The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-24

mean the dark night-nor do l go into
raptures over what we call the twilight
that doubtful light twixt sunshine and
darkness, and that literally means light
cut in two 1t seems to me that these
twilights grow shorter as we grow older.
When the day is done the darkness does
seem to fall from the wings of night, and
we hasten to light the lamps, for dark
ness is never welcome. 1t is an intruder
and a symbol of every evil thing. We
suppose that night was created as con-
trast to make us enjoy the day, just as
evil was created as contrast to that
which is good. The scriptures say no
good thing concerning darkness or night,
and when describing heaven say. There
shall be no night there" They tell us of
outer darkness and thick darkness and
the blackness of darkness and darkness
that may be felt. Darkness was one of
the ten plaques that was sent upon Pha-
raoh. Job cursed the day of his birth
and says, Let that day be darkness. Let
darkness and the shadow of death stain
it." David saith, Sorrow endureth for
the night, but JOY cometh in the morn
ing" and tells of the pestilence that
walketh in darkness. The apostles use it
as a symbol of every calamity. Darkness
covered the land when the Savior was
crucified. The devil is called the prince
of darkness. Ancient mythology describes
Erebus as the dark cavern through which
the spirits of the damned and wicked
dead shall pass on their way to hell. And
Homer writes of a country called Cim
meria afar beyond the sea where the sun
never shines and the people live in dark
ness. Milton describes the darkness of
Hades as so dense that it was visible.
Speaking of evil spirits that haunt man
kind, he says they move in darkness, but
fear truth and chastity. "No evil thing
that walks by night in for or fre-no bag,
or ghost, or goblin damned has hurtful
power over a chaSte and virtuouS wO-
man." Montgomery says, might is the
time to weep. And Shakespeare says,
I'm the dark night, imagining some fear,
a little bush appears to be bear Young
says, s"An atheist half believes in God by
night" and Tennyson says of himself, 81
am but an infant crying in the night-an
infant crying for the light But this is
enough, and these nominations were pro-
yoked last night about midnight-the hour
when the deep sleep falleth upon man,
but not upon a woman. My wifes voice
awakened and startled me. She said,
What is it? Who is it? What do you
want?" Then she called me and struck
q match and lighted the candle that was
near. What did you hear?" said 1.
Somebody is at the door, she said, ex-
citedly. (which door," said L. This
,ier1,f
upstairs" she said. Unlocking the door
quickly, the light shone into the room,
but nobody was visible. l examined the
room carefully and then went into the
hall and dining room and parlor and
thence upstairs on tiptoe, but all was ST.
lent. When | returned she said. well,
l did certainly hear somebody at that
door, and it walked me, but maybe / was
dreaming. ! remember now, l did have a
troubled dream, but please look under
the bed before you put out the light
Such is conjugal life, and felicity. For
some time l laid awake listening for
noise and Eliminating on human helpless
ness during the darkness of the night.
| remember when l had an unwilling
fear of ghosts that / would not acknowl-
edge. got it from the awful stories that
our negroes told to us children, for there
was a fascination about them that drew
ne to their cabins by night, and lis
tened to their made-up tales of ghosts
and witches and Jack OLanterns and
raw head and bloody bones until l was
afraid to look around behind me, and
had to be guarded to the big house door
when left But this childish fear passed
away. and long since have realized that
there are no spirits to hunt us, and that
''only man is vile"
My wife is not a timid woman. but she
Is cautious, and will not consent for me to |
keep pistol in our bed room for fear |
might have bad dream and shoot some
body through mistake. She never sleeps
very soundly. A mother who has nursed |
ten children never does, and the crack |
ing of the paper on the wall will arouse |
her. She is happy now. for there is an |
other grandchild not far away, and she |
goes there every day. Pretends she goes
TO help Jessie, but it is really to nurse |
and fondle Jessie's baby boy, for the ma
-ernal instinct never dies. and she has
lot forgotten the lullabies she sang to !.
ner children in their infancy l remem
Der how my aged mother. when on her
800 cSu, ulcdiucu AWAY QoF loving lie
imagining there was Eabe at her breast |
and whispering a song to it lust before
'he died. She found two in heaven when
me got there. Oh, We young men Eho
niger and test in the saloon or around
he gaming tables or frequent disreputa- 1
lie places, stop and think. Step and
mink, and remember the long and weary
lights that mother watched with you
hd never complained. Maybe her spirit |
watching you now and yearning over
'ou In the spirit land. For her sake stop
M think and come back to the inno-
ence OF your childhood.
And there are some little songs that /.
90, remember and still can sing to the ]
title helpless teething things and soothe
mem TO sleep as l walk the room. My
title baby songs are stereotyped in my
ieinory and have been handed do., a. Il
1ough not published or copyrighted. The =
re masculine medley of 'sBy, baby i
uniting, Hush, my DEAR lie still as,tI
lumber, "Julianna Johnson don't ynV
~, Away down in Shinbone sllesy.. J,
Ana Well pass over Jordan araS 60
'fth, They are all in the same kew "a
the same meter and dovetafl into ona
ho'her and lust go round and r,,, ,na
ohotohous and mournful, until the hild
rs TO 20 TO Slann RI laon $500