Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-09-18

table of one OF my parisllioners in a
former congregation; an aged man was
ut the table and his son was presiding.
and the father somewhat abruptly adj
dressed the son and said: MY son,
don't now try to show off because the
minister is here!' Your father never
liked any new customs or manners; he
preferred the old way of doing things,
and he never looked so happy as when
with his eyes closed he sat. in the arm
chair in the corner. From wrnkled
prov to the tip Of he slippers, what
placidity? The wave of the past years
of his life broke at the foot of that
chair. Perhaps, sometimes, he was a
little impatient, and sometimes told the
same story twice; but over that old
chair how many blessed memories
hover! l hope you did not crowd that
old chair, and that it did not get very
much in the way, especially If he has
been SO unwise as to- make owe all his
property to his children with the un-
derstanding that they are to take care
of him. / have seen III such cases
children crowd the old mans chair TO
the door, and then crowd it clear into
the street, and then crowd it INTO the
poor house, and keep on crowding it
until the old man fell out Of it into his
grave.
But your fathers chairrvas n sacred
place. The children used to climb up
on the rungs OF it for a good night kiss,
and the longer he stayed the better you
liked it. But that
CHAIR HAS BEEN VACANT
now for some time. The srniture
dealer would not give you so cents tor
it, but is Il throne. of influence in your
domestic circle. saw in the French
palace and in the throne room, the
chair that Napoleon used to occupy. Is
was a beautiful chair, but the most sig
niticant part Of it was the letter IN
embroidered into the back of
the chair in purple and gold.
And your fathers old chair sits
in the throne roo of your heart, and
your affections have embroidered into
the back Of that chair in purple and
gold the letter II" Have AL the
prayers of that old chair been an
swered? Have AL the counsels OF that
old chair been practicedP Speak out,
old arm chair! History tells ny of an
old mar whose three sons were yictors
in the Olympic games, and when they
came back, these three sons, with their
garlands, and put them on their faith
sr's brow, the old WIS so rejoiced
at the victories of his three children
are you, o man. going to bring a
wreath of JOY and Christian usefulness
and put 1t on to your fathers brow, or
on the vacant chair, or Oh the memory
of the one departedp Speak out, old
armchair! With reference to your
father, the words of M text have been
fulfilled: Thou shalt be missed, be-
cause thy seat will be empty
II. | 60 "A little further on in your
house, and | find the
MOTHERS CRAIR.
1t is very apt to be n rocking-chair.
She had SO many cares II troubles to
soothe that it must have rockers. ] re-
member il well. 1t was an old chair,
and the rockers were a,alost worn out,
for | was tie youngest, and the chair
had rocked the whole family. 1t made
a creaking noise as it moved, but there
was music in the sound. 1t was juss.
high enough to allow Ia children to pun;
orr heads into her lap. That was the
bank where we deposited all III hurts
and worries. Oh, what Il chair that,
wast 1t was different from the fathers
chair; it was entirely different. Yoa
ask me how? | cannot tell; but we al
felt it was different. Perhaps there vas
about this chair more ~gentleness, more
tenderness, more grief when we had
done wrong. When we were wayward
father scOlded but mother cried. 1t was
u very wakeful chair. In the sick days
OF children other chairs could not keep
awake; that chair always kept awake,
kepIcasily awake. That chair knew
all the old lullabias and ali those
wordless songs which mothers sing TO
their sick children-songs in which all
pity and compassion and sympathetic
influences are combined. That old
chair has stopped rocking for a good
many years. 1t may be set up inr the
loft or garnet. but it holds a ~qaeenly
power yet. When at midnight you
went into that gcogshop to get the in
toxicating draught. did you not hear q
voice that said: My son. why 20 in
there?" And ,auder than the bolster
Gus encore of the place of wicked
amusement, u voice saying; MY soa,
what DO you llereF' And when you
went into the house Of sin a voice say
ing: What would your mother do il
she knew yCn were herep'
And you were provoked vith yehr-
self, and yen charged yourself w;th SUI
perstition and ianaticism, and YOUR
head got hot with your OWL thoughts,
and you vent home and you weat to
bed, and no sooner had you toached
the bed chan = voice said: What 3
prayerlsss pillow! Man, what is th'
matter" This: You ere too neal
your mothers rocking chair Lob
pshay!' you say. There's NOTHING
in that. I'm five hundred miles of
FROM where | vas born. I'm tire,
thousand miles off fsom the chnrol
whose bell was the first music ! eve,
,, n,& b,l,> tL.t. ~oc -.