The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-07-05

| k>NAe~ssk'S WASeA SAAssS
again had boys stomach "just for
tonight" vaguely and wishfully
wonder if there is still any cream left in
| the bottom of that freezer.
All, night is here. The herald comes.
Not with the noise of trumpets but with
little ladder. We know of his coming
long before he comes to our corner. The
long row. of lights along the long street,
which are twinkling like stars, go out
one by one. First the farthest. We
hardly miss it, it is SO far away. A
minute more, another and nearer. And
SO down the row he comes and at last we
can see him as a dim shadow place his
ladder for the last one, ours, and he
climbs, and with an upllfted hand and
turn of the wrist, "He leaves the
world to darkness and to me.'' Every
night the lamplighter gives us this les
son of human life. Every night he
shows us how the days and years are
being quenched from our lives-and we
hardly heed the loss until death reaches
the last lighted hour of life, and then
the darkness. But the fading of the
lamp light of the night, in few hours
shall be forgotten in the glorious sun
light of the morning of eternal day.
We.wait and watch. We watch the
lamplighter who is putting out the
nearer lights that have lighted the
walks of loved one. 1t is sad watch
but in many ways full of comfort. His
road has been long but easy. We know
he has come to the end of his journey.
| We cannot sorrow that he has so nearly
arrived at his desired destination.
The curfew rings, it is time for him to
go Home to his Fathers Mansions. We
cannot sorrow for him, but we shall
miss him, for we have walked with him
for many years He guided our baby
steps-and now he is the child. Twi-
light has indeed been long for him and
evening Of his life has been the gradual
change from the full rays of sunlight to
the milder but effulgent glories of the
golden moon. And so we watch, with
sorrow-for onrself. In Heaven it will
always be light-on earth he A:has walk
ed in the light. The lights of the
world are being qnenched but the stars
of Heayen shine on and ON.
Eleven o'clock and now the full dark
ness, though even still some semblance
of sunset colors streak the western sky.
Twelve o'clock and all is still. Even
the winds rest at times like these. One
o'clock and still the stillness-but from
some neighbor's COOP comes the shrill
voice of the cock, and then another and
another, until the neighborhood seems
full Of Peters accusers, whose voices
accented by the quiet, ring out 4.ere we
crow thrice"
Two o'clock. Far, far away we hear
a mufiled roer. For moment we think
Of mighty winds, rushing waters or dis
tant thunder. What q deep diapason
Of melody nature makes with eyen the
most powerful and terrible sounds when
heafd at . distance. And again, how
short the distance that we can hear
NATURES greatest sounds. The thunder
that almost deafens us nearby is heard
BY no one few miles away. Man
makes more noise than his Maker. We
could not hear the thunder Of the
clouds at.the distance that We hear the
|rnmbling Of the railway train which we
know must be miles and miles away.
The train knows no night as it speeds
lon its WY over the rails. The one
thought q its brain in the engine cab
i On, On, on. The rumble grows louder
and louder, the train comes nearer and
neaxer. It's yet miles away, but ia
Fthis stillnesl of the night hours, the
boom 81 tho whistle strikes our ears iand
then tho snmbling stops md NJ know
|fkat the sts ton has besn reaohed. II
I'M sinations " = y gsrs getting
!o6 6sa1d otherS I'll tiings Ejomes nave
IIaIIfiiSed IS III snd heirs lau yney Snfl
asy ~ m INT iill as Ill oidl
asl ~ thpoa "a u I ssishtiull
hpt iiff houIt VI ~ (pppiina. 4.