Milford chronicle., 1889-05-10
MILFORD, DEL, FRIDAY. MAY TO- 1889.

dght, the mother at the evening stand, the
brothers and sisters, perhaps long ago gath
cred into the skies, then plotting mischief on
the floor or under the table; your father with
a firm voice commanding a silence that last
ed half a minute
Oh, those were good daysi If you had your
foot hurt, your mother always had soothing
salve to heal it, If you were wrOnged in the
street, your father was always ready to pro
tect you The year was one round Of frolic
and mirth Your greatest trouble was like
an April shower, more sunshine than shower
The heart had not been ransacked by troubles,
nor had sickness broken it, and no lamb had
a warmer sheepfold than the home in which
your childhood nestled
Perhaps you were brought up in the coun
try. You stand now today in memory under
the old tree You dubbed it for fruit that
was not quite ripe, because you couldn't wau
any longer You hear the brook rumbling
Along over the pebbles You step again into
the furrow where your father in his shirt
Leeyess shouted to the lazy oxen. You brighten
the swallows from the rafters Of the barn,
and take just one egg, and silence your con
science by saving they won't miss it. You
take drink again out of the very bucket
that the old well fetched up. You go for the
COWS at night, and find them wagging their
heads through the bars Ofttiaes in the
dusty and busy streets you wish you were
Iiome again on that cool grass, or in the rag
carpeted hall Of the farm house, through
which there was the breath of new mown
hay or the blossom of buckwhess.
THE IVY CREEP.
You may have in your windows now beau
tiful plants and flowers brought from across
the seas, but not one of them stirs in your
soul so much charm and memory as the old
| ivy and the yellow sunflower that stood senti-
mel along the garden walk, and the forget-me-
nots playing hide and seek mid the long grass.
/ The father who used to come in sunburnt
/ from the fields and sit down on the door sill
and wipe the sweat from his brow may have
gone to his everlasting rest. The mother,
who used to sit at the door little bent over,
cap and spectacles on, her face mellowing
with the vicissitudes of many years, may
have put down her gray head on the pillow
! in the valley, but forget that home you never
| will Have you thanked God for it, Have
! you rehearsed all these blessed "reminiscences
/ Oh, thank God for a Christian father; thank
4 God for Christian mother; thank God for
/ am early Christian altar at which you were
/ taught to kneel thank God for an early
! Christian home.
/ / bring 20 mind another passage IN the his
tory of your life. The day came when you
set up your own household. The days passed
l along in quiet blessedness. You twain sat at
the table morning and night and talked over
your plans for the future. The most insig-
niicant affair in your life became the subject
OF mutual consultation and ADJUSTMENT. You
were so happy you felt you never could bt
any happier One day a dark cloud lowered
over your dwelling, and it got darker and
darker; but out Of that cloud the shining
messenger Of God descended to incarnate al
immortal spirit Two little feet started on
an eternal journey, and you were to lead
them, a gem to fash in heavens coronet, and
you to polish it; eternal ages Of light anc
darkness watching the starting QUITO newly
created creature.
You rejoiced and you trembled at the re
sponsibility that in your possession an i'm
mortal treasure was placed. You prayed
and rejoiced, and wept and wondered, anC
prayed and rejoiced, and wept and wondered
you were earnest in supplication that you
might lead it through life into the kingdom
of Cod There was tremor in your earnest
ness There was a double interest about thai
home There was an additional interest why
you should stay LneIe ana De ldltulu III dile
when in few months your house was filled
with the music of the child's laughter, yOt
were struck through with the fact that vol
had a stupendous mission
Have you kept that vowi Have you neg
lected any of these dutiesl Is your home a
much to you as it used to be! Have thos'
anticipations been gratiiiedi God help yoI
today in your solemn "reminiscences and lei
his mercy fall upon your soul if your kind
ness has been i'll requited. God have mercy
on the parent, on the wrinkles of whose fac'
is written the story of a child's sin. Coo
have mercy on the mother, who in addition
to her other pangs, has the pangs Of child
iniquity Oh, there are many, many sal
sounds in this sad world, but the saddles
sound that is ever heard is the breaking of 4
mothers heart Are there any here who re
member that in that home they were unfaith
fulg Are there those who wandered of from
that early home and left the mother to di
with broken hearth Oh, stir that reminis
cence today