Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-03-20

nave Deen aD1orDing questions. 10 earn
D livelihood for you has not always been
an easy thing for your father. By what
fatigues of body and what disturbances
Of mind, and long years OF struggle, in
which sometimes the losses were greater
| paying for ID in the sweat of his own
brow and the red drops of his own
hearts blood He looks older than he
ought to look at his years. for 1t has
been work, work, work. Many time
he felt like giving up the battle, but
then he looked at your helplessness and
the helplessness Of the household, and
then he nerved himself up anew and
said: by the help of God will not
stop; my children must have home and
education and advantages, and q COM
Portable starting in the world, and /
must get a little something ahead, SO
that if am taken away these helpless
ones will not be turned out on the cold
charities of the world Yes, your
father has been good friend to you.
He has never told any one, and he never
will tell any one, of the sacrifices he has
made for You. And he is ready to keep
right on until unto that hand that has
been toiling for you all these years
shall come the very nunbness of death.
You cannot afford to break his heart.
But you are doing 1t. Yes, you are. You
have driven the dagger clear in up to the
hilt.
And your mother-I warrant she has
never told you much about the nights
when you were down with scarlet fever
or diphtheria, and she slept not wink,
or, falling into drowsiness, your first
cry awakened her, and brought the
words, What is it, my dear?" oh, il
the old rocking chair could speak, Oh,
If the cradle could only tell its story of
years! And when you got better, and
were fretful and hard TO please, as is
usual in convalesenee, she kept her
patience so well, and was as kind as you
were unreasonable and cross. Oh, mid
nights of motherly watching, how can
you keep silencel Speak out and tell
that wandering young man the story that
he so much needs to hear.
BY the bye, wonder what has become
of our old cradle in which all of
the children were rockedl must ask my
sister when see her next time. We
we're a large family, and that old cradle
was going a good many years. Iremem.
Der just how it looked. 1twas old fash.
ioned and had no tapestry. Its 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 in it as it moved to and fro
by day and night. Most wildly re-
member 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 q. foot that
long ago ceased its journey. How tired
the foot that pressed it must some-
times have gotl But it did not stop
for that. It 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 up
holstered, 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 neglect or wicked life?
Then must tell you that you are the
foolish son who is the heayiness of his
mother" Better go home and kiss her
and ask her forgiveness. Kiss her on
the lips that have SO often prayed for
you. Kiss her on the forehead that SO
I often ached for you. Kiss her on the
1 eyes that have SO often wept over you.
Better go right away, for she will be
/ dead before long. And how will you
feel then after you realize it is your
waywardness that killed her? Romulus
made no law against patricide, or the
! Staying of father; matricide, or the
staying of mother, because he con-
sidered such crimes impossible, and for
4 six hundred years there was not crime
/ of that sort in Rome. But then came
Lucius 0stius and slew his father, prov
ing the crime possible. Now, do you
| not think that the child who by wrong
/ behavior sends his father to premature
4 grave is patricide, or who, by miscon-
i duct hastens mother into the tomb lie a
matricide?
The heaviness OF parents over o sons
| depravity is all the greater because it
means spiritual disaster and overthrow.
That is the worst thing about it. In the
j pension regulations d soldier receives
| for loss Of both hands or feet $72. For
loss of one hand and one foot $36. For
loss of hand or foot $50. For the loss
of both eyes $72. But who can calcu-
late the value of whole man ruined
| body, mind and soul? How can parents
have any happiness about your future
destiny, oh young man gone astray?
Can such opposite lives as you and they
are living come out at the same place?
Can holiness and dissipation enter the
same gate? Where is the little prayer
that was taught you at your mothers
knee? Is the God they loved and wor-
SHIPPED your God? It is your soul about
which they are most anxious, your soul
which shall live atter the earth itself
shall be girdled with flames, and the
flames dying down, will leave the planet
only live coal, and the live coal shall
have become ashes, and then the ashes
shall be scattered by the whirlwind Of
the Almighty.
But says some young man, smy
mother is gone; my behavior will not
trouble her any more
oh that those lips had languagei Life has
with RsibSa ne but roughly since heard thee last.
What Is she deadp How you startle
mel Is she dead? Then perhaps you
4 have her picture. Hang 1t up in your
room in the place where 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 new SO still, speak again, say
ing: From my heavenly home, my
dear boy, / solicit your reformation and
salvation. Go to the Christ who par
doned me, and He will pardon you.
Ny Heaven will not be complete till
Il hear of your changing. But will hear
4 Of it right away, for there is joy here
i when one sinner repenteth; and oh, II
j the next news Of that kind that comes
up here might come up regarding y0u,
oh my child Of many tears and anxieties
Il n - ~