The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1899-12-23

disadvantage about locomotive en-
CINE that it gets so hot. But you
must accept the engine under that de-
duction. For it will not go unless it
be so hot. If you, being human be-
ing living in this imperfect system Of
things, will break away from every
thing which has its inconvenience,
you will leave yourself without any
possession or surroundings whatever.
To speak gravely: One remarks in
these advancing years, that the great
anxiety and care of worthy men and
women, growing old, is about their
children the lesser ones still going to
school; the bigger ones, for whom you
are seeking an aim in life, or who have
gone far away. No doubt, if you had
no children you would be free from
many anxious thoughts. The income
would go much farther. The furniture
and the painting of your house would
last much longer. You could indulge
in many luxuries now impossible. You
might buy books without stint and take
many delightful trips yearly. But you
would not have these selfish indulgen-
ges at the price. 1t is a cherries
thing, a childless home. No one will
bear with you in the last fretfulness,
and smooth the last steps of your way,
like your own boy or girl. If there be
in you any good at all, it has been
brought out mainly by the continual
presence and charge of your children.
And you have had CLEANS of pure and
unselfsh happiness, which are I'M
known in lonely life. Had you kept
clear of the responsibilities of life, and
given no hostages to fortune, you
would, do doubt, have presented a mar
row mark to the shafts of care. But
unless you were very poor creature
indeed, every time you heard the
laughter of little ones, and watched
their winsome ways, their thoughtless
merriment, you would have felt that
you had missed the best happiness of
this life. And to do that of your free
will is surely the greatest OF all mis-
takes. Your library may be full of
beautifully bound volumes; your car
pets unworn, your walls unmarked by
little fingers, no sudden noises may jar
your nerves no eager 'ittle face look
+ ID wien yoyr als' e reg Mlaais q a
complicated sentence, and break the
tenor of your thoughts. And you new
er yet saw the childish eyes close upon
this world nor received the last kiss
from lips that were growing cold, when
Somebody as of old, "called to Himself
little child" You never knew that
terrible trial, which no faith and no
hope could make anything other. But
neither did you ever see the bright
eyes lighted up when you return from
a brief absence, nor did little pattering
lCCG 1 VII w hiCCe you. L ou ACNCh "OAO
earnestly questioned as to what you
had brought having earnestly consid-
cred the shop windows for something
to bring. You may have been told,
but you do not know as you might,
that these little creatures whether
abiding with you here or gone on be-
fore you, are the instruments of the
Best Hand to bring out the best that
can be made of His creatures here.
All that is worth having, even at what
it costs. A great deal has to be paid
for it, no doubt. But unless in morbid
and transient moods you would not
wish to have done without it.
Therefore, instead of moaning over
days past, with their opportunities
missed, and their idiotic sayings and
doings, we should all set ourselves to
do the best we can in the days which
yet remain. And if there be blots on
the page which can never be rubbed
out where we are, there is the supreme
: consolation that some day we may
hope to turn over a new leaf, and make
fresh start, far away.