The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-11-21
,o,es nytne way.-pondertnss.

i olA4tl klC pain a. IL L = 49,
Alone beside our writing desk, late in
the night, the palm OF our hand Tor a head
rest, ewes tracing the figures so fantastic
| ally woven in the warm carpet beneath us,
ears listening to the constant ticking ofthe
| clock, reminding one of the never ceasing
| flight of time. together With the chilling
whistle of tile late breath of Autumn as
it goes rushing through the rude branches
| of the NAPLES, which have SO recently
returned their airy apparel, III all its warm
colorings, back to mother eartn, WIther
| the life blood of those branches has return
ed also deeper into her bosom. In their
eudeayors TO follow the wild elements tie
palm like branches OF the pines swing 70
| and lre doing their utmost TO obey It's
| mysterious force and as it greets Us in its
wiefd tones as it passes and shakes the
shutters, particles OF it stop 10 creep IA
from itself, as it were, around the sash,
causing an unlatched door at tue iafthe@
| end of the room t. turn III d hardly per-
| ceptible degree upon its hinges. We arc
reminded to iook upon it all III the light OF
T.. Buchanan Read IN TIE Closing
Scene.
"Withiu this sober realm oflealess trees,
The russell wear inhaled the dreamy air,
Like some tanned reaper in his hour.of ease,
When all the fields are living brown and
I'm the moonlight.@
Where every bird which Charmed lie vernai
shook the sweet slumber from lis wings at
morn,
| To warn the reapeIs OF the rosy east
All now was songless, empty and f%orlorn.''
Though eyes and ears see aud hear these
| things, yet mind has been tusy with very
recent history. So recent, indeed, that
forty-eight hoHIs covers the space over
which We have silently, happily, sorrow
fully, feelingIy poGdered. Tn young
family which only a few moment ago was
so quietly enjoying the evening after the
busy day has gone to seek the company of
health giving, health sustaining sleep, and
this Gay to them is gone forever, except as
memory, on their awakening, brings back
the scenes through aich they have passed,
| and among them, while We were yet thus
| gathered, the filing in Gf the family record
and the family temperance pledge in the
| book of all books, which claimed cur close
attention. Afterward a letter of questions,
desires, confessions, impressions, memo
| ries. III short, q letter to near frieuus taken
into the timer circle Of cur life was
written, telling them through what scenes
and through what paths we ave been led
a letter which we could not write to the
great, cold, though warm, outside ~0Ild.
Cold because minimizing, warm because
human, because heavenly in a measure.
Human nature il warm, SO IS heaven be-
cause the home Of God, and God is love.
With this latter attribute which is given
so freely to the inhabitants Of earth, if
they seek and accept it, if they take 1t into
+i.Fr 1asI- uaiHE- thrpryL, life o,NI mt
only into their walks but into thei5 sitiings
down as well, for as it is an inestimable
blessing TO exchange with our fellow men
along the highways and byWays, SO is it
infinitely mote blessed around the
evening lamp. uoT it b.ighteus the eyes,
the faces. IS It links hesitchiBgly about III
little actions, liJtle words. littlc mouths
as they arr so trnstiugiy, iIresistibly
poked toward Us TO seal the COED nights
spokeu. H9w pare We should keep oar
mouths fer these little ones &ho chance 20
be waking along the paths OF life SO near
us. How puIe should We keep cur
thoughts also that hapG aud mouth and
tongue might keep 10 harmony with this
Heavenly visitor, ana that We might not
allow baser guests to enter into our com
pauy-tainting the very atmosphere in
which the children are walking. What
an uumistakable intonatiOu to the voice it
gives, which those who run may read,
taking away the ~sharpeued accent and
dropping it into a key ofmellowe ed cadence
which acts like oil upon the troubled
waters.
But how apt we are 10 err IN sAi5 respect,
FIVE allow the spint OF contention to come
too close to us. If we all9w It's poisonous
breath to have passage through our
n~ostrils, it's uukind look TO flash from our
eyes or It's hard. cutting words to flow off
our tongues. How it hurts those to HON
1t is directed, and annOys those who may
hear, not forgetting the divine ear and eye
that heareth and seeth ali things, and that
judgeth justly.
Sometimes we are at loss to- know What
has aroused this spirit 10 others or, more
frequently, gives birth 10 it in our
selves. Wherever it is, il is as unpleasant
as unwelcome and if allowed to flourish
undated will bring many unpleasant
hours to the home circle. Often it seems
to take root in parely imaginary channels,
rejecting back on It's entertainer a degree
of s-uspiciousuess which one would not
care to confess was theirs.
But away with such YoEdertngs. Is.
US look willie We may on the bright side
Of life. And when may VIC not ii We keep
our heart with all diligence, remembering
that out Of it are the issues Of life. The
bright side too may be dimmed by passing
clouds. Better th9t it is so. Clouds which
maygrow heavy with their oppressiveness,
and like the dense atmosphere shed abroad
tAeiI refreshing showers, which after clear
ihg, only show with more distinctneSs the
blessedness Of the bright, tic christian
side. So let Us say with Ella Wheeler
Wilcox: