Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-10-28
OUR SATURDAY NIGHT.

The week has been strange COM
mingling of pain and pleasure, ENJOY
meut and sorrow. Perfect autumn
DAYS, with serene skies, The gorgeous
tints Offadiug foliage, the walks and
roads strewn with falling leaves, the
fruits and grains of harvest home on
every side. There have been socials
and parties, weddiDgs-aud conventions,
deaths aud births, and ali the varied
social phenomena that go to make VI
the round of our still TOO fl seting transi
tory existence.
An aged mother has lost her dearest
daughter and companion on the home-
ward road of life. An infant babe II
CRYING in the night for the breast thai
is laid away forever, where but yester
day il nestled in warmth, peace, secur
ity and affection. Last year Womai
who had given all her life to educating
the children of others ceased her weary
weeks work on Friday aud Saturday
she rested from all earthly labors. Al
other of the Salem teachers who gave q
quarter of century to bringing ou'
the latent faculties OF others dismissed
her flock of little ones Friday, locked
up her desk, and went home never tt
return.
There must be something exhausting
in thus giving out ones best thought
and most vital energies to the develop
ment of the children. The conscien'
tious teacher gives all her wealth Of
love and affectionate care, all her intel
ligence and creative genius to awaken
the slumbenng sparks of brain power
aud thought In scores of children, VIII,
are to them no more In reality than 80
many little bundles of humanity
What does she get in return? Hel
work is a sacred trust, sacredly per
formed. What is her return? 1t Ii
often too poor. She is ranked In salary
with the poorly prepared, the thought
less, the time-serving of her own pro
fession. AS soon as she grows old she
is cast aside, unless perchance she ages
beautifully, a difficult attainment il
her profession. If there is class Ii
the world who deserve a pension from
the state 1t Ia those who conscientiously
give their lives to the training up o
the armies of the future men and WON
en-the teacher-such teachers as thi
community has lost by death the pas
year.
Death is sad to contemplate ever
from the hopefni standpoint of admin
ishing fear of Its potency. Happy tn
household where 1t has no, entered ant
laid its desecrating hands. All
changed In its presence. Lips ar
mute and voices sink to inaudib!
whispers. The ambitions and frivol
ties of life slink away ashamed to hav
ever existed. The unkind word, tn
undone kindness, the withheld love
the favor withdrawn become hauntin
spectres of remorse. The poor helT
less departed one can no longer clair
her rights or fight her battles. he
many virtues, sweet willingness to hel
others, her manifold kindnesses, he
unfailing spirits and forgiving dispos
tion plead eloquently with us in on
memories now to do her Justice, Alai
now! Too late! She is gone! w
should have said that kind word, mad
that sacrifice, carried the gifts of on
love while she could yet receive then
What lesson In death for all to b
more kind, loving, appreciatiye in lif,
Let us not wait to strew the flowers {
affection on each otner's graves.
our love were properly manifested
life, and to the living, death and its tel
rors would be banished. There woul
not come floating through the air frou
every side that dark cloud of regret
for the departed. Say the appreciativ
word to the living Danish the critics
expressions, withhold those har
thoughts from the living you shoul
love. That Is the lesson of death, th
great lesson of life.