Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-17

the brief betroshai whose m<nory Azs
sh>1owed her lift Re sure she does
sapps>s II - The poer rel&tiob."
wither~a and gray. and patient who
ns>d&s bss neverA sks yonr large
h>sxsed consideration.
ons h - usrd 10 her drawn face. her
qas<t step. her long unoompialning
service. Der content with what u
grossly called board wages that one
hardly peu<cs - pat her ostsiie AZ the
daily habit Of The house - soai By
it.elL When The ''homs days come.
when the extra step end the extra
smiis are enacted and expsesed Of her
IS there always somebody 10 remem-
Der how lonely shc feeis. OF 20 under
stand the hesrt-sick Inconsistencies Of
one who spends life In the hones Of
other people? IL In not an Easy way
10 live. All your sweetest tact aud
gentlest thoughtfulness cannot make
Ia 80
II the cook sniks OF the waitress
cries. count twenty before the rcbake
flashes from the lip. No satisfaction
has ever estimated the amount Of
pluck and the depth Of Inconsistencies
In tho lives of our young Irish girls
-just come over" and mourning for
home and parcnts One. knew.
who. whenever she was hurt by
any little accident. instinetivcly
cried ont ''oh. me mother~ just
t< most OF us say: "0h. my 6odl-
chris.maz did not omit to happen. in
the old country. In the warm-hearted
peasants loving home. Too often we
act a. IL we had forgotten this simple
histor- ical fact
Even IL the sob means no more TN IN
that well-naturalixed Bridget must
give up her dance nj her cousins to
stay and roast turkey for US and our
cousins. there is = deprivation. there Is
grief. Let IA be patient with IL.
There Il small way of giving great
comfort. In which think we do not
enough educate ourselves or each
other; and that is by remembering
other peoples anniversaries
The relative or guest who IL widow
indeed steals away end locks herself
in her own room when she II particu-
larly wanted: she comes down I'm an
swer TO somebody's impatient knock.
Why did she not stay TO play the
waltzcs for the children to dancer She
brushes OF the streaming tears. Last
year--two years-or was IL hundred
years ago-she bowed those wet cheeks
to the last kiss Of lips that are cold.
Her Christmas Is n day 20 be got
over"
There sits one ut your fireside be-
reaved OF the light of his life. II Is his
first Christmas without her. He wan
dcrs about the house with the pathetic
swkwarsiness Of y homeless and a
wretched man. He tries to brave II out
as men do. lie would get over it,"
somehow, IL he can lie strolls into all
sorts OF unoccupied places. ostensibly
10 smoke. lie filings himself out for
long walks on the grounds of q head
scho. He joins In the chorus of Home,
Sweet Home" and breaks down and
takes his hat and disappears. He Is
not there 10 distribute the presents.
and somebody says: How ungracious
of him." Who understands that every
glance Of love from happy eye to happy
eye. every touch of q live wife's hand
upon her hnsbands arm, every little
loving attitude with which she turns
Ia him or clings TO him. slabs the be-
reaved mans heart TO the corcs
To sum IL In a word. be merciful:
be merciful % sorrow, To desolation. to
uncomfortable positions, that are but
half understood. % irritable nerves,
whose causes are not known. To mem
cries whose underground rivers you
cannot follow, to the past that every
one else has forgotten. 10 the present
that II overweighted with perplexity
too heavy TO be thrown OF ut the beck
Of dance or y dinner. 20 that temper
ament which Is most unlike your own,
90 the scnsitiveness with which you
have least natural sympathy. to every
human heart that Is getting over"
hard places which you do not see
and be most rnerciful on anniversary
days.
But the page Is printed on both
sides. The leaf does not turn with a
blank which no corresponding obliga-
ton fits The sad have their sum-
mons rs we'll as the glad. and the
dcso,ate, like the blessed. must answer
90 the great call of the Christ spirit
which rings through the world lie
whose sacred birth we celebrate was
above all else . man of sorrows.
To many . human heart this In the
dearest IF His titles. Who ever bore
trouble ms lie dId7 Who ever 30 grand
IL lifted the barden7 Who 10 quietly.
and patiently and PLEASANTLY. II one
may say 81. accepted the cruelest of
lots7 Who ~ flung Ills own misery out
of sight and sound7 Who 80 utterly
quenched Himself and His personal
pang in the happiness and
The comfort Of others7 There lie
stAnds. sorrowful and smiling. q spot
less mirror. To hold ones way of
bearing trouble mp 20 His for reflection
may be humilisting. but IL IL NOT an
act which . miserable person ever re-
grcttsd Personal sorrow IL the last
thing which should ever be imposed on
other people. The unhappy are not 70
take advantage Of the happy. DO not
urrc their chivslry. To not strain
their sympathy. DO not prcss their
Christianify Do not get over" your
anniversaries too pslpshly. The celes-
tlsi machinery shoald never crrak.
The noble heart when u l. wounded
wishdrsws into . divine silence. and
ssrrediy Earns lts awful lesson do