Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-07-16
RETR0SPECTION.

In our hurry on it Is well to pause
for moment for study of the past,
SO fun Of mistakes, JOY and SORROWS for
each and every individual. Genera
tions are born and buried, the human
race rushes on and on from the cradle
to the grave, seeking and signing for
something to satisfy the soul There
is longing, looking, striving,
real demand for something better than
we have known, something this world
can never give We long to know
something of our origin, our duty and
our destiny. We ask ourselves the
questions: What must dor Whittier
am / tendingG and What is to be my
final destiny These are questions that
must engage the attention of every re-
sponsible soul beneath the stars. Ma
ture doesn't answer these questions.
With all the aid nature can give we
are not able to see with absolute GER
tainty even one moment into the flu
ture The dim past is all we know
which is forever fixed.
The past year for me has been a
long, sad year, indeed, full of briny
tears, bitter enough to blister, while
to others the year has been exceedingly
short and happy Such is life, you
know. Today drain life bitter cup;
tomorrow it may be your sad expert
ence. All must submit to the will of
the All Wise.
In the early morning of July II,
1907, for the first and only time our
family circle was broken. A link,
golden and bright, is missing from the
family chain, and we realize to loose
another and another and still another
until all have been taken Cecil, our
baby, is today far beyond this sad
world of shadows, sorrows, separations
and death, nesting close in our blessed
Saviour's tender arms, nearest his
pure, loving heart We have so many
assurances of Cecils safety that the
trusting heart can almost leap with
joy even in the deepest depth of sor-
row and distress because of this loss.
When the mother rocks with tender
hand the cradle in which suffers and
signs one far dearer to her than life
itself, as it grows weaker and fails
day by day, when she looks through
tears into the little sufferers face and
watches with breaking heart as 1t
gasps and struggles and ceases to
breathe When we pass through an
ordeal like this and follow the little,
lifeless body to the cold and gloomy
grave, tbs then we must long for
something to comfort, something this
world cannot give. Surely
"Tis not the whole of life to live,
Nor all of death to die.
All well we know the destiny of our
sweet baby today, and had he been
spared few more feeting years, it is
not possible for us to know his condi-
tion in this life or his final destiny.
Regardless of how faithful father OF
mother may be the world exerts a
strong influence over our children, and
for our five little ones spared us we
feel anxious for their future and hope
to successfully train them for useful.
ness, happiness and heaven, but can't
know what the future may have in
store for them.
There is difference of opinions in
regard as to the way children should
be trained. l am persuaded that the
first great lesson to know is the lessor
of obedience and respect due parents
from our children, teaching them tC
abstain from all idle talk, useless hab
its, ever impressing on their minds
that the world expects something o
them. There is great work for then
when they are grown up, otherwise
they would never have had an exist
; ance; teaching them self-respect, in
dustry and economy AT the SAME
: time feel it our duty to indulge then
in their innocent, childish spirits; no
hurrying them on tn manhood ant
womanhood too soon. Childhood day
are brightest and best by far. To de
prive them of their innocent childis
: sports and life is disappointment t
them. And on Sunday-children
happy holiday, christian holy day
we deem it perfectly prudent and prop
er to indulge them in all their limo
cent plays and pastimes. Children S
. much enjoy and fail to find any harr
: in it, but after mothers lessons aroun
G her knees are over, they find then
o selves face to face with life's ster
!. realities, gone out to fight the battle
1 of life with temptations on every sid,
!. Then sown broadcast over the lanG
Q are to be found the dime novels to COZ
e rupt the morals, wreck the lives, de
u stroy the happiness and doom the sou
of so many girls and boys. Also stron
;. drink has cruelty cursed the huma
u family and ruined millions of HON,
$ from the days of Noah until now.
a Oh, those horrid rum-sellers; tho,
y stumblersl l dare not speak Of then
10 it touches so many too deeply. It OF
ems wounds in too many sad hearts.
re would reveal the wrecks of too mar
II lives gone down in mediocrity into Il
y hlackest of darkness. 1t has alwa,
N been mystery TO me why any san