The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1907-02-23
On Leaving Home.

No matter how dlSag ePaUie nave
been a mans experience, his first HON. Is
the last place t. which he wants to re
turn TO live. The 5 rings from which he
drank have perhaps dried up; the trees
from which he shot squirrels have in
many places been converted into ashes
and smoke; .he branches from which he
piucked ripe fruit are no longer there to
blossom; the yard where he tranped
over velvety sod may be- disfgured by
rank weeds: every house he Use to visit
may be occupied by strangers. and he
SEES nothing there but reminders of de-
parted pleasures; in fact. the premises
over which he rOamed barefOOted in sum-
mer and booted in winter, would seem
as dreary and desolate as a graveyard.
If he left city home he would find up
on his return as many depressing scenes
as at a rural home. He will meet upon
streets the children youths and young
maidens that have sprang into existance
since his departure; he would look into
faces upon which 10 left the bloom and
freshness of young manhood and young
wOmanhOOd 80 changed as to escape rec
OgnitiUn; those whom he left in the me
ridian of life would be travelling the
down grade ROAD towards intirmity. and
some wearing the habiliments of ola
age, grey hairs anu sunken cheeks, and
would see in their inelas;ic and unstea-
dy steps that their IA, ar, 5 had nearly
finished beating funeral marches to the
grave" Even the houses would present
sad evidences of the destructive hand of
time. for where he left standing new
dwellings would BE- dingy and moss CO.
vered habitatiOns. You are beginning,
my dissatisfied Young friends. to find out
that the voyage of life is not made up
altogether OF smooth sailing; that we
run against rocks and upon shoals when
no danger seems near. There Is no ba-
rOmeter to tell us of the approach of
trials anu disappOintments; they are
like death; they come SO Unexpectedly
and from SO many directions. and in SO
many forms that we cannot guard
against them. There is a fable about
the stag to illustrate the folly of irving
to escape death, and it also teaches us
the certainty of having many of our
plans frustrated, and not to expect life
to be just AS We would have it. A stag
turned its blind eyes to a lake where it
went to drink. fearing no harm from
that direction, when some huntsmen in
boat shot it; thus deaths came from a
source not expected. and the very means
taken to avoid it brought it on, | could
write book upon the subject am talk
ing about that ''Of leaving hOmp," for as
fast as one idea is recorded another
comes, and sometimes two at time, but
L fear that | have already bored the
Messenger. do not care about the
readers. for they do not hive to set the
type. and can put the paper aside when
they get tired of reading.
| say to my young friends who eau
make and are making respectable and
honest living at home, stay there, and
fight the battle of life where your allies
will be friends aud kindred; but if there
be any young men who have made no
friends at home. the sooner they get
away the better for them; hardship
among strangers may teach them to cul-
tlvate traits of character that might
draw to them the kind consideration
which they could not obtain at home.
Those who posses sensitive and refined
feelings are the last that should expose
themselves to the rude shock that are
met with the land of strangers where
money is the chief pursuit Of men, such |
nature is in danger Of becoming a
misanthrOpe under such circumstances. |
do not believe there are many who can |
truthfully say as heard that wonderful
fascinating orator. Ned. Marshall. II
like to combat hardships and disappoint.
ments. they test man and demonstrate |
to the world OF what stuff he is made"
There are fewer still who would want to
do as he said he had been forced to do
ITO turn his face to the wall and take a
nap for breakfast, ! believe with him.
that struggles for existence and the
hardships of poverty sometimes bring
out mans best capacities, bat they Just
as often send him to prison or to pre-
mature gave.