The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-02-23
EWINGTON.

Reading the obituary of Mrs. J. G.
Clark in last weeks ADVANCE, l beg
to add few words by way of rem in is
cence. and though happening a good
many years ago, my memory recalls it
with peculiar vividness. 1t was dur
ing the summer of ~, nucleus of the
National Colony was il its formative
state, and the writer was engaged in
hauling building material, furniture
and fixtures for the homestead settlers.
and doing odd jobs around town. One
day Elder B. II. Creever-xhcm all
will remember as our first resident
pastor-engaged me to take a load of
humber out to his claim some four miles
southeast of town on Ocheeda lake.
where his family had been comfortably
installed in their prairie bone some
time previous. 1t 80 happened that
Mrs. Clark was visiting them at the
time, and wishing to get home took
passage with me. / had no box on
the wagon and a rough pine board
reaching from one bolster to the other
served the duplex purpose of seat al d
springs, and she accepted the rude &C.
commodations cheerfully and really
seemed to eli "y the novelty of the
situation. I mention this to show how
her lady~like instincts and true kind.
ness of heart enabled her to adapt her.
self to any circumstances. had not
before known her personally, and to
tell the truth was somewhat shy. for
she always seemed to me to have such
noble appearance and patrician bear
ing, but her kindly inquiries as TO how
liked my new home, and of my fam
lily, who were yet back in Illinois, to-
gether with my plans and purposes,
soon placed me at my ease, and fixed
the hour that followed during our trip
across the prairie on that bright sum-
mer day, pleasantly in NY memory.
The fresh June air was sweet with
perfume of the opening prairie flowers,
that sprinkled every where the lush
green grass; the tlute-like whistle of
the plover; the merry roundelay of the
bob link, and the noisy caucusses of
the black-birds, as they plann ed raid
on the sod corn patches; all had a
charm for her finely wrought and ap~
preciatiye nature, and her enthusiasm
seemed to know no bounds, and 1
thought nothing could be imagined
more delightful than her conversation,
or more fascinating than her manners.
The place was new and strange to me,
and had been separated some time
from my family, an Was feeling u bit
Lonesome, and her words were like
balm to my heart, for through them
all and interviewer, like golden threads
il beautiful fabric, were pure relisi-
Gus thoughts and sentiments. am so
sorry now that it was not my good for
tune to perpetuate an acquaintance
that had so pleasant a beginning, and
so she will never know, until it is
revealed ''in the home over there"
how that short hours association has
blessed one lif e and rested like II bene-
diction on all these years. This is all,
except sincere, tender of sympathy
to those who are bereft of one 80 near
and dear, SO good and kind. No, let
ne quote an extract from Irving, l
think it is, which seems peculiarly
fitting in this case, and comports so
completely with the beautiful tribute
Rev. Hart has paid to her memory:
"When the summer of youth is slow
ly wasting into the nightfan of age,
and the shadows of the past years grow
deeper, as if life were nearing on to it's
close, it is pleasant to look back
through the vista of time upon the sor-
rows and felicities of years." If We
have home to shelter US and friends
have been gathered together by our
firesides, then the rough places of way
faring. will have been worn and
smothered away in the twilight of life.
While the sunny spots We have passed
through will grow brighter and more
beautiful. Happy indeed are those
whose Intercourse with the world has
not changed the tone of their boiler
feelings, or broken those musical chords
of the heart, whose vibrations are so
melodious, 80 touching to the evening
of age.' JAS.