The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1912-01-26
Childhood.


What man Of woman is there 81 u
who would not give much of what the
world calls wealth, at least at times, tc
only be, for one short day. q rompine
4 caresfree child agnin7 Oftimes, in hours
OF pain or WEAKNESS, how gladly would
we lay aside all our ambition, grave re.
| sponsibilites and our pressing duties, ia
enjoy, for season, the radiant child
hood that once was ours, when we reveled
in beautiful dreams, knowing not they
would vanish; INDUCED bright hopes,
deeming not they could wither, and
looked down the future, through an ever
widening vista Of enchanting beauty and
glory, thinking not it might be de-
llusion---the volatile exuberance OF our
spirit flashing through the prism Of
bright anticipation, and, SO breaking up
in many faeinating coIors. We had not
then learned with Campbell, lis dis
lance lends enchantment to the view "
How often do we doubt the intrinsic
value CT the various objects phantoms
which we are SO eagerly chasing, and
long to leave them alone, shuttle off our
grown-up ways and take one sweet
draught at the fountain OF ambitionless
~ .ldL1extlt Tss,o ,,,ar - ,,,ooItI. nyd
opulence sometimes yearns, no doubt,
to step out OF his palatial home, cast off
his broadcloth, and be once more a bare
foot boy, with merry whistle and lusty
halloo, down on the old farm. He would
delight, as boy, again to wade the we'll
known branch and kick up the dust,
with his bare feet, in the road down the
sunny lane, and drive the cows up at
evening from the green fresh meadows,
for his mother to milk, while the lone
some nightiar, over the hill, is calling
out with clear and ringing voice. whip
poor-willI whip-poor-wiIll" And the
man Of acknowledged wisdom and re-
nown, to whose eyes knowledge has I'M
folded her ample page, rich with the
spoils Of time" and who bids fair soon
to read (his) history in nations
eyes deems notthat he does not some
times feel the emptiness Of flame and the
annoyance Of the rabble ssenseless yell,
and wish he could only go back to his
childhood home, sit by the old wide fire.
place and lay his childish head again in
bis mothers lap, look into her eyes and
see the old bright visions Of Heaven, as
she tells him those wonderful Bible
stories. And tear may silently steal
down his cheek, as he thinks Of her
lying now perhaps, ia the still country
where the shadow Of the
slender tower oft falls across her quiet
grave, like great sorrow across the
human heart; and then does he feel like
calling:
Mother come back from the echoeless
shore,
Take me again to your heart as ofyore.
It is said that the great orator, Henry
W. Grady, once really went back to his
old home and lived with his mother
ais he lived when child And
be went from there to New York. and
made that famous speech that rang
around the world few days Of real
simplicity plumed his genius. il seemed,
IoE its Hottest fight. He that would
De truly great, must be truiy simple.
Emerson gives as something like this
rom Milton He that would sing Of
he gods and Of their descent unto
nan. must drink water and eat out Of
wooden bowl
But 10 him who has nobly lived.
loberly and pEousIy thought and dill
gently wrought, day after day, can We
'ay that the golden dreams Of childhood
nave been unrealizad ID his ripper years2
Nay II not be that many Of rs are
sigen, as q ruling habit Of life, to look
,ut on broader fields Of peace, into rarer
mines 81 worth upon sublimer highs
il beauty and glory. and through wider
md more enchanting sistas of vision.
Itfong In he faith thai looks through
leatls. and coh,ented Ia years that