The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1901-10-26
Is AWAY FROM HOME
Mrs. Arp Pays 4 Visit to Daughter
and Grandchildren.



woman when she Returns. =
-
Ny wife went on 70 the country
10 spend the day with one OF our
daughters and her children. We ex-
pecfed her to return that evening
but got message that she would
spend the night and the next day
and maybe longer. Thinks to my
self, she wants me TO send her word
TO come home. and 1 won't. 1t has
been long time since she run away.
We missed her, but made no sign.
Her chair was vacant. Her famil-
lar voice was no longer heard. The
pantry keys hung silent on the nail.
Nobody called me from the window
10 stop working in the garden and
rest while the sun was SO hot. Mo-
body to say the -four Is out or the
hominy or the lard or something else,
for something is always out at our
house. Little grandchildren come to
see US and don't stay long ZOOS gram
ma amt here" Everything looks like
funeral. Lones ONE isn't the word
for it. There isn't any word for the
feeling when the maternal ancestor
is not cruising around; when we can't
hear the rustic of her dress, nor the
sound of her voice nor see her stitch
ing away on some infantile garment
or reading over again the last let
tiers from the far away boys.
But the girls gave me hint and
said now was a good time to paint
the kitchen and surprise her, for she
has been talking about those old
dirty, dingy, smoky walls ever and
anon once or thrice in awhile. So
opened my big heart and little purse
and sent for the painter to come early
in the morning. He came and did a
nice job of it in a day. The kitchen
looks like parlor. The cook wom-
an caught on to the surprise party
and secured the tables and the tin
ware and then went home and put on
clean, new dress. My wife came
home this morning. We gave her a
kind welcome, but made no sign. She
was glad to get home and INDUCED
in more hilarity than usual. She
crnised around looking at familiar
things and places. Soon she wan
dered toward the kitchen and we kept
in hailing distance and watched her.
Suddenly there was scream of de-
light as she looked in at the open
door. SWELL, do declare. Did | ever"
That is all she said just then, for
she turned and came hastily to me
and kissed me. She took me by sur
prise, for she quit kissing me years |
ago. That kiss more than paid for |
the paint and the painting. These
little sweet surprises are the best |
part of domestic life. They beat
wealth and high life and political
honors and fame and are the next
thing to religion, for they are found
ed in love.
IAN thoughts, all passions, all delights
Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
All are but ministers Of love
And feed its sacred dame"
These are the songs of birds in the
trees-the flowers by the wayside that
comfort us in the journey of life.
Song birds and flowers! There is moth
ing in the wide world that gives such
emphasis to the love of God for His
creatures. We need food and raiment
and, of course, the human family
would perish without them. But birds
md flowers are extra gifts to minister
10 our senses, our emotions. How for
tulate for us that as we grow older we
love them better. When / was a very
busy man and had ambition to rise in
the world and advance my wife and
children cared little for birds or
lowers, but now they are my especial
Measure. Now / understand the mean
ng of that beautiful verse: "Consider
he lilies how they grow. They toll
rot. neither do they spin, yet Solomon
n all his glory was not arrayed like
me of these" He who provideth food
or the ravens and takes notice of
very sparrow that falls to the ground
will surely take care of us if we trust
Him. believe there are but two kinds
IT flowers named in the Bible-the
'ose of Sharon and the lily of the val
ey-and these two stand preeminent
O-day for beauty and fragrance. OF
ate have been watching the rose
'uds as they unfold their leaves and
,pen into beauty. How wonderfully
hey are folded upon the little cone
md every layer is waiting for its time
md turn to come forth and breathe
he air and take on colors from Gods
unlight. No human fingers could re-
old them and make bud again. The
firth of beautiful rose is miracle.
{ passeth comprehension and excites
ur wonder only. just so is the feath-
r of a bird. The microscope shows
he most wonderful mechanism in it's
woven fabric--its strength
nd its gossamer lightness. Then look
arefully at the frame work of the
eed pods that shoot up from the dam
elton. Human fingers cannot APP
roach them in structure. They are
xquisite and must come from the
and of God. There is limit to the
ERECTION of everything that is made
Y man, but there is none to the works
t nature. The finest cambria needle
,oLs like blunt pointed file under
he microscope, but the point of
ee's sting is invisible. wish that
he young folks would sometimes stop
nd think and study nature. 1t would
sfine them in thought and feeling and
xcite reverence for their Creator.
low beautifully the great poets wrote
bout flowers. One says: "The hum
lest flower that blooms sometimes
ives thought too deep for tears"
And tbs my faith that every flower i
nioys the air IL breathes." Some d
DIVERS seem vain and some are mod c
4 From nv r.i,adna. see the rnir-