Democratic messenger., 1894-07-14

because he cannot hear as well as he
used to. and when he asks it over again
and the son hns to repeat it he bawls In
the old mans ear. II hope you hear
that" How long he must wear the old
coat or the old hat before they get him
new one! How chagrined they are at
his independence Of the English gram
mari How long he hangs onl Seventy
years, and not gone yet! Seventy five
years. and not gone yet! Eighty years,
and not gone yet! Will he ever go!
They think 1t Of no use to have o doc
tor in his last sickness. and go up to the
drug store. and get dose Of something
that makes him worse. and economixe
ON q coffin, and beat the undertaken
down to the last point, giving q note
for the reduced amount, which they
never pay. have officiated at obsequies
Of aged people where the family have
been SO Unfortunately resigned TO Provi-
dence that felt like taking my text
from Proverbs. Tho eye that mOcketh
at its father and refuseth to obey its
mother. the ravens Of the valley shall
pick it ont, and the young eagles shall
eat it," In other words. such an in
CRATE ought to have a flock Of crows for
pallbearers! congratulate you If you
have the honor Of providing for aged
parents. The blessing Of tho Lord God
of Joseph and Jacob will be ON you.
Closing Days Of Peace.
Irejoice to remember that. though my
father lived in q plain house the most
Of his days. he died In q mansion pro-
vided by the filial piety Of a son who
had achieved fortune. There the octo-
gcnarian sat. and the servants waited
ON him. and there were plenty Of horses
and plenty Of carriages to convey him,
and a bower In which to sit ON long
summer afternoons. dreaming over the
past, and there was not room in the
house where he was not welcome, and
there were musical instruments Of all
sorts to regale him. and when life had
passed the neighbors came out and ex-
p: cssed all honor possible and carried
him to the village Machpelah and put
him down beside the Rachel with whom
he had lived more than half q century.
Share your successes with the old peo-
pie The probability is that the princi-
pies they inculcated achieved your for
tune. Give them a Christian percentage
Of kindly consideration. Let Joseph di-
vide with Jacob the pasture fields Of
Goshen and the glories Of the Egyptian
court
And here I would like to sing the
praises of the sisterhood who remain
unmarried that they might administer
to aged parents. The brutal world calls
these self sacrificing ones peculiar or
angular. but if you have had rs many
annoyances as they have had Xantippe
would have been an angel compared to
you. 1t is easier to take care Of five roll
licking. romping children than Of one
childish old man. Among the best wo-
men are those who allowed the bloom
Of life to pass away while they were
caring for their parents. While other
maidens were sound asleep they were
soaking the old mans feet or tucking
mp the covers around the invalid moth
er. While other maidens were in the
cotillon they were dancing attendance
upon rheumatism and spreading plasters
for the lame back Of the septenarian
and heating catnip tea for insomnia
Women To He Honored.
In almost every circle Of our kindred
there has been some queen Of self sacri-
fee to whom jewelcd hand after jewel
ed hand was offered in marriage. but
who staid on the old place because of
tho sense Of flial obligation until the
health was gone and the attractiveness
of personal presence had vanished. Bru-
tai society may call such a one by
nickname. God calls her daughter. and
heaven calls her saint. and call her
domestic martyr. A half dozen ordina-
~ women have not rs much nobility rs
could be found in the smallest joint Of
the little finger Of her left hand. Al
though the world has stood Q. 900 years.
this is tho first apotheosis Of maiden
hood. although in the long line Of those
who have declined marriage that they
might be qualified for some especial
are the names Of Anna Ross
and Margaret Breckinridge and Mary
Shelton and Anna Etheridge and Geor-
giana Willetts, the angels Of the battle
fields Of Fair Oaks and Lookout Noun
tain and Charlottesville. and though
single life has been honored by the fact
that the three grandest men Of the Bi-
and Paul and Christ-were
celibates.
Let the ungrateful world sneer at the
maiden aunt, but God has o throne bur-
nished for her arrival. and ON one side
Of that throne in heaven there is vase
two jewels. the one brighter
than the Kohinoor of London Tower and
the other larger than any diamond ever
found in the districts Of Golconda-the
one jewel by the lapidary Of the palace
cut with the words. ''Inasmuch as ye
did it to father" the other jewel by the
lapidary Of the palace cut with the
words. "Inasmuch as We did it to moth
er. " ''Over the Hills to the Poorhouse"
is the exquisite ballad Of Will Carle-
ton. who found an old woman who had
been turned Of by her prosperous sons.
but thank Go. may find in my text
'Over the hills to the palace.
Jacobs Resolution.
As il to disgust us with unfilial con-
duct, the Bible presents us the story Of
Micah. who stole the ]. 100 shekels from
his mother. and the story Of Absalom.
who tried to dethronc his father. But
all history is beautiful with stories of
filial fidelity. Epaminondas. the war
rior. found his chief delight in reciting
to his parents his victories. There goes
Eneas from burning Troy, ON his shoul-
ders Anchises. his father The Athen-
ians punished with death any unfilial
There goes beautiful Ruth es-
corting venerable Naomi across the des-
crt amid the bowling OF the wolves and
the barking Of the jackals. John Law
renee. burned Mt the stake in Colches-
ter. was cheered in the flames by his
who said, 20 God. strength
IN thy servant and keep thy promise!"
And Christ in the hour Of excruciation
provided for his old mother. Jacob kept