The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-09-13

orange blossoms of the marriage feast
lost their fragrance than the night of dis
content began to cast here and there its
shadow. CrueitieS 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 festai 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 the wind was the wing of a
destroying angel. and the bead-drops on
the pitcher were the sweat Of everlasting
despair. Oh, how many rivalries and I'M
hapI Illnesses 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 will correct your time
piece by pulling out watch more richly
chased and jeweled. Ride in carriage
that cost you eight hundred dollars, and
before you get around the park you viii
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 OF 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 4 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 saving: ''Oh. wish I could
exchange places with that dog!' Mere
social position will never give happiness
to Il woman s soul. have had wide and
| continuous observation, and | tell the
young women that they who build on
mere social position their souls immortal
! happiness are building on the sand.
Suppose that q young woman eXpends
the brightness of her early life in this
unsatisfactory struggle and Omtt5 the
present opportunity OF usefulness i'll the
| home circle-what mistake!
SO surely rs the years roll around. that
! home in which you now dwell will be-
come extinct. The parents will be gone,
the property will so into other posses
sions, you yourself will be in other re-
lationships, and that homo which. only 4
year ago, was full of congratulations
will be eXtinGui3hed. When that period
comes, you will look back to see what
you did or what you neglected to do
i'll the way of making home happy. 1t
will be too late to correct mistakes.
If you did rot 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 sisterlv infiu-
ences; if you allowed the younger SIS
ters of your family to come up without
feeling that there had been 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 mantcl 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
is the time to attend to it, or leave it for
ever undone. Time is flying very quickly
away. l suppose you notice the wrinkles
are gathering and accommodating 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 mgratefu
daughter. Oh, make their last days
bright and beautiful Do not act as
though they were i'll 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 lily-the bright and
beautiful memories of filial kindnes:
performed ere the dying hand dropped
on you benediction, and YOU
closed the lids over the weary eyes of the
worn out pilgrim. Better that, in tho
hour of your birth, you had been .tiucl
with crphanage, and that you Lad beer
handed over into the cold arms of the
been brought up under father care
and a mothers tenderness. at last tC
scoff at their example and deride then
influence; and on the day when you fol
lowed them in long procession to tlle
tomb. 10 find that you are followed by 6
still larger procession of unfilial deed:
done and wrong words uttered. The
one procession will leave its bur
den in the tomb and disband
but that longer procession of ghastly
memories will for ever march and for evel
wall Oh. it is a good time for a young
woman when she Is in her father s 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 TIN
wears will roll on, and great changes vii
: he effected. and one will be missed from
: one end the table, and another will b
missed from the other end the table
: God pity that young woman soul who
! in that dark hour, has nothing but re
/ gretful recoliectiOnS.
| go further, and advise you not t
, depend for enjoyment upon mere per
sonal attractions. Ii would be shee
/, hypocrisy. because we may not have
l ourselves. TO despise, or affect to despise
beauty in others, When God gives it, h
,, gives it rs blessing and as a means c
L usefulness. David and his army wer
coming down from the mountains t
, DESTROY Nabal and his fiocks and vine
| wards The beautiful Abigail. the wifi
Of Nahal, went out tQ arrest lnm whe