The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-04-11

Our story is done. We have come
to the final chapter. Yet somehow
we do not want the tale to end.
In the beginning we stated that
once week, after our Saturday pa
per is printed, after the machinery
in the back room is quiet and the
help has gone, there comes a period
when we who are responsible for this
little country paper sit in our office,
look into the shopping crowds mill
ing through Main Street, and think
thoughts that are very solemn.
Now perhaps it may be understood
why-when we are given to those
times of depression, periods of intro
spection and moments of reminis-
cence-our thoughts turn to local
folk like Aunt Mary Purse; and their
suffering and toll and attainment is
an inspiration to carry our load UNI
complainingly and do the work that
is given us to do, until we also, in
the language of printers,-dump our
final stick and then go home.
Here in this town are eight thous-
and souls. In this volume we have
been able to mention but handful.
Here in this community are hundreds
of our fellowmen and fellow-women
with narratives just as interesting,
just as inspiring; hundreds of other
love affairs; hundreds of women who
have moaned ooh my baby; my only
only little baby" in the velvet black
of the, soundless midnights. All
through the long time we have print
ed daily paper in this valley Aunt
Mary Purse has been but one of
many whom we know to have kept a
stuot heart through days of black
despair and made the world believe
that things didn't matter when we
know they did matter-very, very
much; folk who have carried a brave
smile on their faces to hide the gang
lion sorrow gnawing at their hearts
and declared that troubles are sent to
us to be overcome and "we'll manage
somehow" Not all of them realize
the great reward which has been
Aunt Mary's. But most of them re-
ceive some measure of compensation
somewhere, sometime, somehow, if
nothing more than their evolution in
to finer, nobler men and women
Rare indeed is the life which is made
up entirely of shadows.
But we have set it down in the
beginning that these sob hours dc
not seem as melancholy as we grow
older and journey down the hill O.
life. True, we miss old faces and ole
landmarks and we long with grea
longing to hear familiar voices again
We feel sad and lonesome at time,
4 because many of those who Travelled
such long way on the Journey will
US, have dropped by the way; some
times among the strangers who have
taken their places we feel out O
sympathy and understanding.
But we know that it is only fol
little while that this loneliness shall
be. Because of our places in Thu
community, knowing intimately it!
men and women stripped to the quicl
of their livid souls at times by fear
full trouble, we have seen thing.
which convince us that there is indeed
a Power behind all this comedy anc
this tragedy, . that, there is a rea
son for this play AS we come int,
this world as strangers, at the bid
ding of forces over which we hat
no voice or control and yet foua,
that wise and kindly God had pro
vided strong and loving mother-arm
ready to receive us and care for u
and protect US in our weakness, jus
so do we believe and have faith tina
as we pass through the dark cavern
of the Great Adventure the sam
wise and kindly God, in His infinit
mercy, has provided similar help an,
protection for us on the other side
If we could have approached brit
into earthly life consciously as W
now approach death, we might hav
been as afraid of earthly birth a