Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-16

NHe laOOTAtOry. ElgnI girls W6lcneus
with loving care that acorn az It un-;
folded the life Of the growing oak. The!
year rolled rapidly along to that happy
commencement day." which was to be
the commencement OF life outside the
school room to the little tree as we'll as
to the girls.
But oh, dismay! After the spring va
cation, when the oak was lifted from
the window to be admired by its devo-:
tees. 1t was found to have grown one
sided. Every leaf was turned to the
sunny side OF the window, and we. in
the hasty Judgment of girlhood, said,
s''Oh, we have lost the beauty and SYM
imetry Of our oak in not turning y
around every day" Our noble minded
grown toward the light 1t did not.
seem perfect tree to your human Wis
ion, but the divine instinct of the plant
tosthe sunshine that loved II and sought
10 aid its sIoMtil and development. We
chose our class motto from the little
oak-"G toward the light"
No matter what the environment, no
matter how much it seems to us. in our
human judgment. that We are neglected.
the sunshine OF Gods love reaching
down eagerly TO touch With beauty and
power every leaf of human life, IL we,
as the little plant, but grow toward the
light.
When little children and rainy day.
spoiled some anticipated pleasure how
we fretted and grieved over our disap-9
iy,f tIc.y,
nate of children, the most wronged of
smortals because our Will was not the
universal Will: and we knew the sun
would never shine again, because each
day held all of eternity that our child
hearts could comprehend. Later in life
the clod of u great sorrow darkened the
home world, and again We grieved and
ifretted under higher will. There was
no sunshine in al! the world for us.
Again and again the home was envel-3
Ioped in8the shadow OF SORROW. and again
and again was the cross borne blindly
and with stumbling steps. 1t was we'll
enough for those who knew no bitter
ness and pain to say: No cloud cs,r -
big enough to shut out heaven II We
keep the eye towards il1e throne
when we reach heaven and see the cloud
from Gods side. it will be blazing and
beaming With the illumination of His
love- 1t was all right for those who
We're walking in pnths of delight TO tell
US Of the rod and the stan that
strengthens and sustains. When the
eyes are dim With grief the frightened,
doubling heart can not see the light.
But as sure as sunshine follows the
rain, just ms sure d day follows the
night, there ccmeth an hour when the
cloud is seen from Gods side. and 1t is
not always after we reach heaven.
In a little volume at hand We find the
description OF wondrous picture called
I"Cloudland." 1t hangs in one of the
German picture galleries at the end OF a
long gallery. At first sight ii looks
I like a huge, repulsive daub of confused
color, without form or coIneliness. AS
you walk towards II the picture begins
to take shape and proves to be a mass
of exquisite cherub faces, like those at
the head OF the canvas in Raphael's
Madonna San Sisto.
We stood at the dying bedside of the
mother Who had borne the heaviest
burden OF the cross in our cloudland of
life. Steadfastly she had walked dow1,
the long way. many times SO blinded
with grief as scarcely TO see the guiding
l;hand; but in those last hours new
Hight fell upon the picture of life. a
glimpse from Gods eide was given her
and the clouds dissolved into waiting
l,nngel faces of the loved and lost. With
| a glad cry she said, Now I see. now
know the loving Father was but gath
l.ering my children into the home await
ling me. | do not have to leave them,
go to them. And the other day, when
We heard a mothers despairing cry over
the first shadow Of death that had come
Into her heart-the old, familiar cry
.'Wny am I thus bereft? What have
done that should be so stiicken?n VIC
wisheh every grieving heart could know
as We know. that when the cloud is seen
lsfrem the Gods side. it will be blazing
Land beaming With the Nominations OF
4 His love, and dissolve into the faces Of
4 those We loved on earth.
NELLIE REID-CADY.