Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-12

brave, patient cheerfulness, struggling
with his disappointment and pain. | see
! him lie down on the floor and the little
/ face bend over the troublesome lesson,
such simple, easy lesaon, any baby might
read it. Then, after little struggle alone
| 1t has to be given up, and the baffied little
soldier, with one more appealing look
| toward me for re endorsements, signs and
goes away from the lesson he cannot read
to the play that comforts him Aud there
lies the little book just as he left 1t. All.
! me, | could kneel down and kiss 1t now. as
though il were living and loving.
| Why, what's my time worth TO me to-
! dag? What was there in The book
wanted to read, e-half SO precious to NE
as one cooling word from the pratting lips
that quivered when urned away. | tate
the book | read? | will never look at it
again.
Were it the last book in the world,
think | would burn it. Ali its gracious
words are lies. l say to you, though all
men praise the boo &. and, though an hour
ago l thought it excellent, say to YOU
there is poison in its hateful pages. Why
what can learn from books that baby
lips can not teach me? 10 you know ]
want to 90 to the door of his room ard
listen; the house is SO still; maybe he is
not breathing. Why, ii between my book
and my boy | choose my book, why should
not God leave me witL my books? Ny
hateful books.
But | was not harsh. was only little
impatient. Because his lesson was SO
Of US trying to read this afternoon. There
frrn Mo iaoSoI3- Nina uaS
such very simple, easy, pleasant, loving
patience, Of gentieness, of love, that would
have made my own heart glow and laugh
and sing. The letters were so large and
plain, the words so easy and the sentences
so short. And I? Oh, pity me, missed
every word. | did not read one line
Alright. See, here is my copy now; all
blurred and blister ed with tears and heart |
ache, all marred and mlsspelled and blot
ted. | am ashamed to show it to the
Master. And yet know he will be patient
will be. Why, how patiently and loving
all these years he has been teaching me
this simple lesson | failed to learn to-day.
But when my little pupil stumbled on a
single words my time, then, so much
more precious than the Master that |
cannot teach the little lessons more than
once?
All, friends, we do not waste time when
we plait scourges for ourselves. These
hurrying days, these busy anxious,
shrewd ambitious times of ours are wasted
when they take cur hearts away from pa
tient genteness, and give US fame for love
and gold for kisses. Some day, then,
when our hungry souls will seek for bread
our selfish good will give US a stone. Life
is not deep, profound perplexing prob
lem. It is a simple, easy lesson, such as
any child may read. You can not fnd its
solution in the ponderous tonnes of the old
fathers, the philosophers, the investiga-
tors, the theorists. 1t is not or your book
shelves But in the warmest corner Of the
most unlettered heart it CLOVIS in letters
that the blindest may read; sweet, plain.
simple, easy, loving lesson. And when
you have learned it, brother of mine. the
world will be better and happier.-R. J.
Burdette.