The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1904-02-12
TIE co-woRKERs.

! long time at a quiet ldnulng, dtiQ {
great many years, with their sue
cession of seasons, had come and
gone since it had been first moored
The SHOWS of many winters had
crested its top-masts. The blue
birds of many springs had sung
their love songs to each other as
they fitted about its rigging. The
flowers of many summers had lent
their fragrance to the breezes as
they famed its sails, and the winds
of as many autumns had sung their
requiems over the graves of tinted
leaves and around its deck, and
still the boat was Embossed. With
one exception this boat was well
equipped, and as the we ters rose
and tell with the tide of years it
rocked with impatience, as if anx-
ious tor a voyage, but there was
one thing needful 1t had no crew.
Put after long waiting on one
bright May day, an old sailor, a
brave captain, was seen giving the
boat careful investigation. The
gang plank was lowered and small
crew stepped on deck and took COM
mand "a little faint hearted at first,
but very much in earnest. A mes
sage had come to them that on a
distant isle, just across the waters,
was treasure of both value and
beauty awaiting their coming. So
with the encouragement of many
friends and promises of help IN
time of need, they launched out into
the deep. Sometimes the clouds
gathered in the blue distance and
the winds whistled around the top
sails, but the eagle eye of the pilot
guided the little boat into smooth
waters, while the first mate was al
ways to be found at his post and
the second mate was never off duty.
Above every tumult, in sunshine
and in shadow, the captains voice
could be heard, "Sail on, Sail on"
The scene changes.
There comes a time during the
voyage when they begin to realize
that they are really Eat sea-" As
they look across the waste of wa
ters they feel that long and tedi-
Gus voyage is before them. But
bark! from a distance in their rear
there comes a melody. AS they
scan the waters they see approach
ing a smaller boat and catch the
words, Hold the fort for we are
coming And unlike Beatrice Har-
radins
"Ships that pass in the night and
speak each other in passing
Only signal shown, and distant
voice in the darkness;
So on the ocean of life. we pass and
speak one another,
Only look and voice, then darkness
again and silence, !"
Not so with this little boat, it
glided gracefully and rapidly over
the waters and drew alongside, al
most abreast with the larger one
A friendly salute is exchanged and
on they sail together AS rein-
forcements always strengthen and
aid in bringing success, so in this
voyage the destination was soon
reached, and they are now inspect
ing and admiring that long wished
for treasure amid such a profusion
Of beautiful things they find it dit
icult to make decision. So they
bring 'order out of chaos" by APP
pointing committee, capable and
with desire to please all, to make
1 selection for them. And now they
ire preparing to take their cargo on
BOARD and soon they will be singing
tHomeward bound" We friends
IN shore had part in the building
IF that boat and all were alike in
crested in the success of that voy-
lge and we must welcome them
With song of welcome and give
hem glad reception. We must
that they had a hard
problem to solve, and they spent
much time and perhaps lost some
sleep in trying to select something
o please us. So let us not give
hem one look of disapproval, nor
speak one word OF complaint, but
Ell us all unite in singing the glad
song:
ooh what singing and what shouting
When our ships come sailing home,
They have stood the mighty tempest,
They have crossed the oceans foam;