Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-10-29

why tne plOuulHR tOIlOlhe III llio i"oo
left the leaping hare behihdi
Twas because he held right on and
on, steady and sure, If slow,
And that's the way, I'm thinking.
that the moderate drinkers go
Step over step--day after day-with
tireless, sleepelss pace,
While the topper sometimes looks be-
hind, and tarries the race.
All, heavily in the vel worn pah,
poor Tom walkeC day by day,
For my heart strings clung about his
feet and tangled up the way.
The days were dark, and friends were
gone, and life dragged on full
slow,
And chilrden came like reapers sad, to
harvest of want and woe;
Two of them died, and / was glad
when they lay before me dead,
had grown so weary of their cries
their pitiful cries for bread
Then came a time when my heart was
stone; would neither hope
nor pray;
Poor Tom lay out in the Potter's field,
and my boy had gone astray-
The boy who had been my .idol-while
like hounds athirst for blood,
Between my aching heart and him the
liquor seller stood,
And lured him on, with his poisoned
words, his pleasures and his
wine
All, God have pity on other sou + rs
crushed and bruised as mine !
There were whispers of evil doings,
Of dishonor and of shame,
That can never bear to think of now
and would not dare to name,
There was hiding away from the light
of day, there was creeping
about at night,
A hurrid word of parting, then
NIlHllHhl n hNNbiNhJ hibh't
His lips were white with remorse and
fright, when he gave me I
goodbye kiss,
And never seen the poor lost child
from that black day to this
All, none but the mother can tell you
sir, how mothers heart viii
ache
With the sorrow that comes of sin
ming child, with the grief fo
the lost ones sake,
When she knows the feet she trained
to walk have gone so far astraN
And the lips grown bold with curse
that she taught TO sing an,
pray;
A child may fear, and II wife ma,
weep but of all sad thing
none other
Seems half so sorrowful to me rs be
ing drunkard's mother
r They toll mo that down in the yiles
dens Of the citys mire an
murk,
There are men with the hearts q
angels doing an angels worb,
That they win back the lost and th
| straying, that they help tn
weak TO stand,
q BY the wonderful power of loyin
words, by the help of angel
hands.
And often and over, tn dear Lor
knows, I've knel and prayc
to Him
That somowhcrc, somehow, 'twoul
{ happen. they'd find and sa,
my Jiml
4 You III say 'tis u poor old woman
4 whim. hat when | prayed Ia
night,
Right over yon eastern window, the
y shuue % wonderful light
Loastways 1t looked that way to me
NJ aud out OF the light there fe
T., The softest voice | had ever heard
W rung like u silver poll;
And those were the words: "Il
prodigal turns, 50 tired
shame and sin;
He seeks his fathers open door,
=; weops and enters In. "
II" Why sir, you are, crying Ss hard rs
What Is that, sir, YOU say
My boy You my boy, returned
Il new MANI
] FNl. lN.l f..V Flfa flaVt.aF hnFtf.xa flai
, "Nes, mother, weep not, It's yol
l. ponitcnt boy, come back
the right way at last
II I'm once more u man, my follies q
done, and all your sorrow
are past
le Those angels ON earth, they told v,
about-haye brought me aga
TO YOU;
, 4 drunkrd NO more, with yo
l. mother d ar IN begin n
4, life o'Vr anew.
tisa bitter, bitter tale,
or How tried to rise, again and agsi
Ar and every time void fail
n, was tired and weary OF the hgh
" and | often prayed TO die,
Till heaven sent mo as it Wei
angels from on high
y. 4 marvellous cure which gave 4
hope, aud changed my uatu
80,
rd That now, thank God. I'm cured
drink, mans great and bitt
foe