Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-11-17

our memories. Next TO the mother and
the wife think this third face belongs
TO a young girl who has had the most
influence IN our mental and moral aud
spiritual development. aliude TO tha,
sweet sister who grew up by your side
She vas good girl. You canno,
speak OF her how without your lips
trembling aud your eye being moisten.
ed with tears. "Oh," you say, "If we
were not 40 Tar apart how I would love
20 go and have one or the old chats we
used 10 have
Truly. she did for you what she
could. She naturally did more for you
than any OF the other children. because
you grew up together You played
your games together. you trudged to
school together. She was little older
than you aud was always looking after
you. When you got into trouble you
always went first to her Cannot Won
hear her gentle voice saying: Now,
brother. you must not do that Mother
would not like you to do IT. Though
the older sister when she corrected
you would always make you angry,
she would always make you feet will
ing to do what you ought TO do. Yes,
yes. that dear sister has sacrificed a
great deal for you. When you were
little she used TO give you her pennies
Like the poor widow. she gave you her
mite. 1t was not much irtrinsically,
but II WAS her all When abe grew q
little older she. etill continued your
frtend she gave; to you her whole
heNrt. Ayesk was . sad day for ,you
when she married. Cannot you write
to her now and brldge over that awfuI
ShaAzn OF sepArafionf
BetsSpe tSe-ssethssss zoe wives, the
-sssters. thas only fsmsle faces We can
mention steGsy likR, thhas Woman OF my
textf No TIE Est would noe be com.
piete unless we spoke a few words nj
least In reference 90 the children who
have grown up In our nurseries. Once
there was a time we carried our daugh.
tiers In our arms Now they are toe
big for that. They have grown so big
and strong In some families that In.
stead OF the daughters leaning upon
the parents the parents have TO lean
upon the daughters. How strong and
helpful some OF those daughters have
been! Do you not know that in some
families the daughters have literally
given up their whole lives In order 70
please and to help the parents7 Lei
me tell you beautiful romance that
ended In a tragedy.
why She DId Not Marry.
DO you see That sad faced young wo.
man with the gray hairs just appear
Ing amid her brown locks Who Is she
Miss So-and-so." ou answer. why
did she not mSrryr' oh. l guess be-
cause she did not wish to marry" yo,,
answer. Oh. yes, she did want 70 mar
~. She-does not want to marry now
because her heart is broken. Many
years ago young man mot her ard
laid siege to her. heart. She gave 20
him the warm affections OF her youth.
fou think she has a sweet face now.
AyO, she WIS beautiful then. Her
cheeks were as red as the roses. Her
eyes were as blue as the sky. Her
laugh was as the merry chimes OF the
village bells. The young man wanted
the wedding set at once. Her father
was taken sick. He could not nnd EN-.
ployment. This young girl said: mo, I
cannot marry now. ! must stay home
and help TO keep tho home for my par.
ents and the children." He pleaded.
but she firmly COMPRISED her lips ana
said: Not now. Wait for me a few
years and ! am yours" He would not
wait. Within two years he stood at the
marriage altar. but not with her. Mrs.
Grundy" talked for n few days about
broken engagement but she said
nothing. No one saw her weep. She
never complalned--that is, MS far as
any one else has known. Whether she
wept In her room at night behind the
closed door we know not. She broke
her aiabaster box or ointment OF spike
nard very precious upon her ia
theirs and mothers heads. She sacri.
iced her own life for her parents lives.
Fathers and mothers. have not our
daughters always been willing TO sacri-
dee themselves for your Ills true per-
haps they have not had 60 sacrifice the
love OF some young man, az the heroine
OF this story l have told you had to do.
But In every way have not your sweet
faced daughters been willing to sacri.
nce for you? Why. for years their
lives have been spent In trying 20
please you. Let us beware that as we
grow older we do not as some parents.
become more and more selfish. When
our girls want 60 go with young folks
do net shut them up ne Ia q nunnery,
and when the tims comes for them 20
mate. n that time does come. IA Gods
good wAs let AZ be willing Co let an.
other .step IN aud share that love. a.
ths mothers OF our wives were willing
that their daughters should give as
tksir love. All. yes. we, have esd rood
mothers. good wives, COED sisters and,
tnAnk Gsd. good aaogbtsrsi
: But I cannot close without mention
inG oae other bearer oe the ala bas,er
: bex who has come into yeurz rfs.-, shs
may have been an aunt o< q srard-
mother or. as II was with me, dear,
affectionats aChristIan woman about
sixty years or age In ali probability
she came to yOu ina crisis. You may
have gone 10 her for sympathy; you
may have gone TO her for spiritual or
material help. and she never failed you
Cannot you see her now? can. I
can remember just how she looked
when l first met her. She was the
saint OF my Chicago church She was
one who always lived TO do good.
When sickness came into our home she
was always there. Our babies were
her babies, our troubles were her srou,
bies. our joys were her joys. II was a
dark. stormy day. the Good Friday he
fore Easter OF 1902, that l. last saw
her. l had been east visiting my sick.
father. She came down to welcome me
home. She was always thinking OF
others. never about herself. 1t was a
biting. tempestuous day. and she
caught cold. Pneumonia stabbed her
lungs. IN one week abe was dead, ana
In two weeks any father was dead. III
seemed AZ though the sorrow or our
home was too great to bear. And yet
today. as the memories OF those patient.
loving Christian women arise before
Us. where do they lead US? Where are
nj t.. a MT