Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-09-29


month out. would that could see
just one old fashioned New England
storm or Illinois blizzard" "Yes," l
answered my friend. "You wish you
could see Chicago blizzard again. but
as soon as IL begins to howl about your
ears and send its chills running I'D and
down your backbone and make you
hug the fire you would mighty quick
wish you could feel again the glowing
warmth or the California SUM- 1t
does seem strange that perpetual bless
ings can pail upon US. We must be
deprived OF blessings for a little while
to appreciate them when we get them
back. This fact is especially true OF
the comforts of our city homes.
Longing For the Country.
When the summer months drew near
last spring the city house did not look
as attractive to us as il is today. We
longed for that little cottage by the
seashore. or we longed to give up
housekeeping and have a change of
cooking and go and board at the sum-
mer hotels. We pictured the beauti-
full visions OF sitting under the trees
mouths watered at the idea OF eating
the fresh laid eggs and drinking the
rich milk. thicker than our city cream.
The trunks We're packed; the tickets
were bought; the city house was de-
serted. For what7 Instead of the
beautiful cottage by the. sea. some OF
us exchanged our comfortable city.
homes for a little bandbox Of a house.
1t was so small that we had to go out
into the front yard to turn around, or
else we might have done ourselves a
physical injury. Or. instead OF the
great wide parlors OF our city home,
we were shut up in two or three little
rooms Of n hotel, where 1t was so hot
that, like the chickens on sultry day,
we had to keep our mouths open most
OF the time to catch our breath. Then
the food. Rich milk? Fresh laid eggs?
Delicious vegetables? Oh, MOI The
best Of the farm products are sent to
the city markets. not to the country
We were crowded and jostied. We had
TO read our books in stIff backed, I'M
comfortable chairs, or sit down under
the trees, where we were always afraid
OF being, stung by the yellow jackets"
Instead OF our great big city closets
we had to live for the most part in
trunks. And the bedsi Oh, my. The
mattresses must have been made out
OF shavings. And everywhere you
turned you kept longing for the CON-
forts OF your city home. Now, my
friends, we are back to our city homes.
Let us thank God for them. Let us
thank God for the simple, wholesome
meals we have. Let us thank him for
the sitting rooms, with their big, COM
Portable chairs, and for the bedrooms,
where we have place for everything
and everything I'm its place. Do not
talk TO me OF the sublime blessings of q
summer watering place, but of the
sublime blessings and comforts OF our
own city homes.
The Gold Setting.
We should also thank God for our
city homes I'm n broad sense. What
the gold setting is to the precious
stone. the halls. the walls, the fire.
places. the bedrooms, the sitting and
dining rooms aud the parlors are to
the family jewels we call our wives.
our husbands, our fathers and mothers
and children and brothers and sisters.
There is an old motto which we often
hear upon the street. what Is home
without n motherT' We sometimes
hear II fippantly spoken. But 1 not
only ask this question In a reverential
sense, but / ask the same kind OF a
question In broader sense. I ask,
What would home be without all the
children and the parents being gath
cred together under the same roofy'
In truth, TX would not be home. Thus
today, amid the blessings of our vaca-
ton compensations, i thank God that
our families are reunited. / thank
God that father sits at one end or the
table and that mother sits at the other
end OF the table and that all the chill
dren, from the biggest to the youngest.
are lined up between, with the two
places or honor next to the mother re-
served for the two youngest in the
family.
No; there Is not one missing. AS you
look about the long table ut your Sun
day dinner today you win find them all
there. Many a day has passed since
the first day OF last July that you
would have given a good deal to have
the whole family about you, as you
have this Sabbath morning. In the
first place, no sooner did the schools
close last summer than the children
went everywhlther. One OF your boys
went camping, one OF your daughters
went TO visit a school friend In the
east or on the ranch, your wife had to
take the sick child down to the sea-
shore, you as the husband and father
were away for some time on a business
"Trip, and when you returned you had
TO spend most OF your time in the city.
You snatched your Sundays OF and n
few days here aud there to go to the
country, but for the most part you
were alone. Now the family is reunit-
ed. Schools have opened. The boys
and girls have to come back TO their
books. The many dangers OF travel
are past Say what you will, you wor-
ried great deal about that boy OF
yours using that gun. Yes: you are all
home sgain, safe and well. Thank God
today for your reunited faniliesl
Amen! Amenr' ] can hear from dog
~A-S VI bAAtCAul Ups do n great climax
to this domestic thanksgiving.
Thanks For Reunited Families.
Then, again. l want you to thank
God that you have returned to the
work OF the store. or the factory, or the
once. Let me see: how long were you
out In the countryf Two weeks? Three
weeks7 Ten days? oh, 1t does not
matter much how long I know one
tact about you, and that Is you were
away long enough 10 know that the
hardest work a strong. healthy man
ever has TO do r. to learn how to do
nothing. When you left the city some
months ago you went on In high hopes.
Nothing TO do; nothing TO do" was
your congratulatory cry. The first
night you went TO bed in the country
you said TO yourself: "Now am going
to stay in bed just as long as / wish.
/ am not going 10 get up until IL
O'Clock AZ do not desire" Did Won