The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-11-19

!Ond ReCO!ieCuOrS tha< TenGeriy
Clung About the Old fion1e Place
The Luxury and Ease of the City
s>esiden oe Failed to Satisfy the
Ecngings FOR the Scenes and Happi=
ness of Youth.
Such dear old home it was. Nest
ling down in an old fashioned garden,
with an orchard fall Of cid rough
weather beaten apple trees behind it,
while an outer circle Of ancient elms
leaned reve:ently over il Ike faithful
guardians. The low red house, with
lis broad wing, made you think of
mother bird Uroodlng over her we'll
filled nest. But The nestling5 were all
gone nOw-had wandered far from the
Old home which seemed to them shah
bier and more cfamped every time
they came back for short visit.
Only mother ciung TO it closer AID
closer as the years went by. When
the busy sons and fashionable daugh-
ters called it lonely, and the grand
children wandered all over its queer
little hooks and corners, and remarked
with open contempt upon the stiff old
furniture and the tiny Paned windows,
the good old lady listened ard said
nothing, but her heart tilrobbed with
pam, as though she heard the malign-
ing Of some dear friend. "They don't
know, OF course she thought, excus-
lag them III her own gentle way.
"1hough to other eyes it may seem
poor and old fashioned, to me it can
never be 50, for 1t IS the first and only
home that | ever had" And after the
sad, tender manner Of the old, who
only have happy past and an empty
present without Turing future here,
she fell adreamins Of by-gone DAYS,
when her faithful John had brought
her a bride, to tbs dear old home,
which seemed s. grand and beautiful
Then. How could it ever seem lonely
and humble t. i.er, when it was so rich
III thousand happy, blessed recollec-
tIon>? Had not that been Johns IA
vOrl'e rose bush? Had not she and
John planted that very mountain ash
together? And could the rooms ever
seem empty and Grabbed to her when
every nook and corner spoke to her
sometimes ofthe living or If the dead
as eloquenI!y IS tongues could q
Here is where she used to sit and
watch the fire on winter evenings,
rocking the cradle IS she knit. This
dark spot on the floor is where baby
baby Mary had spilled the ink while
she sat there writing to the soldier
father far away whcIe the ba.ile ragged
or Oh the long, dreary march. And here
| beside the old fashioned table on which
stlIl lay the well thumDeii family Bible,
she had knelt and prayed for twenty
years with John-prayed for her little
ones il fearful grlet when he was gone
played for them when they one by
one slipped from her arms out into the
cold world, ard whcrc she still nightly
bent her siil. Old knees to prav for
them and theirs.
Mother only loved the old house
better as the years rolled on, but when
grim Old age had crept slowly UPON
her, i, vas decided iii family council
tha, She must make up her mind to
come and live with one or the other
Of them, FOR it WAS altogether OH, Of
the Question TOr her TO remain in that
gloomy old house alone. 81, one sad
day, ovcrpowtsed by the sons and
daughters who meant to be kind
mother went softly to and fro over the
Old house taking leave of it all, and
the last farewell was the visit to the
TWO mounds under the siroop;ng clms
wt:ere John slept and the first born
little son lay. Then, with feeling
thai the world can never quite under
stand, she vas driven away TO The Ene
CITY TcsilcnCc-lhcy don't call them
homes now-where Alfred and his vile
wnO tpf all her kindness rather over
powered mother with her fine ways,
mad gwen her stately room, and
what WAS the most dreadful, she was
suppose d to keep it there by herself.
Yes, they meant to be kind to her, but
the CITY ways and styles gave the old
lady the feeling that she was in an
asy !rrn. and IN spite Of all The gran
deur, NJ 3ther's wrlnkled cheeks lost
their sof; pink like that OF hal!wilted d
TO :, and she began to grow feeble and
worn, though every one was Sd busy
that 1t Passed unnot!ced. She was
p!ning for the old home, though she
felt that il would seem ungrateful tC
say 50, and then, somehow to pray i'll
the magnificent church, where she sat
IN a velvet cushioned pew, did not
seem to give her the help she prayed
for, for God, as it seemed 10 her, was
not as close as when she used 10 pray
at home kneelng by that old table.
If she could only go back and tell her
friend all about it; just once kneellng
where John used to seem to come and
ioin her. This feeling grew and grew,
though, as there was no one to tell II
10, she shut it up in her own lonely Old
heart.
One summer morning she was miss
ing, and she could not be touno
though they all searched everywhere
they could think she would be likely
10 wander, but in vain; she was gone
Then Alfred recollected all al once
,hs; he had rather neglected his moth
ar Of late. His wife :orgo; her cul'ur.
ed calmness and joined in the search
weeping bitterly. Henry left his desi
for once and got telegraph wires tt
work. and confusion and grief relgnei
| ln.,.,r.ar,,e uhile lhe SOUS and daughtel