The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1907-03-16
A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE.

There is no more suggestive or beauti-
full sight to our eyes, than that OF an ell
derby married couple, who, trusting and
lovingly together, have walked the
rugged ways Of life from youth to old
age, and now hand in hand, and heart
to heart, are patiently waiting upon the
hither shore of time, for the sound Of the
boatman's oar, to be borne across the
river. We look back along the dim vista
of years to the halycon time OF life's
sunny morning, we witness their pGgted
vows at the altar and see them go forth,
in the pride of life and the glory Of their
young welded lives to the struggles OF
existence. Many Godspeed and kind
word of cheer fall upon their ears as they
go out from beneath the parental roof
tree that is to shelter them no more for
ever. Befnre them lies new world of
experiences, of joys and sorrows, Of
grand successes, and perhaps Of sad
failures. But strong of purpose and
resolute of will, and with Gfe's sky rose
on, and enter upon, this, to them all un-
explored world of experiences. We see
them settled in their new home. Per-
haps it is a log cabin in the wilderness,
with neighbors few and far, or may be
cozy little cottage in some distant town.
The husband is bravely bending every
energy to the task of mastering the
hard conditions Of life, and home and
a name in the world, and securing if
possible that independence that shall
relieve them from the possibility of want
To the wife's rosy cheek has come the
pallor of the dreadful agonies of mgtern
ity, but now her eyes are bright with
new hope, as she caresses the tiny form
that nestles in her BOSOM. And then
comes added care and heartaches as the
years glide away. We see them, with
streaming eyes and pleading lips bend
ing over the couch of their darling, as
its little life flutters away in the short
gasps of dissolution and its eyes grow
dim under the touch of deaths icy fing-
ers. But annon, time pourS its gentle
balm into their wounded hearts, and the
bitter trial and loss which they thought
they never could endure, fades away
into tender tender memory. Again
we behold them, and as in the long ago
they went forth in the world, now their
own noble sons and daughters burdened
with the unsolved problems and untried
res possibilities of life follow in their
footsteps; and soon their home is left
unto them desolate, save in the compan-
ionship of their own souls. Well fol
them if they have within themselves
treasurers of culture and character tina
shall supply their dearest need; well FOL
them if schooled in that beautiful phil
= osophy that enat enabled St. Paul t
say: II have Tough the good fight, | have
finished my course, | kept the faith,
they too can feel in their souls that they
have done the best they knew, and tha
now they will trust the good Father TO
all is to come. The shadows stretcl
away in lenghtening lines toward th'
east, and now they are calmly watching
the glories of the coming sunset of ;
well-spent life How grand they seen
in the fruition of their years, with thel
years, with their silvered hair glowing
in the sunsets golden CLEAN. Thei
faces are radient with divine hope tha
beyond the bars of the shining ives
the beckoning arms of their loyed one
are outstretching towards them to wei
come them to their home of eternal res
and love; and that in a few more days
or years at the most, they will pass OF
as one weary with the burdens OF tn
day day gathers, ''the drapery of hi
couch about him, and lies down to pleas
ant dreams.