River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-10-01
A VISIT TO THE ATTIC.
GEN. r. vi. JoHNsnN.

y
en- chair to the attic. BY the way wife
the attic of this house must be regu
lar curiosity shop. We have beer
married forty-two years and have lived
all the time in this building, and wher
any article has been broken or gone
into disuse, it has been carried off tC
the attic. Let us imagine ourselves
young again and mount the steps lead
ing to the grand old storeroom and
overhaul some of the many things
which have long reposed there in un
disturbed silence. The exercise vii
do us good and we shall see things long
since forgotten and be reminded o.
events away back in the dim past and
thus shall we renew our youth. Up
up, up, these stairs seem to be sleeper
than formerly, but here we are at last
amsng the accumulated rubbish oI
something more than forty years.
| There is the old broken arm chair in
which grandma sat and knitted cloud
ed stockings for our dear little children.
She was a good woman and her iniiu-
ence was good upon all who knew her.
| often hear men speak deridingly OF
their mother-in-law, but | wish mine
had lived forever.
There is the cradle in which all our
children were rocked. 1t world not
pass for very ornamental piece of fur
niture nowadays. but dear wife how
proud we were of it when our first born
occupied it. Willie has passed away
and gone from us, and the grave dust
of forty years rests upon his precious
little form, but fond memory brings
him wildly back today. We can never
forget that dear little boy, our first
born.
Then James was born, and he too oc-
cupied that dear old cradle. He grew
to be man and how well we rcmem-
Der him, when after the firing of Fort
Sumpter he raised company and start
ed to the field of war. | can almost
hear now the shrll whistle of the fife
and the rattle of the drum that took our
dear boy away from us. He was brave
and finally became colonel of his reg
iment, but on that red autumnal day at
Perryvillc fell mortally wounded while
gallantly leading his men into that
fearful struggle. The eight children
God gave us passed through that era
die. They are all gone to the other
side and, if did not believe in the real
tiles of future life, of all men | should
be the most miserable. But in a few
days, weeks or years at most, we shall
sleep by the side of them in yonder
cemetery, but our souls will be with
them in paradise. There we shall be
united and together will pass eternity
in the presence of our Saviour.
Look IN that corner at the pile of lit
tie shoes, once filled with little feet so
dear to us. The shoes are empty, the
children are dead, but | can almost
hear their little feet racing through the
halls, and the same sweet sound still
rings in the inner cells of my heart. 1t
was music then, and | can hear that
music now, and the prattle of those tiny
little feet and the merry ring of those
musical voices. But they are not here
to comfort their aged parents in their
loneliness. Wife, we have had many
ups and downs in this world. Much of
the time the sun has shOne brightly,
but occasional shadows have enveloped
us. We have had to ford streams with
tired and weary feet, or bridge them
with sore and bleeding hands, but over
all, and through all, we recognize the
fact that the almighty arms of God
have been under and around us.
There is a part of Jennie's doll. See,
the l;ttle dress was made out of an old
one which | bought for you thirty-tive
years ago when we were on visit to
New York. When you first wore it |
remember how handsomely it fitted you
and how becoming it was.
Here, too. is the remains of an old
chair belonging to the very first set we
ever owned. You were young bride
then and sat upon that very chair, and
in succeeding years, while sitting upon
it the children played and prattled
around it, varying their amusement by
climbing up on your lap and receiving
a mother s. kiss and mother $ blessing.
i
they call up the memories Of the past
with its joys and with its sorrows.
Here, too, is our old broken looking
glass, which was pulled down and
broken by Minnie How well remcm-
Der how yeXed | was, and in a spirit Of
anger sent her off crying to her bed
How cruel. The dear child did not
mean to do it, and my conduct toward
her crushed and broke her dear little
heart for awhile. How foolish it was
in me to treat her so! The glass was
absolutely of no value when conf
pared with the happiness of the
darling child. How | wish she
was here, so that | could apologize to
her for my rude, vulgar conduct.
And now, dear wife, what a change
has come overus. Your hair is not so
black, your eve not so keen, your hands
not 50 fair, but these are endeared to
me by age and association. No other
hair, no other eyes, no other hands are
near so dear to me. These dear hands
were never idle-frOm morning until
night they have been busy in making
those around you comfortable and hap
pv-no sacrifice has been too great for
YOU, no labor too tiresome. but like a
good wife you have been treausrc 10
me, unworthy as | have been.
Husband let us retrace our steps and
at some other time we will come up
here again to renew an acquaintance
with many things which we have known
but now forgotten. From the depth
of my heart | can reciprocate all the
compliments You have paid me and
more, for really | do not believe that
that any other woman ever had hus-
band so true, so devoted, so noble.
The SHOWS of forty-two winters have
fallen upon us since we were married
and we have had sorrows, but the Joys
have outnumbered them, and for all this
we should give thanks to our Heavenly
Father, who has so carefully watched ov-
err and protected us, and still greater
thanks for the confident assurance we
have that he has provided a home for
rs and for our children, where we shall
soon be united.
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