The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-11-11
TAG RosAHcE aAo PATHos OF I.FE.


or race sank from 4 state OF hsppi-
n5ss and innocence into The most al
5ecc condition Of Sin and Souow-
II IL countless pages how often
dos history repeat this same sad
story. How often does Truth ap-
pear strange than fiction
WEz- a chain o. romance. pzChos
and r-zz=dr. seems linked - every
human lie. Ire chzSn separating
happiness aid misery ! deep buI i
easily ard quickly crossed
Before OF civil var how many
families Go Ne remember living n al
fluent circumstances, bur losing their
possessions by TIE turn Of Affairs,
and without fzulr Of their owl ere
condemned Il al their afr=- sars
70 the hard loc that po-1----- ---e---
u entails. No creation 81 Icy,
however vivid. can p5---aE Is --z-i-
ties o. those memorz--a !ez-s.
And what q web o. romance, t-ag-
edy and pzthos was woven into the
history Of % many Florida homes By
re quick visitation OF the great
freeze. Nothing n song o. story pre-
sents Z more pathetic scene than is
sudden and widespread desolation.
How many retired at'night the pos
SCISSORS OF comfortable fortunes land
swoke the next morning a. poor a.
tramys. The labor and ambition OF
years swept away with breath.
Life. indeed. i made up OF an equal
admixture Of laughter and tears, JOY
and s0uow.
How frequently Go We see those
who today are bzsking on the noun
tain tops and IN the glorious sunlight
Of prosperity. are tomorrow CROPPING
in the shadows OF the valleys and
feeding upon the scant crusts. and
crumbs OF merciless poverty.
On. the pathos Of II al!
Was the Psalmist right in saying
that AL Is vanity and ve1ation Of
spirit
Consider for moment.
Without il own voltiou human
soul i usher5d into the world; in an
other chamber one i ushered cut.
The one brings radiance, happiness.
JOY, gladness; the other. tears, sad
ness. sOTOw.
What Is il all for? What does II all
mean? Who shall tell Us? Who
nows2
Beatrice Harraden has beautifully
said:
They passed ont into the beauti-
ful night. The sky was radiently be-
jeweled, the air crisp and cold and
harmless 70 do III. Ia the distance
the yOddling OF some peasants. In
the hotels the fun and merriment,
side by side with suffering and hope
lessness. In the deacOness' house the
body Of the Dutchman. In Gods
heaven Gods stars"
Again:
Asleep upon his bed at one side OF
the chamber Is the baby Of the house
hald-a boy of FIVE summers. His
cheeks are flushed with health and
youth and innocent beauty. His
childish troubles are all forgotten.
He Is sleeping the dreamless and hap
py sleep Of childhood. He Is all uni
conscious Of the ambitions he will
some day have, Of the battles he
must fight upon life's field, of the
longings Of the soul for something
higher and nObler and better than
the vanity and selfish gain Of earth.
Sleep on, baby! Hope Is strong with
in your breast. Life Is all before
you!
AT the other side of the room is
another bed. Upon il lies the cOun-
selOr OF the hOme-the aged one.
The death angel is lowering near
very near. This life, with its tri-
umphs and failures, its pleasures and
pain, Is receding now. The other
lives almost touch this. 4 few weeks
ago her charity of speech and refine
ment Of face and form impressed one
ike a 'benediction that follows after
prayer But now her life lessons are
all well-nigh learned. Her soul will
soon be with God
Oh! the romance, the pathos, the
tragedy Of a life,
Who shall explore and explain its
mysteriesl
There is something very peculiar
and very much in Florida's favor.
Her fruits, with only here and there
an exception, are the sweetest in the
world. Her oranges beat the world
in flavor and the same may be said
OF her peaches, her pineapples, and
her bananas when they reach matur-
ity. Her watermeIons and canta-
louDes Occuuv the ron uIace in the