f
NOVEMBER , lfll
The Commoner.
11
who would wantonly kick tha crutch
irom unaor tlio arm of the cripple, so
do I despiso him who, claiming su
perlor reason and Intelligence, would
snatch away tho staffs that support
thoso who look hoyond tho now and
coo tho glorious day that Boon Bhall
dawn.
Used to Bo
I love to dream of the dear old days,
Of the old timo friends and tho old
time ways;
Of tho old home scenes and the old
homo ties,
Of tho joys of youth and its bright
bluo skies.
Bo oft I sit in the gray twilight
And dream the dreams of tho old
days bright.
And dreaming roam In my fancy free
Through tho good old days of Used
to Bo.
Down tho village street on my way
to school,
Or through tho woods to the swim
ming pool;
Or o'er tho hills where the nut-fllled
trees
Their welcomes sent on the autumn
breeze;
Or further still, on tho winter's
night,
With rocker skates with their run
ners bright,
And ever on in my fancy seo
All the good old days of Used to Be.
And a maiden sweet as a dewy rose
Adown the lane with the dreamer
goes;
Once moro the tale that is never old,
And ever new, is again retold;
And the sweet vows made in the clear
moonlight
While tho future holds forth a
promise bright.
Ah, the visions sweet as they com
to me
Prom the good, old days of Used to Be:
But the dreamer wakes from the
pleasant dream
To find at hand are the joys supreme.
For his eyes behold all the sweets
of life
In home and children and loving
wife;
In quiet rest when the day is done
And the joy of home is a goal well
won;
When children climb on my waiting
knee
Joys greater than those of the
Used to Be!
t
"As Those Without Hope'
. There comes to my desk a letter
bordered in black. The name of the
writer is withheld, but It Is written in
a hand that trembles with age and by
one who seems to be numbered with
thoso without hope. It speaks of the
ago old mystery of the world; of the
age old mystery of death, but Bhe
who writes it seems unable to find
in the Christian's hope that sure
prop for those who, having faith, be
lieve, and believing have a steadfast
assurance. I quote from the letter:
"I had a 'Kiddie One, a lovely
child, a beautiful boy. Ho attained
.to a noble manhood, and I was so
happy with him, and so proud of him.
But nine years ago he was taken
away by that awful mystery which
must come to all humanity. He
went away before he was quite as
old as you are, but he was always
to me ''my baby,' and has left alone
an aged and sorrowing mother who
Is waiting patiently for the time
when she may join her loved one in
that silent country. May
you never be called upon to part with
your dear 'Kiddies.' "
I, too, have "passed under the
rod." Twice have I stood beside the
open grave and saw loved children
lata jiwdvono a daughter who. had
tho lived, would now be a woman;
one a boy who, had ho been sparod,
would bo on manhood's threshold.
This boy I laid in tho tomb on a
bitter winter night, with no one
present savo throe friends who dared
to brave the dangers of a malignant
disease that I might not bo alono in
my grief. Qod knows my fallings
and my shortcomings, but had I not
clung fast to tho faith that my
mother taught me I could not havo
borne the burden laid upon mo.
Superstition? Tell me not that tho
faith which sustains at tho grave
side, when the clods fall dully upon
tho coffinlid, Is "superstition." Toll
me not that tho yearning planted in
every human heart shall not find re
sponse, even as the wing of the bird
finds response in the atmosphere, the
fin of the fish In the water. I know,
for the faith which sustained my
mother as she entered into tho Valley
of the Shadow, the faith which was
the prop and stay of my father as
he looked smilingly into tho faco of
death, that held me fast under the
bitterest grief the human heart can
know, is a sustaining faith that must
find fruition some time somewhere.
How, I may not be able to toll; how,
I may not bo ablo to picture but
that it will find fruition I know, and
knowing I can wait with patience,
mourning not as thoso without hope,
but rejoicing in the blessed assurance
of reunion with those I have loved
and lost, not in a "silent country,"
but in a country fairer than day.
"I hope," writes my correspondent,
"that you will deal kindly with Dr.
Karr, for tho timo is coming when
science, reason and commonsenso
will prevail over ignorance, supersti
tion and mythology."
Science, reason and commonsenso
have prevailed. As well tell mo that
there can be an effect without a
causo aB to tell .me that a hope com
mon to every heart la vain; as well
tell me that a seed can bring forth
its kind without dying as to tell me
that man dying shall not bring forth
a better life.
Call me ignorant and superstitions
if you will, but I can say, and have
said, "Thy will bo done," and so say
ing1 look forward with confidence,
and with the solace that faith alone
can give to those who havo lovod
and lost.
Cognomen
"What was tho name of Mary's
lamb?"
A man asked mo today.
I said I really didn't know
But thought it "Schcdulo K."
Tho reason why I thought it was
Is roally very clear;
I'd call it "Schedule K" hecauso
Twas such a littlo dear.
Misleading Signs
"Colds cured In ono day."
"Instanteneous toothacho cure."
"Ono night corn cure."
"Bunions removed without pain."
"A good C-cent cigar."
"Ono-half off salo today."
"Rejoicing in Hope
Of quite a different tone la a let
ter sent to mo by Theodore P. Ryn
der of Pennsylvania, who frankly
admits to being 73 years young, and
who sends me the always welcome
greeting of a fellow craftsman, which
means that he, too, once "edged up
ems" at the case. He clipped from
a recent issue of Tho Commoner one
of my verses, "An Old Book," and
sent to "a good old Baptist sister,"
and this good sister replied aa fol
lows: " 'An Old Book' and memory from
The Commoner was read to me. Time
turned back fty years; I am again
in the dear old home, and at mid
week prayer meeting, listening to
the dear old songa. None will ever
be so sweet to me. I seo my father
with closed eyes and arms folded
over his breast, singing 'Jesus saves.'
