The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-02-17
THE STORY OF LIFE
rs IT is WRITTEN IN QUE OWN
LIVES.
The MorniE% DawnS Bright and
Beautiful, Then the Twilight and
Then, at Last, the Sunset.

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Then, at Last, the Sunset.
There is no more suggestive or
beautiful sight to our eyes, than
that of an elderly married couple.
who, trustingly and lovingly togeth-
er, have walked the rugged ways Of
life from youth to old age, aad now
hand in hand, and heart to heart,
are patiently and hopefully waiting
upon the hither shore of time, for
the sound Of the boatman's oar, to
be borne across the mystic, pale
river.
We look back along the dim vista
of years TO the halycon time of life's 5
sunny morning, We witness their
plighted VOWS at the altar, and see
them go forth, in the pride of life
and the glory Of their young we'd
ded lives to the struggles of exis-
tance. Many q Godspeed and kind
word of cheer fall upon their ears
as they go out from beneath the par
entail roof-tree that is to shelter
them no more forever.
Before them stretches out a new
world Of. experiences. Of joys and
sorrows, of grand successes, and per
haps OF sad failures. But strong OF
purpose and resolute of will, and
with life's sky rose-tinted with the
flush of dawn, they move on. and
enter upon, this to them all unex'
2lored world of experience. We see
them settled in their new home
and begin the never ending battle
of life.
Perhaps their home is a log cabir
in the wilderness, with neighbor:
few and far, or may be a cozy lit
tie cottage in some distant town
The husband is bravely bending ev
cry energy to the task of mastering
the hard conditions of life, and
home and a name in the world, ant
securing if possible that indepen
dence that shall relieve them from
the possibility of want. To the
wife's rosy cheek has come the pal
lor of the dreadful agonies Of ma
ternity, but now her eyes are briga
with a new hope, as she caresse'
the tiny form that nestles IN he
bosom.
And then comes added care Au'
neart-aches as the years glide away
We see them, with streaming eye
| and pleading lips bending over th'
couch of their darling, as its littl'
life futters away in the short gasl
of dissolution, and its eyes grow din
under the touch of deaths icy fng
ers. But anon, time pours its gentl'
| balm into their wounded hearts, ant
the bitter trial and loss which the,
thought they never could endure
fades away into tender memory.
Again we behold them, and as Il
the long ago they went forth int
the world, now their own noble son
and daughters burdened with the un
solved problems and untried respon
sibilities of life, follow in their foot
steps; and soon their home is lef
unto them desolate, save in the com
panionship of their own souls.
Well for them if they have within
themselves treasures of culture an
character that shall supply thei
dearest need; well for them
schooled in that beautiful philosorh
that enabled St. Paul to say: 81 hav
fought the good fight, I have finish
ed my course, kept the faith, the
too can feel in their souls that the
have done the best they knew, an
that now they will trust the goo
Father for all that is to come.
| The shadows stretch away /
lengthening lines toward the east
and now they are calmly watchin
the glories. of the coming sunset 0
well-spent life. How grand the
seem in the fruition of their years
with their silvered hair glowing il
the sunsets golden CLEAN. Thel
faces are radiant with divine hop
that beyond the bars of the shiain!
west the Deckoning arms Of thei
loved ones are outstretching toward
them tc welcome them to their hom
Of eternal rest and love; and tha
IN a few more days, or years, at tn
most, they will pass on as one wear
with the burden of the day gath
ers, the drapery of his couch abou
him, and lies down to pleasa2
dreams