Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-12

anu NdIul Sllttl, NCh
York, was far up town. That old houst
in the city may have been demolished
or changed into stores, and it seemed
like sacrilege 10 you--for there was
more meaning in that small house than
there is in Il granite mansion or tur-
reted cathedral Looking back, you see
it as though il We're yesrerday-the sit
ting room, where the loved one sat by
J the plain lamp light, the mother at the
evening stand, the brothers and sisters
| perhaps long ago gathered into the
skies, then plotting mischief on the
floor or under the table Your father
with firm voice commanding silence
that lasted half minute.
Happy Days Gone BY.
Oh, those were good days! If you
had your foot hurt, your mother always
had a soothing salve to heal it If you
We're wronged III the street, Your father
was always ready tC protect you The
year was one round of frolic and nlirth
Your greatest trouble WAS an April
shower, more sunshine than shower
L ilNsii lpl DCtH idhSd1hSt "
| trouble, nor had sickness broken it. and
no lamb had warmer sheepfold than
| the home in which your childhood
| nestled.
Perhaps you Were brought up i'll the
| country. You stand now today Ill mem
| ory under the old tree. You clubbed it
for fruit that was not quite ripe, be
cause you couldn't wait any longer
You hear the brook rumbling along
over the pebbles You step again into
the turrow where Your father. in his
shirt sleeves shouted to the lazy oxen.
You frighten the. swallows from the
rafters of TIE barn and take Just one
egg and silence Your conscience by say
ing they Will not miss it Yon take a
drink again ont Of the very bucket that
the old well fetched up YCu go for the
cows at night and lind them pnsbing
their beisis through the bars. Ofttime4
i'll the dusty and busy streets you wish
sou Were home again on that cool 9rass.
"a, in the rag carpeted hall of the farm
| house, through which there came tie
breath of new mown hay or the blossom
Of huckwbeat
1ou may have i'll y6ur windows now
beautiful plants ana flowers brought
from across the seas. bat not one of
them stirs in your soul 30 much charm
and memory as the old ivy and the yel
lew sunflower that stood sentinel along
the garden walk and the fUreetDen0ts
playing hide ana seek mid the long
trasS The father who used TO come in
.unburned from the field and sit down
on the doorsill and wipe the sweat from
his brow may have gone tu his everlast-
ing rest The mother who used to sit
at the door a little hent over, cap and
spectacles ON, her face mellowing with
the vicissitudes of many Years, may
pillow iii the valley, but forget that
home you never will Have You thanked
God for it! Have you Iehearsed all
these blessed "reminiscences On. thank
God for Christian father Thank God
for Il Christian mother Thank God for
an early Christian altar at which You
were taught 10 kneel Thank God for
an early Christian home,
A Great Mission.
bring to mind another passage in
the history of your life The day came
when you set mp Your own household
The days passed along in quiet blessed
ness. You twain sat at the table morn
ing and night and talked over yuur
plans for the future The most in>ignif-
cant afisir in your life became the sub
ject of mutual consultation and aiiv.t-
tisement Gou We're ST. happy you felt
You never conid be any happier. One
day dark cloud hoyered over your
dwelling, aud il got darker and darker,
but out of that cloud the shining mes
senger of God descended to inCarnate
an immortal spirit. Two little feet
started Oh an eternal journey, and you
were TO lead them, Il gem to fash in
heavens coronet, and You fu polish it;
eternal ages of light and darkness
watching the starting ont of newly
created creature. You rejoiced and you
trembled at the responsibility that in
your possession an immortal treasure
was placed You prayed and reioiced
and wept and wondered you were
earnest in supplication that you might
lead it through life into the kingdom
of God. There was a tremor in your
earnestDess, There was double inter-