Year: 1859

Life has been likened to almost every
thing, and hos been looked upon in as ny
different ways as it could be turned by Fan
cy's shuttle in the ratting loom or busy
brain. But in all the different ways Life
hos been presented to you, have you ever
seen it compared to stocking? II not pause
q moment and listen. At first the stocking
10 not stocking, nor the life life, but each
skein of yarn, pure, clean and waiting to
be reeled of. Sometime TO be sure the yarn
is clouded, mixed and even gray, but with
care it will all knit in and nicely blend to.
gether. There are no breaks, no tangles in
it now as you look at it ere it starts upon its
course, but thread is fraiI, the needles may
bend or break and steady hand must watch
them now their lifcwork is begun.


Look at the stocking and look at the life
stitch by stitch do they progress, and how
nicely are those stitches all linked together,
held by single threOd-tEe thread of the
stocking and thread of life-and yet .s long
as the thread is unbroken so long will the
stitches hold together.


But see!-there il q stitch dropped, the
thresd broken and tied again, and it leaves
an ugly scar-a knot-u mended lie. The
stitch dropped may be smoothed over, the
broken thread mended, but the stockings the
life are mared; the first miss-stitCh is made
the first warning given.


There is magic music in the click Of the
knitting needles piled with nimble fingers,
and there is music too in the click of Times
knitting needles as he knits away at the
young life. now laughing merry strain and,
again one mournful as ditge.


Sometimes the knitting needles grow rus
ty and the half knit stocking is laid away;
but the hands that hello the needles first grew
tired, were folded over the still breast, and
laid TO rest when the stocking and the life
were nearly half done.


There is great deal Of scanning in the
stocking, and so there is in the life; more
scanning than doing, the best foot put for
ward, the bright side out, and the seam stitch
es uppermost.


There is the widening, too-the stocking
grows the life expands, the purpose grow
ssrong, the hands grasp for more-and then
comes the narrowing. The thread has been
held 30 loosely, SO many stitches have been
dropped along the life.road, the thread Of
hope broken so many times. that we begin to
narrow in the life.stocking, to draw more
closely within ourselves, and guide the need
les with more careful hand. Then comes
the footing-there is good deal of footing
in life, good deal of trudging-the foot
path 10 well beaten-the feet are grown wea.
ry and sometimes they refuse to 60 further,
the life.tramp ceases and for while we rest.


All along the stocking and the life there
are black, red and white threads-those are
the way, marks.


When you were knitting the stocking
your mother put those threads in that she
might know when your stent was completed,
your 'ten times round knit, and you could
easily pull them out again; but in the wool
Of life they are firmly woven, and If you
brush the dust away they ore as plain as ev.
er; you pull them out, but in vain.


In the stocking those way.marks are only
threads, but in the life they are great joys
and griefs; graves which draw you down to
earth where hopes and hearts ore buried, and
jewels that draw you up to Heaven-yea
even jewels in our Fathers casket.


As you glance back on the way you have
come even to the casting on of those first
life stitches, you see a great many knots
mended but not hidden, great many stitch.
es dropped, the thread held loosely till kink-
ed and tangled, many needles rusted and
broken. and great many way.marks you
would gladly brush with the dust away.


The knitting goes on, the ball of yarn,
grows smaller, the life dwindles away, the
stocking is almost done-then comes the
sosing of. the lass stitch is bound off, the
thread drawn through and broken, and the
stocking aud tho life are done'