Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-08-27

How quiet the house Is at midnight.
The people who talk and laugh and sing
In 1t every day are asleep, aud the peo-
pie who fell asleep in It long ago come
back into it. Every house has these two
classes of tenants. Do we love best those
with whom we can laugh and talk and
sing. or the dear silent ones who come
so noiselessly to our side and whisper to
us in faint, sweet, far away whispers
that have no sound, SO that we hear only
their very stiffness.
am not tired, but my pen is weary.
1t falls from my fingers and raise my
head. start to leave the table and my
eve falls upon a little book lying on the
floor. Its a First Reader. He left it
there this afternoon. remeMber just
how was impatient because he could
not read the simple little lesson-such
an easy lesson-and told him ii was
waste of nv time to teach him, and
pushed him away from me. L remem-
her now. I see the flush come into the
little tired face, the brave, cheerful look
in his eyes-his mothers brave patient
cheeriness. struggling with his disap-
pointment and pain. see him lie down
ON the floor, and the little face bent over
the troublesome little lesson, such sim
pie, easy lesson, and a baby might read
it. Then after struggle alone, 1t has
to be given up, and the baffled little SOL
der, with one more appealing look to-
ward me for reinforcements, signs anu
goes away from the lesson he cannot
read to the play that comforts him.
And there lies the little book just AS he
left 1t. All, me, l could kneel down
and kiss it now as though it were alive
aud loving.
Why, what was my time worth to me
to-day? What was there in The book
wanted to read one.half So precious to
me as one oozing word from the pratt
thing lips that quivered as l turned
away. hate the book | read. 1 Will
never look at it again. Were 1t the last
book in the world think would burn
1t. All its gracious words are lies.
say to you, though all men praise the
book, and though an hour ago thought
it excellent, 1 say to you that there Is
poison in its hateful pages. Why what
can learn from books that baby lips
cannot teach me. Do you know l want
to go to his room door and listen; the
house ia so still; maybe he is not breath
ing. Why, if was to chose between
my books and my boy 1 chose my books,
why should not God leave me with my
booksg My hateful books.
But was not harsh; was only a lit
tie impatient. Because, you see, his Lesson
was go easy, so simple. All, me, there
were two of us trying to read this after
noon. They were two easy, simple les
sons. Mine was such very simple,
easy, pleasant, loving to learn. Just a
line, Just little throb Of patience, OF
gentleness, of love that would have
made my own heart glow and laugh and
sing. The letters were so large and
plain, the words so easy, the sentences
so short. And 1 Oh, pity me, l missed
every word. l did not read one line
Alright. See, here is my copy now, all
blurred and blistered with tears and
heartache, all marred aud misspelled,
and Slotted. l am ashamed to show it
TO the Master. And vet | know he will
be patient with me; l know how pa
tiently and lovingly all these years He
has been teaching me this simple lesson
1 failed upon to-day. But when my
little pupil stumbles OH a single word
is my time, then, so much more precious
than the Masters, that l cannot teach
the little lesson more than once?
All, friend, we vast time when we
plat scourges for ourselves. These
hurrying days, these busy, anxious,
shrewd, ambitious times of ours are
wasted when they take our hearts away
from patient gentleness, and give us
fame and love and gold for kisses. Some
day, then, when our hungry souls will
seek for bread, our selfish God will give
US stone. Life is not deep, profound,
perplexing problem. 1t is simple,
easy lesson, such as any child may read.
You cannot find its solution in the pom
derous tones of the old fathers, the phi
losophers, the investigators. theorists.
1t is not OH your bookshelves. But in
the warmest corner of the most inlet
tered heart it glows in letters that the
blind can read; sweet, plain, simple,
easy, loving lesson. And when you
have learned it, brother OF mine, the
the world will be better and happier.