Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-07-26
SO WITH THE WORLD.
HOW A MOTHER WATCHES OVER AND
PKAYS FOR HER BOY.
A Graphic illustration Of the Different
Phn-r, Of Ihf~ from the Cradle TO the
Grave by ii. Quad.

i saw n young babe in it's cradle. II
smiled in it's sleep, and the mother kllclt
and kissed its soft cheek and prayed God
that her baby boy might live to Il good
old age. 1t opened it's eyes and smiled,
and the children softly whispered To each
other: "Scc! The angels have been
talking t. him. and he is eiad!"
say a youth as he looked longingiy
MP tire path leading to fame and sfUfy.
There was 8 proud flash in the fathers
eye as l.Ssaw the boy como ard go, and
the mother looked after him with swell
ing heart and whispered a prayer to
Heaven to keep her boys footsteps from
wicked paths.
saw a young man as he stepped over
the threshold and met the grim worl,h
with a smile OF self reliance.
The father was now wrinklcd and gray,
but there was fonder flash to lis eye as
he listened to the applause of the multi
tude. The mother was aged and feeble,
and tears came into her eyes as she
murmnred: ole is moving the hearts of
thousands Ivy his. cloquence, but l pray
thee, Oh, Heaven to keep him pure and
free from sin I" The children who had
whispered before were no longer chill
dren. They had also grown to mans
estate. Some joined in the applause
some felt malice and envy commanding
them to silence.
/ saw q strong man in his prime. He
had fame and wealth, o loving wife,
happy children, beautiful home. Men
bowed before him. Men hattered him.
His voice echoed over the land and
stirred the pulses in city and hamlet.
The father and mother were dead, and
their last prayers had been for him. He
stood alone, but he had the support of
the nation and the homage of a world.
80 it seemed to him, but down in their
hearts men feared and envied and hated
him.
l saw an old man as a winters night
settled gloomily down over the DIES olate
land.
He was old and weak and hungry and
poor. He was thinly clad, and he shiv-
cred III 1T raw air. He stood at the
corner, his trembling hand held out in
mute appeal to the passers-b by, but nc
ne gave him aims. Some had their
,ision blinded by the falling flakes
thers Knocked at and cursed him. Fo,
long hour he hungered and asked only
Tor what would huy crust Of bread, and
then he bowed his head still lower and
dragged himself further away into the
bitter darkness. And men called after
him in heartless tones: "The County
House is the place for beggars T.
saw a stiff, frozen corpse at the
morgue.
1t was that Of an old man. There
were snow and frost in the gray locks
the thin fingers were clcnched-thc
tears had frozen as they wellcd up tc
the poor old eyes. They had found hin
dead on the street-dcal and frozen. A
shadow stood beside the marble Slab
it bent over the dead and kissed thc.col,
cheek-it sobhed and grieved as onl,
n mother grieves, and we seemed (,
hear the words:
This was the babe in its cradle til,
youth painting for rcnown-the youny
man winning his first cruwn-thc stron;
man ut whose feet the nation bowed lik,
slaves this was my son +
And men handled tho poor old bod,
~ If 1t were q faggot, and they mock
ingly cried To each other:
"a pine coffin n grave i'll potter
field and to morrow W. forget that II
ever lived l.