The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-10-02
the "NOW" AND THE THEN" "
BY LILLIAN N. CHERRY.


'.Oh. the little more. and how much II IS!
And the little less. and what worlds away
How sound shall quicken content to bliss.
Or breath suspend the bloUd's best play
And life be proof OF this
Robert Browning
'oh. that had yon yet but five minutes to tel
From Carlyle's "Reminiscences Of Jane welsl
Carlyle
| Yes, those of us for whom it Is moi
yet too late," why not take five min
utes now" and "tell you ALL? VIII.
not look at the ''now," which, per-
hapS, holds for us friends, youth, love
home, mother, father. wife, children:
Why not see II we can ''fcel" more
Glove" more, 'lo" more in the "now,'
and perhaps avoid the burden of many
vain regrets when the "n0w" becomes
the then?
So much has been said and written
for those who have suffered losses,
whose ''now" is full of sadness; the
words of Tcnnyson--
But the tender grace OF day that Is dead
VIII never come back to me-
have touched and fitted into so many
lives; let us take for the burden OF
our song' this hour the ''now" that is
yet full Of "tender grace
Now" oh, child, your life is free
from care, from much of pain that life
must bring to all it's truly great ones,
as the years so by.
"NOw" the birds and flowers, the
trees, the sunshine, are all for you.
Yet you grow impatient and cry out
for age. But "now" you have Il gift
that is only for the "now." The
then" will be yours SO soon.
"As yet time Is no fast-hurrying
stream, but u spOrtful, sunlit ocean:
years to the child are as ages; ah. the
secret Of vicissitudc is yet un-
known, and In a motionless universe
We taste, what afterward in this
Quick-whirling universe is forever de-
MED us, the balm Of rest. As
yet sleeping and waking are one; the
fair life.glrdcn rustles infinite around,
and everywhere is dewy fragrance, and
the budding OF hope" How well,
when VIC are grown. do we recognize
the truth in these exquisite words OF
CARLYLE.
"Now," perhaps, the dear mother
sits near by you In her accustomed
place, NOV" the years rest heavily
upon her; "now" she waits for you to
say sin Words" sin deeds" "MOther,
| love YOU" The "thcn' is coming,
all too surely, when, perchancc, you
shall say: "Oh, that l had you yet,
for but five minutes, to tell you all!
"Thcn." when the beloved hands are
folded to unclasp no more to earth
work and "earth touches" Hours
"now" but not even five minutes
"thcn."
Now" perhaps, in your home II
the dear presence, the wife whom yot
love. She knows Of your love, yOl
rest assured that she does. Yet-anc
yet-y0u are So absorbed In the whir
OF daily business. the ''stOcks ant
bonds,n the commonplaces, the news
papers, ETC.; "the paltry little dust
clouds" are so thick around you yol
have not time to see through. No
time "now" To realize that, perhaps
she to whom a smile, a word from you
"patient or impatient" means mucl
may one day be called "Higher.
"rhcn," perchance, you shall stare Al
the empty place in the home and cry
"Why, oh, why, did ! not see? VIII!
was ! So inconsidcrate that time,
why so impatient on that?'. Ate
all, 1t was such little thing and ",
could walk such little way togetllc
on the earth road. Time enough
'then'-'in the autumn as Browning
says, TO think all over"
II win speak now."
! Not In the "nOw" are we to gro,
sad over what the future may brinv
But rather, avoid as we can, the nee'
for having any unavailIng regret
which 90 often add To sorrows whe
they come.
"Now," perhaps, the home echoes I