The citizen., 1901-05-31


Ihe wedding anniversaries of the aged
are especially rich in memories and in
the summing up of the value of welded
life as apart from all their other relations
70 the world or to humanity. that indie
scribable line of separation from every
other tie and interest which husband
and wife feel so strongly when they say
we and mean the dual life which is
yet one in mysterious unity The we'd
ding day "reminiscences cling together
within that close drawn boundary. and
they lie in the daiutily adjusted scales in
which we weigh life'> values. The heart
asks What have all these years brought
10 ne: These joys, these hopes so often
unrealizcd. these deep felt trials. these
sometime discords, these inteusitieS of
emotion. births. deaths. meetings and
partinsS-what have they left me? Hap
py they who can say left us"
Two aged people sitting together. hand
in hand, recalling the past, make one of
the loveliest pictures which we see in our
intercourse with men and women, and
there are very few who. remaining thus
united after sharing the stress and strain
of life's battle. will not say fervently.
Life is indeed worth living"
What a harvest field it has been. How
every day in all these long years has con-
trlbutcd its portion to the weaving of the
great tapestry at which they worked
without seeing one design. Now. with
its face turned toward them. they see
what it all meanS-rich. glowing color
where joy and ardor and prosperity guild
ed the needle; spots of faded brightness
where tears had washed the weavcr's ma
terial with such salt floods that it had lost
all charm. yet now lending tender con
trast to the sunshine paths. Yes. each
was needed in its place. and nothing
would have been perfect without the
coUntcrvailins influence of light upon
shade, of grief on too vivid joy.
| do not believe that any day in our
personal calendars has SO much import as
tn" anniversary of our wedding day. Our
birthdays are of feeble value in COMPARE
sou, ana the heart does not then 50 ques-
ton itself as to what share We have had
III the outcome of the years. Had been
more yielding there. had been more ten
der Mt that critical time, had been bray
er, more true to my convictions. more
willing to bear temporary displcasure for
future good-how questions rush to the
lips while the great roll unfolds itself and
we sec the past as we could not see that
present which can never be recalled.
But where is there such harvest as
comes from a long. loving, welded life?
Those single detached men and women
whom we know. reaching out after some
satisfying verify to ill the hunger of
their hearts-sster's children, art sci
encc, public charities-look so pathetic
when put in the balance with the deeply
moving, intense emotion of those whose
every word and act had a reflex action
upon another heart and soul and in whose
influence and character lay the possibili-
ties of good or evil to a nature indissolu.
bly, united to its own.
What autumn festival is like that
which a devoted old couple keep togeth-
er? Their vintage is over. but the good
wine their love pressed from the rich
grapes of their young lives warns their
veins now. and no winter can chill
them. Children and childrcn's children
call them by name and no wind of power
ty can rob them of their chief treasures.
There is something most touching notice
able in the self satisfaction shown hy
very aged people if they outlve the ordi-
nary limit of united lives. The golden
anniversary of 30 years brings ont even
a recurrence to some token of bridal or
nament, and if GO years are allotted there
really seems to be show of personal
pride, as if they were in themselves meri-
torious so long to remain in happy unity.
an example to the young.
lo
alas, to'abide alone after death has taken
the other half Of their lives into the land
which no man can enter without his aid
| Lonely they may look; set apart and sep
arate they must feel; MANNED and haIting
they must 30 on until the strong. tender
hand of the releasing angel leads them
within the veil But to these also there
appertains an aftermath. No arid place
can come into hearts that have been
nourished by faithful. pure unselfsh
love. He who goes forth in the morning
for the abbreviated labor of his failing
strength misses the audible voice of
blessing and the tender touch which sent
him cheerfully forward in happier days.
/ but he is not destitute of the influence Of
what. being once his, cannot be taken
from him. The door does not close with.
out a gentle echo of the voice that is
still' being spiritually heard. and "the
vanished hand" has left an imprint which
will always cling to him He is never
really alone in truth Love does not pass
out and away from lives hallowed by
fidelity and unceaSing tenderness. Lone.
ly he is. but not alone
And where many a white haired wo-
man sits silent in the sunset hour of her
wedding day. with the setting sun S"m-
boli2inc her life in its bright, stcadfaSr
radiance. you will often see an express
sion Of peaceful serenity upon her farce.
and it needs no interpreter to explain
that she is dwelling in close companion
ship with that which, though unseen by
others. is integraly part Of her very ex-
i~tcncc. She also knows that the es-
scnce of thar happiness which made her
so proud Of her titles of wife ana mother
Is unqucnchabe. ana her sunset hour is
sustained by the harvest of her faithful
years
There seems q magnetism in these elo
qucnt though fa'i'. lives which onchf 70
be an appeal to q ghcr AMI nuhlcr csti.
mate of married life These sweet times
of later harvest have come not 70 the
qunrulous thr Irritable, the soli~h, the
unreasonable The married lie which
has been spent in an 'eavor each 20 cor
trol ana absorb the vita in1iyiluaiity OF
the other leaves no sustaining power for
this soft after growth Which is so price
less when STRENGTH fails apl the hand
loses ils cn.a.nr.- New York Post
An Ideal Mother.