And I hear him say, 'Slater Richards,
will you lead in prayer?' I think
the angels came, glad to listen."
Dear good old lady, away past
70, happy, cheerful, hopeful. Isn't
it worth while, after all?
Faith and hope are the staff that
support us as we journey down the
path of life.. As I -would despise him
Limerick
There was a man up in Quebec
Whoso roso up and shouted: "By
heck,
Thla reciprocal thing
la a gold brick, b'jlng!
I'll hand it ono right in tho neck."
Suro
There once was a man in Cohassot
Who seeing a saloon, couldn't pass it.
Whilo onco ho was rich
Ho now lies in tho ditch
And can not show one single asset.
Brain Leaks
People who boast of their crosses
are toting a useless load.
Preaching without practice may
entortain but will not convince.
And if tho hoopskirts do come
back, how are you going to button
your wife's waist?
The only way to refrain from niftlr-
Ing mistakes is to do nothing, and
that's the biggest mistake of all.
We all like to meet the man who
can disagree with us without acting
as If he thought wo were plumb fools.
There's always room at the top,
but gome of us would rather bo a
little less successful than a lot more
lonesome.
Science Is a great thing, of course,
but to date it hasn't learned how to
do what the humble littlo lightning
bug does make .light without heat.
sidoration of tho framing of the
statuto ns it was reported by the
judiciary commlttoo, which Is tho
exact form in which It was onactod
aud woo approved by Prcsidont Har
rison July 2, 1890.
"The eight sections of tho ntatuto
wore written by tho following cona
tors, in tho following proportions:
"Senator Edmunds wrote all of
sections 1, 2, 3, 5 and C, excopt soven
words In section 1, which seven
words woro written by Senator
Evarts. Thoso are the words "in tho
form of trust or otherwise."
"Sonator Ooorgo wroto all of flec
tion 4, Senator Hoar wroto all of
section 7 and Sonator Ingallfl was tho
author of section 8.
"Tho statements of chapter 2 of
Walker's 'History of tho Shorman
Law,' relevant to tho au thorsh ip of that
statuto woro baned on all the pub
lished information which had over
boon printed when that book was
written by mo In 1010. But my per
sonal investigation of tho original
records of tho souato has resulted in
ascertaining that tho credit of the
authorship of that historic statuto
should bo distributed as it Is dis
tributed In this communication.
"ALBERT H. WALKER."
AUTHORS OF THE SHERMAN IAW
From the Congressional Record,
August 2, 1911: Mr. Clapp I
should like to ask that the following
letter from Mr. Walker bo printed
In the Record, and red if any sena
tor desires to hear it.
The Vice President Is there any
objection to printing tho letter in the
Record? The chair hears none and
tho order is entered.
Tho letter referred to is as fol
lows: "Washington, July 21, 1911.
Hon. Moses E. Clapp. Dear Sena
tor: In pursuance of your ronuoRt.
I anbmit the following report of the
results of my investigations in the
office of tho secretary of tho senate
and in the room of tho senate judi
ciary committee relevant to the
authorship of tho Sherman law of
July 2, 1890.
"That statute was drawn in tho
Judiciary committee in the latter part
of March and the first part of April,
1890. It was based on tho bill which
Senator Sherman introduced as
senate bill 1, early in December,
1889, but Senator Sherman took no
part in framing tho substitute which
wag drawn by the Judiciary com
mittee. That committee was com
posed of Senators Edmunds, Ingalls,
Hoar, Wilson of Iowa, Evarts, Coke,
Veat, George and Pugh. All of its
members participated in tho con-
WORDS OF WISDOM
William J. Bryan mado a talk at
tho conservation congress In Kansas
City, nnd nothing moro sensible than
his remarks has been uttored in thla
country In many years. Tho follow
ing extract from his speech should
bo framed and hung up in every
church and schoolroom in tho United
States:
"I sometimes think that our edu
cational system is at fault in separat
ing our Intellectual progress from
our moral advancement. Too often
education is sought to enable one to
avoid hard work. When this be
comes tho prevalent idea education
ceases to becomo a blessing and be
comes a curse. Tho most important tfV.
thought that can bo lodged In each
child's mind is that education is to
enlarge one's capacity for work, and
not to relievo tho necessity for It.
"In tho cities men accept posi
tions giving small pay becauso they
are enabled to dress moro carofully
aud keep their hands clean. They
consider this the badge of respecta
bility, which they prefer to greater
pay for real labor. It is not only
labor they avoid, but tho physical
and often moral development which
goes with it. I hope that this con
gress will not for a moment logo
sight of the fact that tho farm, toil
and all, gives tho greatest oppor
tunity of independence and charac
ter and strength.
"I believe that we will only do
our full duty to ourselves, our
countrymen and posterity when we
emphasizo the fact that it is tho
idler, not the toiler, who Is a dis
grace. In disseminating this idea
there is work for us all. Tho mother
may aid when she teaches her daugh
ter that it is better to link her futuro
with a poor man wno has strength
and ambition to carvo for himself a
futuro than to link her future with
an idler who merely waits the time
when he can squander tho money
amassed by some one else.
"Tho father can help when he
teaches his son that ho is prouder
when he sees him working at honest
labor than idling his time in waiting
for the time to come when he will
Inherit a fortune. Every member of
society can servo in the war upon
this vicious idea, which is one of
the greatest foes to mankind. Teach
ers, preachers, havo unlimited scopo
for their work along this line. Sun
day after Sunday the preacher should
strive to press homo the Idea which.
Christ taught the world, that happi
ness and greatness depend -upon
service." Emporia (Kan.) Gazette.
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