Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1882-12-01
RANDOM THOUGHTS AT THE OLD
HOMESTEAD.

How time goes on apace. The last days
OF November, and the year is getting into its
dotage-sinking into lethargy, and wax
ing up from its long maps to short and windy
days. l love and always welcome the No
VemOer OF the year, so that it does not
bring any November at the heart. The days
shorten, the sun grows careful of his hours,
the twilight quickly fades and the night
comes on. Long evenings are in store for
us-those breathing, dreaming moments in
the tramping march OF life, when in the old
arm chair, which has so often imbosomed
the weakness of old age, we gather around
the old fashioned fire, listen to the soft tread
OF children, and live again in the hallowed
memories of the past. Memories which come
knocking so gently at the hearts door. Memo
ries which tell of the silver bells that chimed
SO sweetly in "the days that are no more",-
Of hearts that futtered with ioy-of hearts
that have ached. Memories which lead us
to the altar where we first began to love, to
the old homestead, the silver thread which
holds the golden rosary of childhood- the
play-ground--and alas perhaps too often,
to the graveyard which stands hard BY,
Yes, the great battle of life often drives the
absent to the old omestead-whose ANTIQUE
walls are frescoed with the monogram of
love ana innocence, there to linger, "until
all those simpler, purer times return" and
they should grow young again to the old
homestead-where the songs of childhood
| seem to come back again--and where memory
gathers up the golden links and weayes the
chain that binds our hearts to the olden
time
remember that with the close of Novem-
Der comes Thanksgiving--it is q Pilgrim
"institution," but we all have grown to love
1t, for 1t is the festival of the fireside around
which cluster so many hopes and joys The
trees are leatiess, the gardens are desolate,
the snow flakes. avant courers of old winter
VIII soon be lightly falling on the dry leaves.
The outdoor pleasures of summer and early
autumn are gone, but around tho hearth
stone there are new and more genial pleas
nres, bright, warm, lasting. For all of
which, and for the blessings innumerable
that have fallen like gentle showers, let
there be thanksgiving-thanksgiving in the
highways and byways, in unbroken circles
from rich TO poor. In our national indus
tries Gods hand has been seen In mercy.
Along the slopes Of the Atlantic--oyer the
broad prairies tanking the Mississippi and
across the planes OF the Pacific the hus.
bandman sowed in abundance-genial sun.
shine smiled on the new turned earth--re-
freshing rains baptized the swelling grain
corn, wheatand other staples and cereals have
tossed their bearded tops in the breeze and
the barns OF the nation groan to-day with
grain. Our manufactures have generally
been constantly engaged. The white wing
cd messengers OF commerce have unfurled
thelr canvas midst the music of the storms
over every ocean and carried our suner
abundant home commodities TO every civil
lized land. Water wheel and spindle sew.
ing machine and printing press have sung
TO audiences Of countless numbers, and their
song has been sweeter TO myrlads of de. |
pendent families than the ballads of Hewitt.
In personal blessings God has been good, for |
as many flowers garland single twig and |
many more are created in blossoms petals. |
SO every hour has been laden with love
Then as have said, let there be thanksgiy. /
ing, and more than all, let it come from the
heart, for bounties and blessings, for mer
cies and Joys-thanksgivingt that shall crown
the past, garland the passing hours and bring
serenest slumbers to the pillow.
AS wander to-day DER fields and hills
tnat are brown and bare, through little piles
OF dead leaves which lie like unkept graves.
or along the margin of some little stream
wbich laughed as joyously as in the DAYS of
lne long ago, here and there stopping in
some soit ana sunny place 10 pull some
bright eyed little flower which had survived
he chilling trosts of night, could but ex-
claim, II all were sunshine we should never
'ealize how much beauty there is around us.
W hen the sun first broke through the clouds
his morning, and sent them flying before
lis arowy rays, like the shattered SQUAD
ons of defeated army, was dazzled by I
'lorlous outbursts Of beauty, and as | sal
Vhere the sunshine poured upon me. into :
le, my eyes caught and seemed 10 drink
reat dranghts Of lpyejness. Over on the I
Ills, arching from summit 10 summit a
luminous nebula trembled like an uplifted
ell as fresh and bright from the easel of the
lmighty to-day as it was centuries ago.
hen first the inmates of the original life