The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-24
y C., URSDAY. MARCH "a 1892.
A Study Of Faces,
(Selected.)

| watch the many faces one meets IT
our crowded throou2hfares, each one
with an entirely different expression
Where you meet one smiling face
you will meet ten vita either a sad
or absorbed expession; a far-swsy
look that tells the struggle within.
There are some people in thi-
world who are so fortunate as to be
able to hide their real feelings, and
cover an aching heart with smiling
face, but this class is very rare; the
vast majority prove the old adage
true. that the face 10 true index of
the heart. Coming home in a crowd
ed car not long since | was attracted
by the face of woman who sat near
me. She Was plainly dressed, though
neatly; and evidently belonged to
the working class; 1t was sweet
face bnt had such sad, troubled
and patient look. AS sat and look
ed at her / found myself wondering
what could be her trouble; did she
have husband. who had years ago
in the f1ush of young manhood,
promised to love ard cherish her and
who now neglected her and left her
to wait and watch for his coming, or
was it wayward son, OF was it the
struggle for bread? 1t was something.
Then | looked at others around, it
might have been Imagination, but it
seemed to me sll bore some mark OF
trouble or anxiety | could but
think of the many phases Of trouble
in this world. 1t is the Inheritance
of all, although come may seem to
escape it. We look at the rich and
.hose for whom life seems to hold
every appearance Of happiness, and
vet, did eve but know the inner>life,
trouble is there in some form or
other; none are exempt. While eoue
endure physical suffering, others
have heart troubles; it must come to
each. aud it is we'll thai we cannot
choose.
How often through these columns
come the wall of broken hearts who
have buried their dear ones, and a.
they stand by the open graves they
can thiuk of no trouble that equals
the putting away out of sight, their
dead,--but it Is only too true that
dead trouble is far better than liy-
ing one; better great deal bury
precious baby boy than live to see
that boy disgraced, or have your heart
broken by his wasted life. There
are thousand causes for trouble
that death would seem easy to bear
by the side Of. | have no doubt that
brings IN its train
more real suffering than anything in
tnis world, for men commit so many
evil deeds, theft and murder among
others, while in its grasp.
A young man said to me S few
mornings ago that be bad never been
so tired as he had the night before,
and when l asked the cause, he gave
me p,tiful tale. He said, 'I was
helping a father look for his SOD; he
came TO several young men who
knew his SOD, and asked US if we
would assist lin; be SAID 'his mother
is dying and she longs to see her
boy do help me find him.
My young friend went on to say,
1--WE went into every barrOom, and
haunt of sin and vice in this city to
find that boy for his dying mother;
we walked miles and went to all thu
railroad offices to see If he had
bought ticket off, but We never
found him; be must have been off in
some room sleeping off a drunk
Can you imagine the agony Of that
fathers heart as he went back to the
dying mother without her boyf That
was trouble,--the burying Of that
boy while In the innocence OF child
hood would have been nothing to
compare with it, and yet you see so
many mothers grieviDe for their
children, and like Rachael, "refose
to be cumforted.'