Year: 1868

up our mouse, and one by one the chill
dren fly into it, like birds out Of some
foreign wood into a cage--one, two, three,
four and more. With each one comes
also cry; and that cry is the keystone
to which q hundred voices, and gradual
ly swell into that strange chorus which
men call human life. For each child
there Is to be fringe of care on the
edge Of every day. Each child brings
burdens and anxietics. Tears in their
eyes are but harbiDgers Of many more In
the eyes Of all who love them To
shape them from infancy to goodness, to
shape their hands, to drill their heads, to
repair their mistakes, and secure their
firm footing in an honorable manhood,
who can measure the thought, the feel
ing, the endeavors? And then when
the long task is done, is there no CONF
pensation Or do they not one by one
detach themselves, and like comely fruit,
fall from the bough on which they grew,
leaving it bare and empty2


That daughter-just, as she began t0
be full companion, to repay all the Ia.
Dor Of her training-is snatched away
by man who has known her fewer weeks
than the parents have years; she goes.
The home is empty of her. Her rooms,
her drawers. her books and school tasks.
fondly preserved, carry sadness TO the
mothers heart every time they are looked
upon. The boys, almost before you
dream that they have ceased to be boys,
come along asking fathers blessing on .
new conner. BY the time the father and
mother are conscious OF age and infrmity,.
the whole brood is scattered and gone.
The old house is solitary. It used to be
straitened for rooms when all the chiis
dren were at home but now here is room
too much. It used to be unquiet and
noisy, but now one might doze all day for
all the noiss that is made. Only the FIRE
swapping out suddenly, or the drowsy old
clock ticking behind the door, or a kitten
mewing to get In, or out, or a squealing
mouse or rat, make any audible noise.
When the children are all at home,
man is like Norway spruce, whose we'll
grown branches, beginning from the lev
eel of the ground, rise up in o perfect
pyramid, shaping the tree to exquisite
proportions. But each child married
is bough Topped of, leaving wide
space, until the parent trunk is finally
trimmed up like shaft, and all the YER
dure left clings to the top. In European
communities, the children often marry
and settle down around their childhood
home. But this is rare in America
The endless circulation that is going on
sweeps away the children and to be
married is almost synonymous with going
away from home.


All this, Dir. Bonner, describes my
state of mind last week It is very dif-
ferent now. Word has come that the
grandchildren are coming home. Com
ing home? What! both the children
and their mother for good long visit3
Bless their little hearts, let them come.
There'slnothing in this house too good for
them. Now then we shall have house,
hold once more. Children are the how-
ers which God sends from Heaven to en-
liveu and cheer this life. What was I
saying little while back about the care,
and anxiety, and pain, and trouble, of
bringing them up2 Stuff-mere stuff,
Mr.. Bonner | assure you. Don't believe
a word of it. was surely in dream.
1t was a half nightmare / am awake
now; aud do assure you that he who is
| fit to have, and rear children, will see
ten, yes, hundred joys to every sorrow ;
and the sunshine of their smiles will turn
into rainbow every tear which they shed
or cause to be shed.


If there is anything in the world that
pays as it goes along, it is taking care of
children. Raising flowers is all well
enough. But flowers have no mischief
in them, they behave well, they lack hu-
man nature, they need the iredescent
qualities of disposition that fash from
every surface of childs life. Children .
trouble I Do they pOut? fred? disobey
and go wrong? Don't you wish asters
and honeysuckles would show as much
life /? What would you give to have .
singing vine, or flower that could learn
to say its prayers?


Why, trouble in the nursery is parents
pastime. If one don't believe it let HIM
be left awhile without children. He viii
soon be glad to hear that the grsndchil-
dren are coming home.


Well, We must get ready for them. Let
the drawers be filed with candy. Get
out the crib and put up the dear little
narrow bed again.


Hunt up the dolls, the wagons, the
play house, the picture books, the strings.
Where are the tall chairs for the table,
aud the little cups. and knives and forks
for childs hand It looks like living
again


Now we shall be walked in the morn-
ing by a chubby rogue climbing up on
the bed and playing tricks with my eyes
and nose Then viii come trooping
down to breakfast, all the table antics.
Then we will all go up to family prayers
and what a time those children will
make of it. Children are not natural
worshippers.


But how patient will we be !! Nothing
shall fret us, Already we are more ro-
bust, and let out the buckle of our girdle
one or two holes. In short, the grand
children are coming; and, in bringing
themselves back to US they bring back
the childhood of their parents too, and
bring US back to ourselves - Beecher.


A HAPPY WoMAN.-Is she not the very
sparkle and sunshine of life ! A woman
who is happy because she can't help it,
whose smiles even the coolest sprinkle Of
misfortune cannot dampen Men make .
terrible mistake when they marry for
beauty, for talent, or for style; the sweet
lest lives are those who possess the magic