Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-07-15
A BIT OF PHILOSOPHY
And RENIN|SCENCE
Two 4th of July Celebrations
Many Years Apart
Herman RUchner Compares the Last
National Anniversary With
Some Byeone Days


plenty of nourishing food and turn
them out, and they will run and
jump, whoop and yell and have a
good time. They live only for the
day, yea for the hour; they have no
thought of the future. When they
get in their teens a new world opens
up to them; a desire for the COM
partnership of the other sex becomes
dominant. 1t is natures call. If
it is not visible, then there is some
thing wrong. Blossoming out into
manhood and womanhood they believe
that they have become factors in life;
and they have. They spark and love
and have a good time, but to-
morrow is only day set for new
appointment for pleasure.
But a man who has come to
maturity, surrounded by family de-
pending upon him, looks to the
future, seeks for fame, for more
worlds to conquer and to financial
achievements that he may live in
comfort, educate his children and
have a proper standing in the society
in which he moves. He has not the
time to look back, and reflect upon
what has happened.
But an old man looks back with
dim eyes over the past. He has gone
through the vicissitudes of human
life; he has tasted its joys; he has
felt its sorrows; he mourns over the
many mistakes he has made, the many
things left undone which he should
not have done. With lettering steps
he wends his way to the grave, dis
satisfied. He looks to the future
with fearful uncertainty and alarm.
He begins to drop the pleasant,
foolish habits he had acquired during
the turmoil of an eventful life, and
he may try to solve the puzzle: For
what purpose is man created?' He
may join the church; many not so
much for the love of God as for fear
of Him.
A man with a philosophical
tendency looks calmly into the future !;
he has run mis- course of life, but he
does not stew and fret; He loves his
fellow man, and through him his God,
and calmly awaits the time of his
departure to the yelled beyond.
This is another Fourth of July
morning; the sun shines brightly and
Nature in all its beauty has unfolded
its bountiful treasures for the enjoy
ment of man. 1t is rather quiet for
a Fourth of July morning. Years
ago the boys used to get out the old
anvil at daylight and its boom boom
could be heard for miles around. But
this morning there was not a sound
to be heard; 1t was more like Sun
day morning when | tumbled cut of
bed. Perhaps it was rather late and
the autos had started earlier. Not a
sound of a bell nor the explosion
of a firecracker announced the advent
of the annual celebration of Independ-
ence Day.
Years ago South Monroe street was
alive with children. There were the
Weaknesses and Murphys and Buch-
ners, and the Charles boys and the
others from the neighboring streets /;
they were a bunch of lively kids, all
living on the south end of the street,
and then there were the Oswalds and
Diapers and Woosltenholmes on the
north end, but they were not in it,
except Virgil Showalter, who was
one of the gang. Since then but few
children have lived on this end of
the street and very few have been
born there, excepting at Harry Bar
nett's.
But this morning after breakfast
there was an awakening. A bunch
of boys had gathered. OF course |
must admit that five of them had
been sheltered last night in my old
homestead, but there were others. l
had found some little flags in the
garnet and had supplied these kids
with some fire crackers, and some of
the other boys had contributed freely
and Harry Barnett had given each
one of the five kids a bunch. They
had rugged up few little wagons
with flags and off they went their
flags waving, whooping and yelling
like lot of Indians at massacre.
Well they had good time and l en-
joyed it hugely. 1t reminded me of
the time when my own had celebrated
in the same noisy manner. But now
they are all grown and scattered wide
" apart-one in Milwaukee, one in
Crossett, Ark one in London, Eng
land, and my daughter with her
family in the mountains of Colorado.