The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-02-10
A FATHERS GRIEF.

FAIHEhS GhIEF.
Every now and again something
happens which emphasizes the seri-
BUSINESS of life. Tragedies, comedies,
and the whole gamut of human ex-
periences which appeal to this emo
ton and that flash by with kaleido-
scopic precision as night follows day
and light succeeds darkness.
In this city but recently tragedy
was enacted the details of which are
-ti'l sA-ouded in deepest mysterS.
Re ,'rcnmsta = -.
rounding the deatn III tt!s yo--s
man will never be known. but the
circumstances leading up to the un-
fortunate affair are such as toedeepen
the grief Of a father who loved and
trusted his boy.
Death Is looked upon as serious
but In q thousand instances every day
It would not be half 80 serious II life
were considered with more SERIOUS
ness. It Is true that NO man y more
than human and knowing the frati-
ties and the weakness q all man
kind, this loving father. Who has
reared his child. cherished him. woe-
ried over him. says: win vas .
good hoy, It. ses1e4s to mo .Ahat
there never <6sS afSe<ter 10Y II che
world. He never intended to DO any,
thing wrong and cannot but be'teve
that some OF the little indiscretions
that every man Is likely to commit
caused this awful thing to happen. +"
Yes, We are all human, aud all VI
us who pause to think seriously at
times know how terribly true that Is.
But IL It not true also that II the
ones who are most prone to plead
human fraity as justification. should
stop and think occasionally OF the
dangers attending indiscretions and
should remember that these things
are likely to bring sorrow to loving
fathers and mothers whose life Is
tar spent and whose declining years
are in large measure taken up with
the contemplation of the welfare Of
the children in whose behalf their
life struggles have been waged,
would they with the image of those
gray hairs in their minds be so de-
PRAYED as to commit the deeds which
bring added sorrow to those bent and
wearied parents?
No, most empL atically they would
not. No man but depraved GRIM
inal would be capable of anything
like that.
Night after light there appear on
the streets young men and young
women whose indiscretions are just
beginning. They are at that ten Ter
age when the blood surges faster and
when the impulses to taste OF the
depths of experience are strongest.
They are out late at night in qucs-
tionable company and frequenting
places where the atmosphere is not
conducive to self restraint. Many OF
them come from good families and
have hard working, industrious faith
FRS and mothers, whose heads will
one of these days be bowed in grief.
And is there anything so touching
as the grief of father and mother
whose love reaches out for the way
ward boy and the wayward girl? l.
there anything so impressive as the
s1ief of a kind and forbearing parent
whose grief at the taking off of a
child through sickness would be well
nigh unbearable. but when the add
ed grief of violent death is there
also, the trial becomes almost too
great for the human heart to en-
dure.
There is in our midst today faith
er who is suffering exactly this tor
ment. 1t is too late to help him ex-
cept through sympathy. but 1t is not
too late to prevent scores of other
parents from the same tribulations.
for about US on every hand are the
very influences which bring them
about and no man can tell where or
when the next blow may fall.