Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-26
MIDNIGHT'S QUIET HOUR.

long ago come back into it. DO we
love best those with whom We can
laugh and talk and sing, or the
dear silent ones who come so noise
lessly to our side and wisper 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 eyes fall
upon little book lying on the floor.
1t is the First Reddcr. lie left it
there this afternoon. ! remember
just how | was impatient be &utc
he could not read the simple little
lessOn-such an easy lesson-and
| told him Il was waste OF my
time TO teach him, and pushed him
away from me. remember now.
| see the flush come into the little
tired face, the brave, cheerful look
in his eyes-his mothers brave,
patient cheeriness, struggling with
his disappointment and pain. !
see him lie down on the floor, and
thelttle face bend over the trouble
some little lesson, such a simple,
easy lesson, baby might read it.
Then, after a lite struggle alone,
it has been given up, and the baf'
fled little soldier, with one moro ap-
pealing look toward me for re-
Inducements, sighs and goes away
from the lesson he cannot read to
the play that comforts him. And
there lies the little book just as he
left it. All, me, l could kneel down
and kiss it now as though 1t
we're alive and loving.
Why, what was my time worth
to-day ! What was there in the
book | wanted to read one.half so
precious to me as one cooling word
from the prattling lips that culver
ed when | turned away. ! hate
the book | read. | will never look
at it again, were it the last book
in the world think | would burn
it. All its gracious words are lies.
l say to you though all men praise
the book, and though an hour ago
l thought it excellent, | say to you
that there is poison in its hateful
pages.
Why what can learn from books
that baby lips cannot teach me Z
Do you know | want to go to the
door of his room and listen; the
house is still maybe he is not
breathing. Why, if between my
book and my boy | choose my book,
WHY should not God .eaye me with
my books? My hateful books.
But | was not harsh. I was only
little impatient. Because, you
see, his lesson was so easy, so
simple. All, me, there were two
of us trying to read this afternoon.
They were two easy, simple lessons.
Mine was such very simple, easy,
pleasant, loving one to learn. Just
a line, just a little throb Of pa
tience, of gentleness, of love that
would have made my own heart
glow and laugh and sing. The let
ters we're so large and plain, and
words so easy and the sentences so
short. And / Oh, pity me, | did
not read one line Alright. See, here
is my copy now, all blurred and
blistered with tears and heart ache,
all marred and misspelled and blot
ted. am ashamed to show it to
Master. And yet know lie will
be patient with me; know how
loving and gentle lie will be. Why,
how patiently and lovingly all
these wears He has been teaching
me this simple lesson failed upon
to-day. But when my little pupil
stumbled on a simple words my
time, then so much more precious
than the Masters, that | cannot
teach the little lesson more than
oncei
All, friend, we do not waste 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 gentle
ness, 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 a stone. Life is not a deep,
profound, perplexing problem. 1t
is a,simple, easy lesson, such as any
child may read. You cannot find
its solution in the ponderous tones
of the old fathers, the philosophers,
the investigators, the theorists. 1t
is not our bookshelves. But in the
warmest corner of the unlettered
heart it glows in letters that the
blind may read; sweet, plain,
simple, easy, loving lesson. And
when you have learned it, brother
OF mine, the world will be better
and happier.-Bwdette.
When a man buys q porous
plaster he generally isticks to his
bargain.
Excitement I'm Texas.
Great excitement has been cans
ed in the vicinity of Paris, Texas,
hv thu ram arL al hlp rpcOVprV of Mr.