The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-08-19
The OLD CANDLE MOLDS.
By ]. b. WILSON. Nj. d., Cincinnati.

| the cake,
Are never like the cooking our mothers usee
To make;
And no matter how our comforts expand anC
i- richer grow,
They somehow lack the relish OF those OF Ions
ago:
And nothing seems so real, be it friendship
love- truth.
As the simple sweet exchanges Of our owl
glorious youth.
The Office work had long been done. and late
had grown the hour,
| No sound fell on the city, save the chimes
from out the tower
In my easy chair reclining. / turned my
wearied sight
From the classic page before me, to the In.
candesceut light.
That brightly scintilated and threw Its bril-.
liant rays.
And l thought of the tallow candle OF my
early boyhood days:
| And the old country homestead. with its ire.
place high and wide,
| Round which the family gathered In the
quiet ming tide
And of how the times have changed with In
vention's busy hand,
And the comforts and conveniences We now
have at command.
But after all, l asked myself, has happines.
kept pace
| With this rushing world of progress and the
fight of men for placer
| Is the velvet cushion softer than the stool on
which sat,
While stirring apple butter or shelling corr
into my hat,
And dreaming DER my boy dreams of trips on
land and sea,
And the mighty possibilities the world held
out for mes
Is the water any purer. does it clesrer lear
and flow.
Do the steam pipes warm and cheer me. like
the old hearth's tender glowf
| Am happier reading Plato meath the light
ming lighted wire.
Than In reading Israel Putnam by the can.
dles mellow fret
And then l fell to musing on the quaint
things mem'ry holds.
And how | used to clean and dn the old
candle molds-
I'd cut the wicks and twist the ends. which
thro' the pipes I'd shove
Stretch the others on the cross-sticks which
lay just mp above.
Then melt the chunks of taIlow and pour II
In each space.
TIL ev'ry tube was brimming fuIl-a dozer
In each case.-
Next. set them out upon the porch to cool 4
little while.
Then lift the long white beauties out ane
win nv mothers smile
IL every one was perfect. I'D be praised fol
all my skill;
While father ID 'dsay-"He,s just the boy tha
| always hlls the BILL
And l was just the boy they knew, that need
ed lots OF praise,
To keep me helpin' round the house and ou
Of evil ways:
The common lot Of most OF boys is endless
whip and nag.
Aud thousands ne'er incline TO good, for lacl
OF praise and brag;
They're expected to be perfect-all gold with
out alloy
Sure, 1t takes philosopher to understand
boy.
The old taIlow candle has long been pu
aside
For the carbon and the lightning that thro,
their beams 50 wide:
And tho they shine the brighter and assis
| my failing eyes.
Ia can't associate them with old, hom
| ties;
Tho greater is their power and more dazzlin
Is their glare.
And in working or in reading, you may 81
round anywhere.
Tho there is comfort and convenience I
their ever brilliant glow.
But a.feosion's In the candle Of the days G
long ago,
For the family grouped around IL. aud eac
| drew close his chair.
To tell their ev' ming stories. or their lesson
10 prepare.
And heads and hearts grew closer In tn
freezing winter night,
Rouud the old dining table and the candle
softened light:
can see my father-reading from his Milto
or his Burns;
And my mother-at her sewing and her knit
ting taking turns,
And all US children studying hard to get GU
lessons done,
romp and fun
All. these are the mem'ries that stir the age
heart.
That bring back the old times. OF which u
candle was a part.
You may spurn and may deride it. and con
pare. as you may.
lt's faint. pulys park with the arc-IIghi Of v
day,
But never In our history will the stories gro
old.
And never while = nation viii they cease
be told,-
How our sreAt fore-faihers armed and drsS
ed for the fight.
While ther DANES made the bullets by u
candies dim light:
? And how they siGnalled with lt from the %
church spIre
souls a-nrei
How Lincoln learned To read aud write by I
faiatly. filck'rlng beams.
And other nen OF greatness penned the
country's glowing themes;
D How twas all the light they had in that o
cabin time.
: Ind how IL III ,he family circle with "a rad
= ance sublime.
r But there's one cherished picture deep in n
E, mem'ry set.
e And In that of many thousands who well 7
: member yet,
y The look upon the faces OF the women rea
d Ing news
Ie From those along the battle lines In the six
Is ones and twos.
T. It's the picture of my mother. with the cano
a. ia her hand,
8 Reading DER and o'er the letters from far
lol Dixie-lanG
10 OF the marches and the battles, and the dyi
it and the dead
ne How he'd love to see his babies all asle
within their bed
J. How he yearned to wake them and feel tn
clinging touch,