The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-08-10
"My sERENADER.r

O s'utuetH hiHuoW, grows money
suckle vine. In its Younger days III,
old tree had bent low with luscious
frnii whose soft cheeks were nantlet
{ with rosy bushes BY The kisses of III,
sun. but now The sap is dried, the liz,
is gone. and not single pink blossom
responds to the tenacrest caresses o
: spriug. "Then cut il down" ynu say
r why cumbereih 1t The ground 7" No
SO. not SO; would you blot out iht
memory of the strong aud human lift
upon which prosperity climbs and
ciings because that prosperity bear,
lot fruit but flowers? Verify hnnani.
~ ncedeth both the flowers aud tho
fruit. And so I'll cherish my old tree
though its day of fruit has gone, for il
supports this cliuging vine that is
always filed with flowers. TO me, il
is now more beautiful than ever and
tells sweeter story. ii comes ike o
visitor from The land where twells The
breath Of the morning, the midnight
silence Of forest, and Tie fading light
of evenng-from The eucircIiug hori-
z0n OF the emotions aud speaks to the
heart in its own language. The wood
bnes tangled lcndrils lwine Them
selves about The naked trunk aud
weave for il dark green garment and
then, wrapping every branch and
twig in their verdani meshes, they
hang skirt of yellow-tinged crimson
beuslcs over the whole. Hero The
bees, butterflies ard cumming bird,
coBgregete from far and near to sip
the nectGred sweets, aud To hover
round, as if listening 10 duIcet music
played by fairy lips upon the ,iny
tlower-horns. IN The topmost fork
| Of The tree, aud right in The center of
this red.rooied leafy bower pair of
mockiug-birds have built their nesi.
and make their home. This is The
home of my 'Serenader," and he. seems
never 10 leave it, for even in the dead
OF winter when the snow crystals
broidered the leaves, his song would
flow forth in warm and mellow sweet
ness in strange and wcrid contrast
with The night.
| have rarely heard h,m singing in
the day, but Oft nj night he's walked
me aad I've listened TO his lay. Dur
ing the nights of early spring when
the moon looked down upon a silver
frosted world, the work of her own
airy fingers, he would sing as if he
wished to compensate her ia music for
the gift Of her mellow radiance.
o what u song! What SYM athy II
What ABANDON! What compass
Sweetness, patios, love, joy, ccstacy
Who can describe Il? When you i'm
prison dancing Sunbeam then you
may try 10 feiier with language a
hooking birds song. VI
In June our baby was taken sick.
FOR DAYS We nursed the little sufferer,
watched and waited, hoped and
feared, till at last all hope was gone,
and we watched and waited for The
dread messenger. We watched the |
dimoles leave bis hands and The roses |
leave his cheeks. We watched his !
tender little body grow poor aud Thin.
We watched him grow weaker and |
weaker, till ct last death came, and |
God took him. Al night before he |
died, when every breath was feeble |
moan, that went like dagger thrust
into my heart, | was startled by a /
rippling stream of music that burst
from the throat of my songster aud /
poured its tiny waves of golden /
melody out upon the atmosphere. All
first | was shocked aud hurt at VIVA, /
seemed The cruel mockery. Singing
When my boy was struggling
IN he agony Of death. when my poor
heart was flied with unspcakable
anguish! O how bitter! l thought
Of The careless, hearilcss world that
would laugh and curse aud sing while
wept. But then my heart grew
otter when l remembered that the
World TOO has its sorrow. that laughing
o-day it too would weep Tomorrow,
hat man is but ..penaulum twixt q
mile and a tear" that always there is Il
litter mingling with the sweet, sorrow
With The Joy, aud that the gushing
'ird-song blending with the moans of
ny dying child but typified and
marked The compass of universal :
ninaB life. And thinking thus, all ,
he bitterness left my heart and in its /
lace came smypatby-sympathy for /
II the sorrowing world that now 3
9emed so close 10 me. Viewing all
re sorrow and beart-ache, sickness aud
wing, felt that mau needs heaven to
and comfort him here aud Y
'r home hereafter, and L thanked il
od That l could look ACROSS the
orm-crenched plain of the present to
he cleaning Jasper walls of the Eter-
II City. Seen from The depths of =
'e deaih-siaaowed valley, how glori~ =
rs is the "New Jurlsalem!'
The sorrow of exisiance mites man
n brotherhood of sympathy, en-
iasizes his need of heaven and, like ri
e darkness of night. while hiding ).
e beauty of earth, il reveals the glory of
the skies. God sent the bird with
purpose that night aud from it this TO
sson learned. =
II. W.K.