The evening times., 1896-11-26
THIS LANDS PROUD PLACE
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s(Continued from Second Page.).
stepping around. While the colored boy
| played money Musk" even grandfather,
in the next room, who had distributed
many tracks on THE sin or Dancing,
was seen 10 make his heel go.
II seemed to me a great fuss and great
gathering to get one quilt made. but the
fact was that good neighborhood was
quilted, warm. syinpathies were quilted.
and lifetime Friendships were quilted. and
| they tayetl. late. And such plays as they
had ill the back room. when you joined
hands and one Of the fairest stood in the
ring What a circumference to what a
center! Thank God for the memories of the
olG-.ime quilting.
ON THE sLEDs.
Now, through the Kaleidoscope, see
you in coasting scene, wrapped in Il tip
pet and with mittehs knit by fingers which
long ago forgot their cunning. a half
dozen of you boys went to the top of
the hill with your sleds. and, prostrate
on your sleds, face downward, with your
head for Prov and your foot for rud-
der, you sailed DOWN the billow of the
hill. Like Lightning, for speed you went.
Clear the track, YOU boy with ciumsyrun-
ner! After you aneiher, after him another,
all shot past without much reference to
what might be in the way, or whether you
would stop in this world or the other.
The hard ascent Of the hill was more than
compensated by the fleet descent, and so
you gathered up exubcraTe for the steep
hill of life, where fer :eve cry ride you get you
must do some climbing. Thank God for the
memory Of the boys coasting!
Turn again the Kaleidoscope and there is
an old meeting house, solemn and sleepy.
BUNDLE bees humming about the old clap
boards. Horses under the shed, stamping
at the flies. Choir in the gallery, with a
broken fiddle. Farmers in their sleeves,
aroused from their slumbers by the hymn,
my Drowsy Powers, Why Sleep fe So?''
Aged minister. good enough for transla-
ton The odd church. from floor 10 ceiling.
full of old-tashiond religion, one ounce Of
which ls worth twenty tons OF the humbug
of modern evolution. Where is the old
minister now? Where is the choir now?
Where are the eldersw no sat around the pull
pit and listened till the sermon got to sew
enteenthly?
AT THE sCHoOLHOUsE.
Turn the kaleidoscope again, and there
is the old country scboohouse. where the
master pull ed our ears till they have al
ways since been little out OF proportion.
The tin cup, out of which fifty drank with
out any iastidousneSs. The whip, cut
out of the woods by the boy who was to
suffer for IL in his own cbastisement. The
buliies of ten years OF age. imposing on
those of seven. The rising OF Inirthful feel
Ing among the ribs, quaking, the yonne
diaphragm, and rising until II twitched
the corners OF the mouth, and suppression
was 10 more possible, and though frown-
Ing schoolmaster sat on the valve IL would
come to explosion, shattering the whole
school into splnters OF fun, one gigglc
setting off a whole magazine OF catenatiOn.
And then examination day, with four ,r
rH.sir
To see If we could parse '.YounE's Night
Thoughts until verbs and cuniuncti ms
and partiCiples got into riot worthy OF
the Fourth ward on election day. In those
days school began at o'clock in the norm
iYg and lasted until O'Clock in the after
noon, and we got the worth IF our money
We had none Of your nonsense in the way
of blackboards and globes and phiIosC-
phical apparatus and music, such a. Il
Want to Re an Angel Who would wautto
be an angel when he could be a New Jersey
schoulbpy? Getting an education then was
solemn business and no trifling..
There was a desk fastened 10 the wall
reaching all around the room. and a high
bench set bacsso that our backs We're r.i.he
teacher, and when some warm afternn IN
We forgot the Importance Of the great cause
OfcumU on school education and ssitCTonEeG.
the teacher would come around and with
one stroke fetch US up to u full appreciation
of our privileges.
THE EARLY STRUGGLES. .as
Turn the Kaleidoscope and here Is the
corn huskingi' and the ;i.raising frolic''
here the SNOWFALL carousal and there the
sleigh riding party, and there the spring.
time blossoms andhere the treat of the iirSt
ripe harvest apple. WAS anything ever so
joyous? -.
One more turn of the Kaleidoscope and
yon see your early struggles. which ynu
now realize were your blessings Your
elaborate and prolonged decision as to
whether il should be a new hat or a new
coat-fur it could mol be both at the same
season; your effort to make ten dollars do
the work of twenty-five snubbing you got
when you attempted higher position; the
skillful buttoning up to hide patches; your
subordinate place 10 LII pse who had not half
your ability OF morals; the endurance OF
those who swa shed about with brief au-
thority: at last your triumph: your raised
salary: your advanced position: your af-
fiancing; your marriage; your two rooms;
which were a plenty: the cradle. with "A
miracle of dimpled beauty; the high chair
at the table, pou unding with spoon or rattle;
the hardships of life giving way TO com
Portable livelihood, and perhaps a compe-
tency: the graves covered with chaplets Of
consolation, the crosses, with Gro WINS hung
on the top OF them the whole struggle and
mystery of your life adjusted for your well
fare here and hereafter
NOT ALWAYS EMPTY.
Enough. Put down the kaleiC oscope
Of reminiscence and take up the palm
branch of Thanksgiving. for the present as
well as the past demands your graft
tude. l step into your house You say
il is rather small. That is nothing A
large house is great trouble to keep
clean. Small houses are cozy Beside
large expectations, and when married,
and having TO take a smaller one, they
are discontented, and say:'"I was never
use to such cramped apartments
Children always do letter if not started
too luxur:Oasly. ! step into your parlpr.
These chairs and sofas were not always
empty. Seated there We're those who
came to comfort you in your trouble and
those to make merry in your joy
These lights of your house have flashed
upon many a Joy Gus scene, and if the walls
could speak they would tell of social patty
and Christmas tree and neighbcrhJ1 ID
Those keys have thrum-
med and caroIed and wept under the touch
Of your children. and the PORTFOLIO on the
music rack hath many a well.worn song of
"OId Ga ken Buckle tand " Old Armed CHAIR
Instead OF the rough-hewed rafters and
plain walls mong which your grandfathers
their guests, your walls hlc ON
with wonders wrought by painters len
Gil, engraver's knife or sculptor's chisel.
THEN GIVE THANKS.
Standing amid these evidences OF re-
finement and culture, in Gods name /
call you To Thanksgiving. l step into your
nursery, and am greeted by the song and
laughter of your children. They romp,
they clap their hands, they hide, they
bound away. What bright eyes, what
quick feet, what happy hearts. God bless
them! Their little troubles dissolve in one