Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-07-22
Catherine Conway Ellie

away ana heaven SmIled on the nay
makers until the earth was almost
parched. From plenty the merchant sup
piled frugal needs and comforts, the
priest and pastor gave thanks, and the
physician went hopeful on his way with
such occasional remedies as a healthy
time requires. Even the ills of far off
war were scarcely felt. Old men and
women tired by the accomplishment of
their own little ambitions were warmed
into new and secondary life by one, two,
and sometimes three generations, warm
ing, pushing, developing and expanding
a fulsome life and demonstration before
which age dissolves and passes on and
into the extinguishment of individual
identity. Everybody was knit into
sympathy with the times and conditions
and into most confident expectancy oflife
but no one more than another. Many
pairs communed i'll sacred union with
two hearts as one and which were filled
with thoughts of growing infancy and
thrilled with the development OF new be-
ings whose young lives constantly re-
fresh and inspire the old. Families and
iresides, friends in pairs and groups unit
ed hands and hearts and hopes as night
gently fell on pleasant happy homes in
which the old soon went to sleep the
sleep that's earned by honest toll, the
younger ones to sleep that's filled with
strong and buoyant dreams, and the lit
tie ones to the sweet and innocent sleep
of childhood. But all went with dreams
and hopes of termination, reunion and
resumption on the morrow.
But when the morning came with it's
scenery and figures, it's hills, valleys, and
human forms, the din of life, glad and
loving impulses, joyous greetings and
reunions, one there was who did not
waken ,on that morning Those lips
which had been justas ncapablein life as
in death of ut teriug bitter, unkind or de-
famatory words were sileut. Lips which
spoke no words but those of charity and
kindness aJenow SIN, The stillglowing
light ofthe morning rested gently on the
motionless type of life which suddenly
went out Just as its social and moral in
fluepce was spreading and ripening in its
surroundings. She went at midnight
from home guarded by every hope and
the skill and strength ofman.. The mes
senger met sharp but brief resistance,
9ne'in which the strength and skill of
man was ofno avail. Angels of mercy
besought the messenger to spare her lite
and in this behalf invoked her kindness,
charity, goodness, benevolence, virtue,
sacred motherly Offices, and all the patti
ent virtues which adorned her home and
cheered and blessed the outer world.
But when the morning came she was
gone from where gloomy man sat en-
bedded in the awful stiffness, and children
looked wonderingly each into the others
eyes as if awakening in dazed amazement
from dream in which the mother had
vanished as in vision OF the night.
Except the household and hurried aids
all slept unconscious of the gloom that
had fallen there at midnight. But in the
morning when it was told q shadow fell
on every heart and home. All quickly
felt the sorrows of Others for they were
much their own. But soon consoling
memory recalled, the goodness i'll the
home and church and social ways of the
life that went out so quickly; all recog-
nized that this was calamity unmixed
with remorse or bitter memories, and
| that this was not separation worse
than Deaths; but one that came in
natures own appointed way.
When we think of the Overwhelming
conditions of one man, and of the post
norton messenger who is speeding on
his way to deal the father in the far west
blow which will fall the more heavily
because delayed, we rejoice that nature
has implanted in the soul of man that
! sublime courage and hope that enables
him to rise out of calamity and to so
rebuild that the reconstruction shall be
made stronger by the memory of disaster
and that cool solid philosophy on which
he can stand firm amid the ruin of all his
earthly hopes, thus preventing him lying
down in despair and dying like a beast
iheb enabling him to stand guard against
cynicism until death brings him honora
BILE discharge, and which enables him tc
stand firm amid the ruins of even all his
life plans and still hope for reality be
You'd, whether it will ever come or not
Let all find consolation in and gratitud,
for that hope that somewhere in th'
dim and distant future the rough, dis
ionted and broken conditions in life shall
be adjusted and repaired, and for tn,
hope whether it be a reality or not) off
grand reunion and restoration of the in
dividual identity of each. There is an
other hope: that of a finally happy dis
position of all things. Men widely differ
as to its nature and methods, but each il
allied to those reverential conditions hes
. adapted to his or her wants. To thei
hope and methods we reverently bow il
respectful sympathy and personal sor
row, and leave our friends with tende
commendation to the source of al
earthly hope and consolation. G.N.D.