The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-12-23
Home.
ny REV. y. q. Cassidy.

One small spot
home.
There Ia a magic In that little word
II Is q mystic circle that surrounds
Comforts and virtues never known beyond
The hailowedlimit. souTHEY.
Home! What II world Of interest
and happiness Is crowded into that
tailsmanic iworld! How the bosom
swells with deepest feeling and pro-
fOundest emotion at its very mention!
What hallowed memories and soul.
inspiring association cluster around
that sacred shrlne-Our childhood s
happy home. Never do our minds
tire in busy thought over the scenes
and remembrances Of this sanctuary
of our hearts purest and hottest af.
fections. Its cheerful spirits, sunny
faces, and revered fOrms-whatever
changes time may have wrought since
our severance from the old homestead
ARE all wildly before us, and we
seem to he living over our haicyon
days of the eventful past.
We can never, no never forget that
happy family group, made up OF fath.
or, mother, brothers, and sisters. OF
which in other years we formed a
member. Although long years have
circled away since that peaceful,
domestic circle were wont To gather
around that familiar hearthstOne, yet
the whole scene, in all Its interest ana
naturalness. is indelibly imprinted on
our minds and hearts. IT'S mourn.
fully true that some Of the members
of that household. perchance that de.
voted father or pious mother, or
brothers or sisters, have gone down
to the land of shadows and of death,
but still there 10 q sanctity and sacred.
ness lingering around that precious
spot Of earth that will ever endear it
to our hearts. And why should 1t
not be sol II was there we were
horn; there we spent the days OF our
childhood; and there. for tho first
time. around that family altar, celes.
tial influences operated upon our
hearts, and sought to win them to the
skies. With such holy and hallowing
memories attaching to that sacred
place, why should we not love and
yenerate III Why should not mel.
lowing and soul.touching influences
play around our hearts when
Fond memory brings the light
OF other days around US!
Even the old man who has long
had a home of his own. sheds the
briny tears rs he talks about the home
and associations of his own childhood.
The fountain of tears is rnsealed
every time that in memory he revisits
those old and familiar scenes.
Heaven intended that home should
be q cherished spot; and man would
be untrue to all the higher and noblei
instincts Of his being were 1t not
The love for home and kindred Is the
last passion that grows cold In the
human breast. Even the savage
dead to sympathy as Is his heart fol
the white man, cherishes an almost
lidolatrous reverence for his hunting
grounds and the graves Of his fore
fathers. This sacred principal o.
yeneration for home and Its cherished
objects runs all through the lowe
land higher grades OF humanity. l
obtains as much In the humble cot
tage Of the poor and unlettered, rs II
the splendid mansions of the Opulen
and the great. The sentiment Is uni
yersally received, that "There's n
place like home" How eXquisitel
tender and beautiful the touches o
an anonymous bard upon this sui
ject:-
J "Iye wandered On through many elm
= whore flowers of beauty grow
, Who're all was blissful to the heart and lovcl
TO the view.
, | Zoe seen them in their twilight pride, and
, their dress for morn,
But none appeared so sweet To me as tho sp'
4. where was born"