The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-07-27

The Dinner Of Herbs and Love.
1t is quite the fashion for croak-
ers and pessimists TO sneer at love in
a cottage, and to declare that when
poverty stalks in at the door love
flies out at the window.
But those who have studied long
and deeply into the manners and
methods and the everyday lives OF
the poor have learned far different
lesson. They have learned the real
meaning of the word "love," and
have been able, dimly perhaps, tc
discover what it is that keeps fam
lilies together through sorrow, pri-
vation, cold, hunger, aye, starvation
itself.
Simple folk who have little Of this
worlds goods, and must make that
little 90 as far as possible, early
learn to exercise little self-denials,
and make sacrifices such as the
wealthy can by no possibility un-
derstand or appreciate. Where there
is abundance there is no special
merit in generosity. is only part
ing with something that the owner
feels no need Of, and parts with often
without regret or any special real
ization of what the act implies.
But those who give Of their penury
have learned to the full what giving
means, and with them, whenever a
generous act is done, it signifies a
good -heartedness and depth OF
feeling born and bred of clear un-
derstanding Of the circumstances
that make such an act worthy OF
record in the chronicles of the an
gels.
And the same thing is peculiarly
true of people of moderate means
who have refined and cultured tastes.
They have wider range Of expert.
ences, and much more compre'
hensive grasp of the meaning OF self
sacrifice thai those who live with
rougher environment. The finer the
feelings and the more delicate the
ssnsibilities, the greater the sense o
obligation TO Others. And wher
with this there is lack Of means
with which to carry out generous in
tentions and impulses, the situation
is hard indeed.
1t is in Just such instances as these
that love smooths the pathway and
makes trials ard WEAKNESS tolerable
which would otherwise be too much
for human nature to bear. Who
could live through the struggles and
privations that hundreds Of thous.
ands OF families undergo, if there
we're not deep and abiding love un-
derneath to buoy up the faiitine
spirits, to rest the tired feet, and tc
support the trembling hands! Anc
who shall say how much love i
takes to keep dropping lids from
closing when the overtaxed wife,
sister, mother or daughter, sits ul
hour after hour, to wait for the way
ward one who may never return, or
if he comes, may be in state DIN
spire terror rather than affection, o
may appear in the likeness OF
fiend.
And the love that prompts tive
trusting hearts to leave all else, ant
to count the whole world well lost i
only they can have each other, and
live in the light of their own devo
ton and the sunshine Of their owr
smiles, is beyond all price. Man,
a home has been founded with moth
/ ing but love for its basis, and those
who know whereof they speak viii
not hazard the opinion that they
could have chosen better materia
Of which these temporal and spir
itual dwellings were to be com
posed.
Love and hope are the twin gift.
from Heaven. But for these, how
could the mothers Of this great world
watch and wait and work for the day
when the little feet grow strong
enough to walk in the right way
How could they live until the baby
hands ar, big enough and the tiny
shoulders stout enough to lift theil
share Of life's burdens, and carry
their part and mothers too? But
for love and hope, how could wives
sit patiently, day after day, looking
and praying for the time when their
husbands would see the errors oi
their ways and turn from the dram
shop and the gambling den and re-
form their habits, and once more ap-
pear clothed in their right minds?
And then willingly, nay gladly,
would they take up the old life as il
was in the days Of their first &C.
quaintance, and renew the pledges
and pleasures and love and hopes