Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-01-27

wn1Ie YET AS she goes from '60uSe 10
house to children and grandchildren.
her coming is dropping of sunlight in
the dwelling YOur children see her
coming through the lane, and they cry,
"Grandmother' comet Care for you
has marked up her face with many a
deep wrinkle and her back stoops with
carrying your burdens. Some day she
is very quiet She says she is not sick.
but something tells you you will not
much longer have a mother. She will
sit with you no'mOre at the table. nor
at the hearth Her soul goes out 50
gently you do not exactly know the mo-
ment Of its going. Fold the hands that
have done so many kindnesses for You
right over the heart that has beat with
love toward you since before you were
born. Let the pilgrim rest. She Is
weary. Death in the summer hOusel
Gather about us what we will Of COM
fort and luxury. When the pale mes
senger comes, he does not stop 70 look
at the architecture Of the house before
he comes in, nor, entering, does he
wait TO examine the pictures we have
gathered on the wall or. bending over
your pillow, he does not stop to see
whether there is color in the cheek. or
gentleness in the eye. or intelligence in
the brow. But what Of that Must we
stand forever mourning among the
graves Of our dead MOI MOI The peo-
pie in Bengal bring cages Of birds 10
the graves Of their dead. and then they
open the cages, and the birds go singing
heavenward So l would bring 10 the
graves Of your dead all bright thoughts
and congratulations and bid them sing
Of victory and redemption stamp On
the bottom Of the grave and il breaks
through into the light and the glory Of
heaven The ancients used to think
that the straits entering the Red sea
were very dangerous places, and they
supposed that every ship that went
through those straits would be destroy
ed, and they were in the habit Of put
ting on weeds of mourning for those
who had gone on that voyage. as though
they were actually dead Do you know
what they called those straitsl They
called them the Gate Of Tears.
stand at the gate Of tears through which
many Of your loved ones have gone, and
| want to tell you that all are not ship
wrecked that have gone through those
straits into the great ocean stretching
ont beyond. The sound that comes from
Il IL. otf sfrhf - rvh
are wrapped in prayer makes me think
that the departed are not dead We
are the dead-we who toll, we who
weep. we who sin-we are the dead
How my heart aches for human sorrow
This sound Of breaking hearts that
hear all about me- This last look OF
faces that never will brighten again
This last kiss of lips that never will
speak againl This widowhood and or
phanagel Oh when will the day Of sor-
row be gone
After the sharpest winter the spring
dismounts from the shoulder Of south
ern gale and puts its warm hand upon
the earth, and in its palm there comes
the grass, and there come the flowers,
and God reads over the poetry OF bird
and brook and bloom and pronounces it
very good. What, my friends, If every
winter had not its spring, and every
night its day. and every gloom its glow.
and every bitter now its sweet hereaft-
erl If YOU have been on the sea, you
know. as the ship passes in the night.
there is a phosphorescent track left be-
hind it, and as the waters roll up they
toss with unimaginable splendor. Well.
across this great ocean Of human trouble
Jesus walks Oh, that in the phos-
phorescent track of his feet we might
all follow and be illumined
There was a gentleman in rail car
who saw in that same car three passen-
gers of very different circumstances
The first was a maniac. He was care
fully guarded by his attendants His
mind. like a ship dismasted, was beat
ing against dark, desolate coast. from
which no help could come The tram
stopped. and the man was taken out
into the asylum, to waste away perhaps
through years Of gloom. The second
passenger was culprit The outraged
, law had seized on him As the cars
iolted the chains ratified. On his face
were crime. depravity and despair The
train halted. and he was taken out t.
the penitentiary. to which he had been
condemned. There was the third pas
senoer. under far different circum'
stances She was a bride Every hour
was gay as marriage bell Life giit-
tered and beckonei. Her companion
WAS taking her to his fathers house
The train halted. The Oh man was
there 10 welcome her to her new home.
and his white locks showed down upon
her rs he sealed his word with tath
kiss Quickly we fly toward eternity
We will soon be there. Some leave TINS
life condemned culprits. and they refuse
a pardon. Oh. may it be with US that
leaving this fieeting life for the next we
may find our Father ready to greet Ms
10 our new home with him forever
That will be marriage banquet ta-
theirs welcomed Fathers bosomi fa-
theirs kiss Heaven Heaven
------ "reddy" and His specs
"Colonel Roosevelt is very nearsight-
ed" said one of the New Orleans boys
who saw service at Santiago "and
when the hot fighting was in progress
his luggage consisted almost entirely OF
spectacles Near sighted people always
have an abiding dread Of losing their
glasses, knowing their absolute helpless,
ness without such aid, and vas told
by one of the New York club contingent
that Roosevelt took particular pains
before leaving home 10 provide against
such disaster
"He had been in the habit OF wear,
ing nose glasses with black silk cord
attached. but the arrangement was en-
tirely unsuited TO campaign, where
the glasses themselves would be haole
TO fall off constantly and the cord 70
catch on twigs SO he substituted very
large. round spectacles with steel hooks
for the ears and had a dozen pairs