Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-06-11
THE STING OF REGRET.

r rogrot?' VINO CnaC mas passed years
3 of responsibility, with freedom o
action, but looks back on pas
2 thoughts, words and deeds with re-
greet? Who lives a present life SO full
of cheer and sunshine that the shadows
of regret never falls on them? Hours
, that might be sweet and full of useful
helpful thoughts are given to painful
retrospection. And yet, for the most
part, these regrets are useless. Fol-
the strange part is, they seldom bring
jority of instances life goes on in the
same old way-each day has it's SOW
ing of evil seed that brings for an
other it's harvest of regret.
The young often SOW seed for sor-
rowful reaping of disobedience and
disregard for their parents. Perhaps
there is no other harvest more bitter
when these dear ones have passed
away and the children remember how
often they have wrung the hearts
that loved them so-that went out in
agony Of anxiety for their welfare.
IhO yOuIS OlUOh OOW OOOoO AOA OlCOO1
reaping in the neglect of opportuni-
ties to fit themselves for life's great
purposes. Later on, when others out
strip them and do what they earnest
! ly covet, but are not prepared to do,
the harvest comes on Of bitter regret.
Women and men trample upon
cath other in social or business life, or
they neglect to help each other as
they easily might, and some day
awaken to the fact that a great OPP
portunity forever lost fills their lives
with regret.
Husbands and wives often fall in
the duties entailed in that closest of
earthly bonds. Instead of enhancing
each others joys or adding to each
others comforts, they SOW little sting
ing seeds that prick and bruise each
others hearts all the rest of life. And
by and-by, when one stands at the
open grave Of the other, or sleeps by
an Impressed pillow" how the de-
mon Of regret stands by piercing the
bruised heart wi tn it's arrows.
''Oh, that wo I'd, regret!
There have been nights and morns
When to have sighed,
Let US alone regret.'
But what a wakeful demon it if!
How men and women fly from it to
dissipation,to drunkenness, to suicide,
as it pursues them on and on. They
look back on life and sigh
ooh! Current of Life,
With thy Earring and strife,
Thy banks were once curtained with dra-
perry bright;
But the stream of thy hours
Has forsaken the flowers,
And wanders alone through the blackness |
of night -
In comparatively few instances |
men and women are strong enough to
"1eave those things which are be-
hind" and build up better life on
the wreck Of the past.
In most cases regret weakens body,
mind and soul, and leaves it's victim
prey to bitter enemies. A young man
with the shadow Of crime resting
over him will be dwarfed in his entire
being and never reach normal devel-
opment.
Gould one person profit by the ex-
perience of another great suffering
could be avoided. How many griev-
GUS blunders might be prevented!
But as a rule this cannot be. Each
poor wayward mortal must learn from
personal experience. Gould some
watchful angel stay the hand of the
young as they scatter the seeds of
noxious weeds that, by and by, will
crowd their paths and sting their feet
it would seem we'll But this cannot
be.
Fathers may warn, mothers may
entreat, friends may advise; but no
angel may stay the hand, be-
cause of mans high prerogative.
A Ii