and none in which it may be more speed
lily and bopelessly lost. This is the su-
preme decision which. every one makes,
or it may be the tremendous die for
earthly veal or woe which every one casts
who enters into the married covenant. 1t
may fill all life with the sweetness and
Joy, making it from beginning to end
bright and beautiful; or turn it into a
protracted scene Of irritation, disappolnt-
ment, failure and wretchedness. How
often, too, is this darker side of the pic
ture realized in the home circle where
the brighter one might have been just as
easily enjoyed | How often, too, has this
sad destiny been shadowed forth early In
the married career by no greater cause
than the strange persistent failure of one
or other of the parties to understand and
appreciate the other. Many poor heart,
especially the wife's, has had all the life
and brightness crushed out of it simply
by cold neglect, long continued indifer--
ence, that utter absence of any expression
of love and appreciation, which to sensi-
tive dependent nature, is the very food
of the soul. and for want of which the
poor heart finally dies as by starvation.
This is what every man mot less than
every woman) promises in the marriage
covenant; but this is what some men,
calling themselves gentle, chivalrous
Christians, fail to give. We do not say it
is never withheld by the wife; but the
cases are ten to one, perhaps hundred to
one, in which it is withheld by the hus.
band from wife who is as true to him as
the needle to the pole-nay, as unselhsh-
ly, patiently, heroically devoted to him
as any mother ever was to the child of her
bosom. In fact, We have known cases
where this uncomplaiping endurance, on
one side, through poverty and toll, sick
ness and premature death, without one
corresponding act or word of commenda-
tion from the other has been carried to
such degree of heroic self-sacri6ce for
some; churl of a husband, that we have
wondered how even Gods grace could
save such men.
Even in those instances where both
parties are sympathizing and congenial,
each working faithfully for the common
good, it is not an uncommon thing to
withhold or stint the much-needed COM
mendation on both sides. What an in-
effable sweetness and glow it would throw
over the daily life Of the household, max
ing home the very harbinger of heaven,
if the husband and the wife could live
each day in o perpetual Interchange OF
kind attentions, pleasant greetings and
appreciative words anticipating every
wish and want, each of the other approv-
ing everything done to the minutest de-
tail of duty, and seizing every opportuni-
ty to cheer, to encourage, to strengthen
each other in every good word and work!
Now, we have seen illustrations of this
very life, at least in part, when the rapid
days of decline and incnrable sickness
and death come to one of the parties.
When an atmosphere of love and ten
derness then pervades the room of the
pale sufferer how every want is antici-
pated, what gentle cheering words Of
hope and appreciation. are then spoken,
how soft is every footstep, how loving ey-
cry look, how earnest the deep, unspoken
but heart felt prayer to God that the pre-
cious life may be spared Well, why
not have something of this reality of af-
fection, this almost unspeakable tender
ness and soul-appreciation which comes
sooner or later to one or the other partner
in every marriage covenant at the close
of the pilgrimage-why not have little
of it all along the pathway of that
pilgrimage? Why put off to the closing
scene the ten thousand gentle and appre-
ciati7e things that might be said and
done every day, which would do infinite
good would, in fact, make life fore
taste of heaven?
Still it is delightful fact, that through
the blessed influence of Christianity, she'd
ding its lustre over all our dearest rela-
tionships, this very life is now exhibited
in many happy Christian homes. The
law of love, which is the law of God,
reigns and rules at the hearth-stone,
difusing its bright, joyous radiance
through the whole career of married life.
With good men and women, moulded af-
ter the pattern of Jesus Christ, 1t IS not