The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-08-30
An Early Morning Walk.

An Early Morning Walk.
i'Who needs a teacher to admonish him
That Gesh is grassT-That earthly things are
mist7
what are cur Joys but dresmS And what our
But goodiy shadows in summer eloudf
There's not wind that blows, but bes.s with II
-bomo rainbow prOmlse:-Not n mament flies
But puts It's sickle In tho heds Of life.
And mows its thousands, with their Joys and
cares"
Sunrise DER great city. How magnih-
cent? Miles of brown tin-roofs, acres Of
ehimneys all glistening under the brush
OF that patient artist the sun: No
meadows OF green grass, quaint little
forest hooks or playful brooks for tho
master torch bearer to light with his
smile. Red bricks aud gray tiles are the
only canvas large city can offer the
painter of day, but, with what delight
no spills the contents of his palette over
rusted church spire and dropping eavel
With the first appearance Of day the
great hive begins to buzz with the voices
Of the late sleepers. Stepping out into
the clear smokcless air we will follow for
a little way the wanderers of the dawn.
The birth OF the busy life has already be-
gun and the bare, gloomy walls will soon
DO delivered OF their larvae. Brisk look
ing men move energetically along.
Women Of various occupations with un-
completed toilets hurry to their tasks.
Young boys and girls, thin and pale gen.
rally, walk or run, as the hum0r seizes
them, and all have a strange sad way of
looking out of their eyes that reminds
one Of the witches in Macbeth, but, God
knows, there is nothing informal about
these poor children of toll. l have
watched closely tear on one of these
faces and listened for q sigh OF complaint
but have never observed anything of the
kind and think they must hide their feel
ipgs from the day aud lose them eventu-
ally in sleep at night. And indeed no
wonder morn possesses the quality, almost
divine, Of dispelling gloom from those
who are all gloom, for there are hopes
budding with every new day that In the
first few hours drink nourishment for the
blossom-time. Turning an ungentle
corner we emerge upon broader thor
oughfare with broader range of human
ity threading its mazes. The butcher,
the baker and candle-stick maker are
here, but bear small resemblance to the
three famous characters Of Mother Goose.
They do not sail the sea in tub but,
with their fellows ride their stesds over
the stony road to a small posterity and,
alas, poverty. There is grandeur in
our life that lies hidden until the soft fin
ger Of woe wakes it into being. This I
have noticed in all the friends OF my
walk. Our American laborers, / mean
the true workers for bread and comfort,
never fully passess that happiness they
are led to hope for, even unto the grave.
They will not weep or falter, they grow
drawer every day, and with purer edu-
cation than has been offered them, wha t
nation of Philosophers they would
makel
A wan little creature is Juggling at my
sleeve, as [ pause before a great show
window, and turn to see, what such a
wonderful little collection of skin, bones
and street-dirt with some portions Of a
frock dangling from her shoulders, has
to tell me with her doop, deep eyes. II
wants 'ou to be my charity man" she
murmered, and wonder when she
speaks, how the poor weak voice finds
breath with such wee lungs for bellows
and have to bend very close to the little
mouth ere l catch the complete sentence.
A "charity mani what could she mean2
thought of everything such little crea-
lures generally require, but had to apply
I " my CdpbOf lOI
| She had come on her quaint little feet
every step of the way from far corner
OF the city into its buster quarter M
search Of some one for a guardian or
adopter, as 1 afterwards understood she
meant, and following in my train through
the balance OF my walk came similar
little destitutes, many Of the opposite sex
and many Of an older age. Drama and
tradgedy arc the marks worn by all, with
now aud then shy turn. a comedy that
nature occasionally demands. Religion
and adversity are the Wellington and
Napoleon of humanity's Waterloo, and a
not uuimportant question OF the day is
which shall be driven to Helena? In the
case Of our day-laborers, the companions
of our walk, it looks we'll for religion
and il time proves loyal, adversely will
DO the vapquishsd exile. To our workers,
christianity is no plumed bauble, and
still showing warm attachment to the
worlds POSSESSIONS, they toll with the
plea of silence to hide their secret soul
convictions. And though we would lift
them above their lot, though we would
turn the wheel with them, time is the
builder of their fate and for long whit
will march these wanderers of the
dawn the tramp Of whose morning feet
is-goldl gold goldl and whose evening
tread is death! DEATH DEATH
FoLGER MoKNsET.