The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-02-23

orange blossoms OF the marriage feast
lost their fragrance than tie night of dis
content began to cast here and there its
shadow. Cruelties and unkindnesses
changed all those splendid trappings into
a hollow mockery. The platters of solid
silver, the caskets of pure gold, the head
dress of cleaning diamonds, were there;
but no God, no peace, no kind words, no
Christian sympathy. The festal music
that broke on the captive's ear
turned out to be a dirge, and
the wreath in the plush was a
reptile coil, and the upholstery that
swayed in tie wind was the wing of a
destroying angel, and the bead-drops on
the pitcher were tie sweat of everlasting
despair. Oh, how many rivalries and un-
happinesses among those who seek in So
cial life their chief happiness 1t matters
not how fine you have things; there are
other people who have it finer Taking
out your watch to tell the hour of the
day, some one viii correct your time
piece by pulling out a watch more richly
chased and jeweled. Ride in carriage
that cost you eight hundred dollars, and
before you get around the park you will
meet with one that cost two thousand
dollars. Have on your wall picture by
Copley, and before night you will hear
of some one who has picture fresh from
the studio of Church or Bierstadt.
All that this world can do for you in
silver, in gold, in Administer plush, in
Gobelin tapestry, in wide halls, in lordly
acquaintanceship, will not give you the
ten thousandth part of grain Of solid
satisfaction. The English lord, moving
in the very highest sphere, was one day
found seated with his chin on his hand
and his elbow on the window sill, look
ing out and saying: s'Oh, wish I could
exchange places with that dogr' Mere
social position will never give happiness
to woman's soul. have had wide and
continuous observation, and l tell the
young women that they who build on
mere social position their souls immortal
happiness are building on the sand.
Suppose that a young woman expends
the brightness of her early life in this
unsatisfactory struggle and omits the
present opportunity of usefulness in the
home circle-what mistake!
So surely as the years roll around, that
home in which you now dwell will be-
come extinct. The parents will be gone,
the property will go into other posses
sions, you yourself will be in other re-
lationships, and that home which, only a
year ago, was full of congratulations,
will be extinguished. When that period
comes, you will look back to see what
you did or what you neglected to do
in the way of making home happy 1t
viii be too late to correct mistakes.
If you did not smooth the path
Of your parents toward the tomb; if you
did not make their last days bright and
happy; if you allowed your younger
brother to go out into the world, unhal-
lowed by Christian and sisterly influ-
ences; if you allowed the younger Sis
ters of your family to come up without
feeling that there had been a Christian
example set them on your part, there
will be nothing but bitterness of lamen-
tation. That bitterness will be increased
by all the surroundings Of that home; by
every chair, by every picture, by the old
time mantel ornaments, by everything
you can think of as connected with that
home. All these things will rouse up
agonizing memories. Young women, have
you anything to do in the way of making
your fathers home happys &ow
is the time to attend to it, or leave it for
ever undone. Time is flying very quickly
away suppose you notice the wrinkles
are gathering and accumulating on those
kindly faces that have so looked upon
you; there is frost in the locks; the foot
is not as firm in its step as it used to be;
and they will soon be gone. The heavi-
est clod that ever falls on a parent
coffin lid is the memory of an ungrMeful
daughter Oh, make their last days
bright and beautiful. Do not act as
though they were in the way. Ask theil
counsel seek their prayers, and, after
long years have passed, and YOU go out
to see the grave where they sleep, you
will find growing all over the mound
something lovelier than cypress, some
thing sweeter than the rose, something
chaster than the ily-the bright and
beautiful memories of flial kindness
performed ere the dying hand dropped
on you benediction, and 20,
closed the lids over the weary eyes of thu
worn out pilgrim. Better that, in th'
hour of your birth, you had been strucl
with orphanage, and that you had beer
handed over into the cold arms of thu
world, rather than that you should hav'
been brought up under a fathers car,
| and q mothers tenderness, at last &
| .scoff at their example and deride thei
Influence; and on the day when you fol
lowed them in long procession to tn
/ tomb, to find that you are followed by {
/ still larger procession Of unf1lial deed
done and wrong words uttered. Th
one procession will leave its bur
den in the tomb and disband
but that longer procession Of ghastl.
memories will for ever march and for eve
wall. Oh, it is good time for youn,
woman when she is in her fathers house
How careful they are Of her welfare
How watchful those parents of all her in
terests. Seated at the morning repast
father at one end the table, childrel
on either side, and between, but tn
years will roll on, and great changes wi
be effected, and one viii be missed fron
one end the table, and another will b
missed from the other end the table
God pity that young woman's soul who
in that dark hour, has nothing but re
gretful recollections.
l go further, and advise you not t
depend for enjoyment upon mere pei
Sonal attractions. 1t would be shee
hypocrisy, because we may not have
ourselves, TO despise, or affect to despiss
beauty in others. When God gives 1t, h
gives it as blessing and as q means c
usefulness. David and his army wer
coming down from the mountains
destroy Nabal and his fiocks and vint
yards. The beautiful Abigail, the wit
of Nabal, went out to arrest him whe
he came down from the mountains, an
she succeeded. Coming to the foot {
the hiH she knelt. David, with his arm
of sworn men, came down over the cliff
and when he saw her kneeling at the fox
of the hill he cried "Haitl" to his mel
and the caves echoed it "Hal
haltl" That one beautiful woma
lneeling at the foot of the eli
had arrested all those armed troops.
dew drop dashed back Niagara. I'll
Bible sets before us the portraits of Sara
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