Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-04-13
THoRoFARE.

For this a CLEAN OF random joy
Hath blushed my unaccustomed cheek;
And, with an o'ercharged bursting heart,
feel the thoughts cannot speak.
0, sweet are all the MUSES. lays,
And sweet are all the charm Of matin bird
Twas long since these estranged ears
The sweeter voice of friend had hard
One can be sure of the bird, especially in
April Is he not with us, brisk, vociferous,
musical, dotting every field, and larking it
in every grove. The tints of April are
ruddy and brown, the new furrow and the
leafless trees,-and these are the tints of
its dominant bird-the robin. After a
time there will be other birds; but will
there be other friends? One talks securely
of the friends of the past, but they have
drifted out of ones life like the leaves that
fall before the cold blasts of winter, or the
birds that flee when autumn winds begin
to blow. Sometimes one wonders whether
friends are friends because of what they
find in us, and do for us, or what they
think we find in them and do for them. In
any case, it is sad to think of the great
souls on earth, to say nothing of the COM
monplace ones, who haye gone through life
suffering and longing for the little words of
appreciation, the little word of apprecia-
ton, the little act of kindness which never
came. 1t was Charlotte Bronte who said -
Sometimes when | wake in the morning,
and know that solitude, remem berance, and
longing are to be almost my sole compan-
ions all day through, that at night shall
go to bed with them, that next morning
] shall wake to them again. have heavy
heart Of it," stCharles Lamb, the exquisite
affeetionateness of whose nature, with his
poverty and many bitter trials, shows us a
glimpse of his sufferings, when he speaks
of himself as being in London, alone, OBJ
scure, without friend, a cherries, solitary
thing" 1t is then that the soul turns to
nature Every virgin solitude is perfum-
ed with the Divine presence, and balsamic
for mental bruises. A retired and self
guarded life of Devotion to nature is like a
priestly life of temple worship; as German
woman Of genius has sid,-"When the
boy in steps before the portals, and signs to
the flying storks not do defile the roof:
when he sprinkIes the threshold with spark
ling wafer and decorates The halls, feel
in this solitary occupation lofty mission
which | must reverence. All, too would
be youth, to fetch water in the fresh
morning while all yet slumber, TO polish
the marble pillars, and battle the statues, to
cleanse everything from dust until it glist-
ems in the cleaning; and then, when the
work is done, to rest my hot brow on the
cool marble; rest the bosom that palpitates
with emotion at the beauty which breaks
into the temple with the dawn.
The W. c. T. Q. held its usual meeting
on last Tuesday afternoon, IN the basement
of the church. The President Mrs. Mary
R. Low conducted the devotional exercises,
and some interesting papers were read.
Three new members were elected; the Rev.
George. S. Golf and Mrs Goff, his wife Mrs.
Susie Reed.
The Rev. George S. Golf preached an ex-
cellent sermon from the text: 1.-THE effect
ual and fervent prayer of the righteous
man availeth much In the afternoon
the Presiding Elder, the Rev. James E.
Moore D. D. preached from the text: THE
love of Christ constraineth u.s. His ser
mon was both eloquent and edifying. The
church was filed on both occasions.
Mr.. Chas. G. Leonard sent several bunch
es of asparagus to market last Thursday.
Mrs. Rebecca Gleason spent several days
last week with friends in Camden.
Mrs John Eager and little daughter,
Mildred, visited her parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles Smith, last week.
Miss Margaret Blimer from Gloucester
City visited her grand mother, Mrs. Charles
Smith, last week.