Charlevoix county herald., 1914-05-16
The Transforming Power OF Love

started to see her twin sister, WhOm
she had not seen for twenty-five
years, he drove rather slowly past the
old house, and over to the Sand Far
mer's, where he was to begin a new
life, and new work the next day.
A great lump rose in his throat as
he thought there would be no mother
to meet him when he came into the
house. He had never realized what it
was to have a mother until the night
ne went home from the Sand Farm,
after hearing the Sand Farmer talk to
the city chap, and noticed how tired
she was. He had hardly given her a
thought, any more than the house, as
III she was fixture. But since that
night, when he kissed her as he used
to when little boy, he had become
a new man, and this lump had often
risen in his throat as he thought of all
he might have been to her during the
lonely years since his father died. The
white nubbin looked meaner than ever
to him, and he often cursed himself
for the foolish part ne had played,
and the blindness of his eyes. Now
she was gone. He knew it was only
for a few months, and was happy in
the thought that she was going to
have rest and good time, but he
was loneSome-an experience he had
never known before.
AS he drove into the Sand Farmers
barn, and put up his horses, the Sand
Farmer noticed there was tear in
his eye, and he guessed the reason, for
once he had been homesick, and knew
that this strapping young fellow was
at heart only boy.
When Sam had finished bedding his
horses, the Sand Farmer slipped his
arm through Sans, and without say
ing word they walked out to the old
pine tree and as they came under its
branches. the Sand Farmer pointed to
the beautiful evening star, shooting
its brilliant rays out into the evening
sky. Sam had never noticed before
how beautiful it was. Stars were just
stars to Sam, but now they seemed
different, and he heard the Sand Far
mer say: isn't she a beauty? She
is like many beautiful woman that
comes across mans path, and he adj
mires her beauty, but she soon passes,
and becomes only memory in his life.
Just then the Sand Farmer pointed
TO streak Of light in the horizon in
the east, and as Sam was wondering
whether the reference could have been
made to his mother, and that she had
passed on, and he should see her no
more, he heard the Sand Farmer say
ing: "There comes the beautiful
moon. She is like the one who comes
into true mans heart, and makes his
life, which was dark, almost as light
rs day, and so long as no clouds of
seifshness or impurity come between
them, they go on in light and love, to
al L.. ..,-LN e Il DIT
Sam, up yonder is the one star in all
the heavens that will always stand by
you, will always be there, day or
night, ever casting its beams upon
You. That is the mothers star" and
he pointed to little star in the north,
as Sam exclaimed under his breath:
"The North Star"
mo ship" said the Sand Farmer,
"ever went onto the rocks that steered
by that star The moon sets, but the
mother in all her love, is ever beckon
ing to her sons, This way, this way,
is home and life
All was quiet for a few moments,
and Sam gazed at the North Star
while the moon rose in all her splen-
dor, and revealed to them the old
Sand Farm, more beautiful in the
evening moonlight than by day
The Sand Farmers voice brought
Sam back to earth as he heard him
say: "This old sand soil and the
pine barrens' are very lovable, be-
cause they are so human"
Human ?" said Sam, "what is there
human about the pine barrensY They
have always looked TO me more like a
graveyard than anything else"
That's just it, my boy. They are
graveyards, and those charred stumps
are monuments to mems avarice and
greed. The lumberman came in and
took the best logs, and left the tops
and down logs as a fire trap, which
destroyed all the young trees and
seeds that he had left. He cared
nothing for the coming generation, OF
for the land, he was thinking only OF
himself, and the pine barrens' are the
result.
"The same selfishness in any life
must necessarily end in death, but, my
how, remember this. there is a resur
rection from the dead. and he who
rises with Christ from his selfishness
into a life OF service, can raise thu
dead from these waste lands, anc
bring life, which shall bless the world
81 said these waste lands are Ver'
human, and they are, because many
OF them have a streak of sel6shness
which has helped TO produce TIN
death and destruction you sec. AT
the way from Holland TO the 500
along the shore for fifty miles inland
ON the Lower Peninsula, l have founC
"a red streak Of hardpan varying II
thickness from a quarter of an incl
SO eight inches deep and from an incl
or two below the surface TO eighteen
inches Tt is rich in iron, but impcr
vious TO water. The pines, because o
their mighty roots and growth TO
generations, were able to pierce thi
hardpan. and get their food and moist
ure from below it. They also wer
ale 70 withstand the water which &C
cumulated on the top better thai
many other plants, because they has
formed a bed Of humus from the con
tinual dropping of their needles, am
can endure more moisture than man.
of our small grain crops.
with the coming Of the lumber
men and the railroads, and sad to say
= ,.wN1s,I,s.,n. cogflarc In