The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-03-06
HERes AND LOVE.
Make . Dinner which Satisfies the
Heart.

and pessimists to sneer at love in cot
tage, and to declare that when poverty |
stalks IN at the door love flies out OF the
window.
But those who have studied long and
deeply into the manners and methods
and the everyday lives of the poor have
learned a far different lesson. They
tave learned the real meaning of the
word slove," and have been able, dimly,
perhaps, to discover what it is that
keeps families together through sor-
row, privation, cold, hunger, aye, star
walton itself.
Simple folk who have little of this
worlds goods, and must make that lit
tie go as far as possible, early learn to
exercise little self-denials and make
sacrifices such as the wealthy can by no
possibility understand or appreciate.
Where there is abundance there Is no
special merit in generosity. 1t is only
parting with something that the owner
really feels no need of, and parts with
often without regret or any special
realization of what the act implies.
But those who give of their penury
have learned to the full what giving
means, and with them, whenever gen.
erous act is done, it signifies good
heartedness and depth of feeling born
and bred of clear understanding of
the circumstances that make such an
act worthy of record in the chrcn-
icles of the angels.
And the same thing is peculiarly true
Of people OF. moderate means who have
refined and cultivated tastes. They
have wider range of experiences, and
much more comprehensive grasp of
the meaning of self-sacrifice than those
who live with rougher environment.
The finer the feelings and the more deli
cate the sensibilities, the the greater the
sense of obligation to others. And
when with this there is lack of means
with which to carry out generous in
tentions and impulses, the situation is
hard indeed.
1t is in just such instances as these
that love smoothes the pathway and
makes trials and WEAKNESS tolerable
which would otherwise be too much for
human nature to bear. Who could live
through the struggles and privations
that hundreds of thousands of families
undergo if there were not deep and
abiding love underneath to buoy up the
fainting spirits, to rest the tired feet,
and to support the trembling hands!
And who shall say how much love it
takes to keep dropping lids from closing
when the overtaxed wife, sister, mother
or daughter sits up hour after hour
to wait for the hayward one who may
never return, or, if he comes, may be
in state to inspire terror rather than
affection, or may appear in the likeness
Of fiend.
And the love that prompts two trust
ing hearts to leave all else and to count
the whole world well lost if only they
can have each other and live in the light
of their own devotion and the sunshine
of their own smiles, is beyond all price,
Many a home has been founded with
nothing but love for its basis, and those
who know whereof they speak will not
hazard the opinion that they could have
chosen better material of which these
| temporal and spiritual dwellings were
to be composed.
Love and hope are the twin gifts
from Heaven. But for these, how couli
the mothers of this great world watch
and wait and work for the day when thu
little feet grow strong enough to wall
! in the right way! How could they liv'
until the baby hands are big enough
and the tiny shoulders stout enough
to lift their share of life's burdens, ant
carry their part and mothers too
But for love and hope, how could wive
sit patiently, day after day, looking
and praying for the time when thei
ways and turn from the dram sho'
and the gambling den and reform thei
habits, and once more appear clothes
IN their right minds? And then will
lingly, nay gladly, would they take u
the old life as ii was in the days of thei
first acquaintance, and renew tn
pledges and pleasures of love and hope
of their youth.
How long could these wives bear sue
trials as these if there were no love Q
hope to support them?
| Truly the most wonderful thing in tn
world is love. 1t forgives all thing,
hopes all things. 1t covers the fault
of the loved ones until even their crime
find an excuse. 1t makes light of petit
misdemeauors and reclaims waywar
heads and strengthens weak hearts.
unites hearts and lives, and rears home
and surrounds hearthstones with brigf
and happy faces. 1t builds churchs
and schools and hospitals and home
for the poor and those who are withor
friends or hope in this wide world. {
truth, the world is full of wonderfl
things, and the most wonderful is Low
which makes an epicurean banquet {
dinner of herbs.-N. Y. Ledger.
| al