Year: 1879

Thanksgiving times have come and gone
Iere have been family gatherings all over
the land. Parents and children have min
g'ed their joys, brothers and sisters have
renewed the associations of by-gone days
and have gone back to their homes or stay
ng-places--many a son and daughter has
only staying-places in lieu of the old
homeland now the homestead has settled
back into its former calm and shadow, the
hall and the staircase echo no more to the
rapid tread of young feet the laugh of
" the children they were called Z" the
children !" they are bearded men and women
who took their own little ones by the hand


the whistle and the song are hushed, the
uroad-shouldered and the 1.-THE forms are
gone. Even if death has not broken of late
the circle, and no great sorrow bIooded over
it, still these gatherings have in them tone
of sadness. To father aud mother they
bring up the long past-though it does not
seem long-when the little boys and little
girls were home, and needed no Thanksgiv-
ing or Christmas to bring them back when
the home circle was complete. The contrast
is sometimes very bitter now. Father aud
mother miss the goodnight kiss, and wish
that they could go up and stuck the chill.
dren in as they nestle laughing in Their
beds; they miss drowsy replies to their
morning call they would like the boys to
come to have their neck-ties put in order,
and the girls to have their curls arranged
it would be good if they could only send the
boys to black their shoes or the girls to get
a forgotten handkerchief before they went
off to school they would be glad to send
them back to their rooms to take off the
torn dress, or pants whose knees had given
out. but which had not been noticed the
night before. But that can never be again.
The boys and the girls are gone forever
Sometimes father and mother talk of it
till their hearts grow sore, and they think
it best not to make each other sad and
then, while perhaps neither knows it of the
other, they lie side by side--with no crib in
which sleeps little one near-and hot
tears roll upon the pillow, till Gods blessed
sleep hides the present and the past in its
times homesck as they remember the old
home and its blessedness, but there are
hearts that are sadder that have not gone
out from it.


1t will be well for the children to remem-
ber this when they are away. "Thanks
giving" brought them home, and the re-
newal OF the home life was like entering
heaven they went away with swelling
hearts and dimmed eyes, but the rush and
work have crowded out and pushed aside
and it is well-the sorrow of parting. But
they must not forget that they left behind
them two that do not feel the stimulus
of the world, and whose thoughts are more
apt to dwell on the past than on the present


There in the old home are two that talk
very often through the day and far into the
night over the absent The pet names are
used just as they were years and years ago,
and often they sound tremulously- that
not because age or weakness makes the
voice falter-and deeptoned prayers follow
with unutterable longings. Children away
often forget this. They do not feel it nee
essary to be holding communication often
with the old folks at home. So while
Thanksgiving is fresh upon them | will
whisper in their ear that there is occasion
for thoughtfulness and care Just at this spot.


Some of them do not come home often as
they might. 1t might cost little to break
away from business aud run home I" for a
few hours, but the loss would not be serious
and need not be felt. Mothers and fathers
kiss, the boy name sounded as it was twenty
or thirty years ago, would be worth long
journey to feel aud hear. The looks of love,
the grasp of the hand, the hug OF the olden
time, would be good to receive. 1t would
be a thing of Joy for you TO see smiles and
hear words of delight from lips that have
kissed yours thousand times when you did
not know aud were too little to care about it.


Some Of the children do not write home
often enough. To write a letter would en-
gross only half hour or so OF time, but it
would fill days with gladness in the home
where father and mother are They some
times wonder that letter does not come
have known father and mother wait through
weary months aud years while long absent
son sent no word to cheer their loneliness or
still their forebodings. Aud | have known
that son come home pennless and worn, to
be taken in again. The sons and the daugh-
ters who read this will not do that they
will not permit the years to go by without
sending letter home, but they may allow
weeks and months to pass (and pass all un-
consciously before they write. oit is that
| ask them to remember, with all the loving
and tender associations that come with the
close of the year-and have come with
Thanksgiving about them-that little talk,
even though it be on paper, and only few
loving words, will make gladness, and bring
return that money and checks cannot