Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-03-17

our old cradle in which all Of Us children
were rocked 1 must ask my sister when ]
see her next time We were large family,
and that old cradle was going good many
years. remember just how it looked. Il
was old fashioned and had no tapestry. Ita
two sides and canopy all of plain wood, but
there was great deal of sound sleeping in that
cradle, and many aches and pains were soothed
by it as it moved to and fro by day and night
Most wildly remember that the rockers
which came out from under the cradle, were
on the top and side very smooth, so smooth
that they actually glistened. They must have
been worn smooth by a foot that long ago
ceased its journey. How tired the foot that
pressed it must sometimes have got! But it
did not stop for that. 1t went right on and
rocked for Phebe the first, and for De Witt
the last And it was cradle like that, or
perhaps of modern make and richly uphol-
stored, in which your mother rocked you.
Can it be that for all that care and
devotion you are paying her back with harsh
words or neglects or a wicked lfel Then ]
must tell you that you are the "foolish son
who is the heaviness of his mother" Better
go home and kiss her, and ask her forgive
ness Kiss her on the lips that have so often
prayed for you. Kiss her on the forehead
that so often ached for you. Kiss her on the
eyes that have so often wept over you. Bet
ter go right away, for she will be dead before
long. And how will you feel then after you
realize it is your wayHardness that killed
herr Romulus made no law against patri-
eide, or tho Staying of father; matricide, or
the Staying of mother, because he consid-
cred such crimes impossible, and for six hun
dred years there was not crime Of that sort
in Rome. But then came Lucius Ostius and
slew his father, proving the crime possible.
Now dc you not think that the child who by
wrong behavior sends his father to prema-
ture grave is a patricide, or who by miscon-
duct hastens a mother into the tomb is mat
ricide2
The heaviness of parents over a sons de-
prGvity is all the greater because it means
spiritual disaster and overthrow. That Is the
worst thing about it. In the pension regula
tions a soldier receives for loss Of both hands
or feet S72 For loss of one hand and one
foot $36. For loss of hand or foot $50
For loss of both eyes $72 But whS can
calculate the value of whole man ruined
body, mind and souli How can parents
have any happiness about your future des
tiny, oh young man gone astrayl Can
such opposite lives as yeu and they are living
come out at tie same places Can holiness
and dissipation enter the same gate! Where
is the little prayer that was taught you at
your mothers kneel Is the God they loved
and wocshiped your Godi II is your soul
about which they are most anxious, yeur
soul that shall live after the earth itself shall
be girdled with flames, and the flames, dying
down, will leave the planet emily live coal,
and the live zeal shall have become ashes, and
then the ashes shall be scattered by tha whirl-
winds of the Almighty.
RESPECT YOUR PARENTS THOUGH THEY BIZ
DEAD.
But says some young man, "my mother
is gone; my behavior will not trouble her
any more"
Oh that those lips had laRguage Life has passed
With me but roughly since heard thee last
What Is she deadl How you startle me
Is she dsadi Then perhaps you have her
picture. Hang 1t up in your room in the
place whore you oftenest look Go and study
her features, and while you are looking the
past will come back, and you may hear her
voice, which is now so still, speak again, say
ing: "From my heavenly home, my dear
boy, solicit your reformation and saliva
ton. Go to the Christ who pardonsd me,
and he will pardon you, Ny heaven will not
be complete till hear of your changing |
But will hear of 1t right away, fer there is
joy up here when one sinner repsnteth; and
oh, If the next news of that kind that comes
up here might come up regarding you, Oh
my child of many tears and anxisti0s and
prayersl
Come, my boy, do you net hear your moth
sr's Voice9 o my son, my son, would God
that ! could die for theel o my son, my son
Young man what news for heaven would be
your conversion. Swifter than Geographic
wire ever carried congratulations to a we'd
ding or a coronation would fly hesvenward
the news of your delivsrance; and whether
the one most interested in your salvation
were on river bank, or in the temple, or on
the battlements, or in the great tower, the
message would be instantly received, and be-
fore this service is closed angel would cry to
angel; "Havs you heard the news3 Out
yonder is a nothsr who has just heard Of her
hayward boys redemption, Another prodi
gal has got home. The dead Is alive again,
and the lost is found Hsllelujahl AmsRl"