The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-01-02
A PICTURE.

a
it's blossoms round the roof. Time, the
old tyrant, has weakened the sills and
vanished the painters skill. All, there
it stands like an old man musing on
his boyhood daysl What anthems
memory sings, what tears pity sheds,
what hopes, what loves, what joys,
what sorrows, what sublimities come
to view as we watch the dear old home
stead that has stood for years and
years like a lone sentinel watching
life'svarying moods. Oh what poetry,
what eloquence, what pathos we would
hear ii it only could talk. It would
tell the story-the short, mysterious
story-of human life. She saw the
young bride and groom first enter her
| portals, she watched the looks of love,
she caught the music of loves first
real ecstacy, she saw ambitions finger
points on this manly brow, she stole
the joy lit smile of love that fingered
still near her hly-white cheeks of
purity and painted it near the freside
of memory, she saw a new glory dawn
on two of life's flowers, and thus the
| old house muses. and dreams of the
time when she was new. Then one
beautiful star lit night, when nature
wore a smile of peace and Heavens
angel choir was chanting in rapturous
strains the sublimest, saddest, yet
sweetest song that ever rolled across
the streets of gold or over the sparkling
waves of the pure river of life or be-
meath the heart throbs of divinity, this
old home saw a wavelet of humanity
anchored on times surgtng sea. All,
then, two worlds claimed the wavelet,
| two hearts wept for joy, two souls
linked in one wandered far above the
frail facts Of life to cline of holier
experience, and as she listened to the
first gentle beat of baby's heart and
saw the first faint sparkle in baby's
eye, me thinks, this house was wrapt
in mystery. And then, there came a
day when Heavens echo of glory could
talk, then woI &, then another bark of
| life was driven over the ocean of des-
tiny. Nov, there's ''silver thread
among the gold" on papa's brow, and
there's a dimple of coming sorrow on
mammals cheek, there's a sCngster OF
sorrow perched over the window of
Joy, and the rainbow of love has a
gloomy lining, and there's the old
home thinks and talks of the time
when she was growing old. In one
corner there now rests a vacant cradle,
halIowed once by chubby lips and baby
prayers, and beneath the sweet lilies
and daisies of summer and the sorrow
fakes of winter there is tiny grave
loved and lasting and back to Heavens g
vale of beauty there was borne one day
bv the bark of death the echo of
Heavens sublimity-a little child She
now sees the flower and the thorn
growing in the garden, the smile and
the tear written on the wall; she hears
the song and the sigh waited by the
zephvrs and the cloud and the sunshine
heat upon her roof in turns while the
days are going by. Prosperity comes
to this household, and hope and com
fort and grandeur and peace and every
thing seems glad. The old house is
proud of her golden days-she laughs
at the ripple of joy that beats upon her
bosom of deetiny. And then, ah then,
one dark, dreary day, there comes
cloud and hovers over this sacred spot;
tits the cloud of poverty, the darkest
/
see the old house weep as they bear
awaV mothers chair and fathers
bureau and baby's cot and the jewels
and the china-and everything dear
to truth and the very heart strings of
humanity-all to be sold for debts.
Nv Godl il there is sadder picture,
a lovelier poesy, a more persuasive elo-
uuence than this, don't know OF lt
vet how often, ah how often, Wesee
this story in reality. The old b )use
has dingy, solemn look asshe watches
mother and father with great, grand
burrows of sorrow in their cheeks,
steps feebled by age, hearts mellowed
by toll. driven again out into the vide
wilderness of life and aliens desecrate
the loved home of lifetime. But,
one day pass by a grave yard, and IN
a lone spot, sleeping side by side, rests
two hearts silvered by sorrow and
time.
Thus, the world moves on, and thus
the old homestead talks to the passers-
by, and thus life and death, time and
eternity are linked together, Ola