Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-22
TnE HOUSE AT MIDNIeHF.
a Lay serwsn that is wen worth KcreIns (
mt ny Thstc
Roberl D Rardeito IN rrooAlnn Enrle

NJ ny Aftttcs
Roberto Eprdeito In Brooklyn Eagle
How quiet eAe house Is OF midnight
The people who talk and laugh and sing
in 1t every day are. asleep, aud the peopls
who fell asleep u It long ago come bach
INTO It, Every house has it's two classes
OF tenants. Do we love best those with
whom we can laugh end talk aud sing, or
the dear, silent ones who come so noise.
lcssly TO our side and whisper to US i'm
faint, sweet, far-away whispers that have
no sound, so that we hear only their very
stillness2
lam not tired but my pen is weary /.
It falls from my fingers and | ralee my
head. start TO leave ahe table aud my
eyes ial, upon little book lying on the
floor. II is little First READER He
left II there tins forenooa. remember
just how l was impatient because he
could not read the simple little lesson
such an easy leeson--and told him Il
was a waste Of time TO teach him, aud
pushed him away from me- | remember
now, see the flush come into the little
tired face, the brave, cheerful look IN
his eye-hls mothers brave patious
cheeriness, struggling with his disappoint-
ment and pain. see him lie down on
the floor, and the little face bend ovt r the
troublesome little lesson, any baby
might read IL. Then after little strug-
gle alone, II is given up, and the bfllaed
little soldier, with no more appealing
look toward me for achievements, signs
aud goes away from the lesson he cannot
read to the play that comforts h,m. Auu
there lies the little book, Just as he had
left 1t. All, me, could kneel down and
kiss 1t now as though 1t were alive and
loving.
Wnv wat wSs my lime worth 20 me
today What was tuole ia the b jok
wanted TO read ont-half so precious to
me rs one cooling word from the prattliug
/ lips that quiyered when | turned away.
| hate the book read. will never look
at IL again. Were 1t the last book Ina the
world / think | would burn IL, All It's
gracious words are lies. [ say TO you,
though all men praise the book, aud
though an hour ago thought IL excel.
| lent, | say to you that there is poison in
! It's hateful pages. Why what can learn
/ from books that baby lips cannot teach
me2 DO you know want To 20 10 the
4 door OF this room and listen; the house
| is'so still; maybe he is not breathing.
| Why, II between my book and my boy
choose my book, why should not God
leave me with my books? Ny hateful
books.
But | WAS not harsh. / 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 after
noon. They were too easy, simple
lessons. Mine was such a simple, easy
pleasant, loving one TO learn. just q
line, Just little throb of patience, gen
tleness OF love that would have made my
own heart glow and laugh and sing. Thu
letters were SO large and plain
the words so easy and the sentence
so short. And |! Oh, pity me, missed
every word did not read one line Alright
See, here is my copy now, all blurred an,
blistered with tears and heartache, al
married and misspelled and blotted.
am ashamed TO show II to the Master, an,
and yet know lie will be patient witt
me; know how loving and gentle II
will be. Why, how patient and lovlnj
all these years lie has been teaching III
this simple lesson l failed upon to-day
But when my little pupil stumbled on
single word, Is my time, then, so nue.
more precious than the Masters that
cannot teach the little lesson more Thar
Once2
All, friend, we do not waste time whel
we plait scourges for ourselves Thes
hurrying days, these busy, anxious
shrewd, ambitious times 81 ours ar,
wasted when they take our hearts ava
from patient gentleness and give us fam,
for love and gold for kisses. Some day
then, when our hungry souls VIII seel
for bread, our selfish god will give Us :
stone. Life is a simple, easy lesson, sucl
as any child may read. You cannot hut
its solution in the ponderous tones u
the old fathers, the philosophers, ih'
Investigators, the theorists. 1t Is not
on your book shelves. But IN the warm
est corner Of the most unlettored hear
1t CLOVIS in letters that the blind ma
read---a sweet, plain, simple, easy, lovlni
lesson. Aud when you have learned II
brother Of mine, the world VIII be bette
and happier