The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-12-24
The Return RH Home for the Holidays.

Cold, dark, and stormy! The solitary
passenger thought the train would never
arrive. What if it should be showed mi
The thought was not to be tolerated. He
had said he would be at home on Christmas,
and he must 60 Then as he walked up
and down the lonely platform, he wondered
if they would expect him---''had mother
grown any older 2-would the children
know him? What a curse these railroads
are to country, cutting across the farms,
and never on time"-but a shrill whistle
and a glare of light soon changed the
young mans thoughts. In the warm and
lighted car, he said to himself-''a railroad
is great blessing; how could | have ever
reached home without its aid ?"-What a
busy time these days before Christmas have
| been in the old farm house, to be sure
The good old mother has gone about as ii
she had some important secret; she shut
her lips sternly as if to keep from telling
| it, but the more she closed them, the more
of smile they wore. What pies have
been made and set in array upon the pantry
shelves, where he used to look for them
She did not forget how fond he was of q
certain cake, of which there were many
loaves. His room was made to look just as
he left it that morning. At last, when
everything that only mother can think OF
had been done, she put on the same dress
and the same cap that she wore when he
went away, and she seated herself as usual
She was perfectly calm it is true, she
went to the window every now and then
but that was only to see if it was still snow
ing-she listened-no it was not the
whistle, only the dog. 1t was full quar-
ter hour to the time Yet it seemed as i
that whistle had sounded every other nigh
long before this. What if on this nigh
before Christmas, of all nights in the year
it should not sound 1t seems as if it neve
would come at last the futtering of th'
dear old heart told her that it had sounded
-''If he should not come !''-'No, he saic
he would be here on Christmas, and he al
ways kept his word" The station is no
so very far away, and what long, Ions
time it seems The quick ear catches tn
crunching sound of the snow under foot
steps.-The door opens and admits hin
back to the home he left not a long tim
ago as boy! In from the storm and tn
darkness, into that light like which there
no other on earth-the light of home
Home We have no other word for it, an
it is said that the word belongs to no othe
language than ours. 1t may stand for
log-cabin, or a stately mansion; it does nc
mean house, but home. Tired with trave
he soon goes to his room, and as he think
over the events of the meeting, he recollect
that a dear old voice said-'I knew tina
he would come, for he said he would.
Happy the man whose early life has
won the confidence of the mother; happ
} the mother who can so speak of her sol
: Blessed are these holiday times; what jo
they bring to homes all over this broa
2 land. Blessed be these homes-schoo
5 and colleges do much, but it is in thes
homes that is laid the foundation for tn
e best that is in us. Happy is he who ca
0 in these holiday times return to and be SUI
Y of a welcome at the old home.