The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-13
LIFE.
Something from Col. IngersOH Con-
fributed by "Iven."
Member Executive Com
Montevallo. Mo, Sept. 6.


Dear H. L. c. Friends: send to the
page a short production of Bob Inger-
soils WHICH seems to me very beautiful
and may be pleasing to many of you
and other Sentinel readers.
Born Of love and hope, of ecstasy, and
pain. of agony and fear. of tears and
joy-dowered with the wealth of two
united hearts-held in happy arms, with
lips upon life's drifted font, blue-veined
and fair, where perfect peace finds per-
feet form-rocked by willing feet and
wooed to shadowy shores of sleep by
siren mother singing soft and low-look-
ing with wonders wide and startled
eyes at common things of life and day
taught by want and wish and contact
with the things that touch the dimpled
flesh of babies-lured by light and flame
and charmed by colOr's wondrous robes
Learning the use of hands and feet,
and by the love of mimicry beguiled to
utter speech-releasing prisoned thoughts
from grabbed and curious marks of soiled
and tattered leaves-puzzling the brain
with crooked numbers and their chang
ing tangled worth - and so through
years of alternating day and night, un-
til the captive grows familiar with the
Nildnlo anu waits anu lllllildliOlo VI d
lifetime.
And time runs on in sun and shade.
until the one of all the world is wooed
and won, and all the lore of love is
taught and learned again.
Again, home is built with the fair
chambers wherein faint dreams, like
cool and shadowy wales, divide the bill
lowed hours of love.
Again the miracle Of birth-the pain
and joy, the kiss of welcome and the
cradle song drowning the drOwsy prattle
of a babe.
And then the sense of obligation and
of wrong-pity for those who toll and
weep. tears for the imprisoned and de-
spised, love for the generous dead, and
in the heart the rapture Of a high and
holy resolve.
And then ambition, with its lust Of
pelf and place and power, longing to
put on its breast distinctions worth
less badge. Then keener thoughts of
men, and eyes that see behind the
smiling mask of craft, fattered no more
by the obsequious cringe Of gain and
greed, knowing the Uselessness of
hoard gold. of honor bought from those
who charge the usury Of self-respect,
Of power that only bends a towards
knees and forces from the lips of fear
the lies of praise. Knowing at last the
unstudied gesture of esteem, the rev.
erent eyes made rich with honest
other things, high as hopes great
throbbing star above the darkness of the
dead. and love Of wife and child and
friend.
Then locks of gray. and growing love Of
other days and half remembered things,
holding the withered hands of those
who first held his, while over dim and
loving eyes death softly pressed down
the lids of rest.
And so, locking in marriage VOWS his
children's hands and crossing others on
the breasts of peace, with daughters
robes upon his knees, the white hair
mingling with the golden-he journeys
on from day to day 10 that near hori-
Zon where the dusk is waiting for the
night.
At last, sitting by the holy hearth of
home, as evenings embers change from
red to gray, fast fading away, he peace
fully falls asleep within the arms Of her
he loved, wOrshipped and adored, feel
ing upon his pallid lips loves last and
hottest kiss.
ROBERT G.. INGERSOLL.
This seems to me beautiful language
and a good synopsis of mans exist
ence between cradle and grave.