The Father's Midnight Musings

We know of uo wrlter wbo draws'more eloquent lessou! from the.eommon intcrcourse of ever day li.e and trom Intímate home relattODships tb.in the humori&t, Kobert Burdette. They seem, as they doubtless are, simple recitaisof lic:iit exDeriencos whlch ko straight to other hearts. Vhat coala he mure viviuly realistic and lemler.y true ihau the l'ollowing unpretentiouj little prote poem: liow quiet the house is at midnight. The people who talk and laugh and Bi&jg .n it every day are asleep. nnd the people who Xell asleep iu it long ag i come back into H. Every house has these two ciasses 01 tenants. Do we love best thosj with whoin we eau laugh and lalk anJ Blnx, or tüe dear sileut ones who eoiue so nolselessiy to our side and whlsper to us in luim, sweet, iar-away wbispers that have no sound, so '.bat we ouly hear thelr verystillneBsi 1 am not t red, but my pen is weary. It Calis from my lingera and J raise my head. 1 start lo lc.ivt.1 tüc tabie and i:r, eves .un upon a little book lylog ra the Boor. [tlsa little "First KeaJer." He lelt Ittberc this aiternoon. 1 remember just how 1 was nnpatieut because becouldnot read the simple ntue lesson - sueu au eaa,' Ie Si)U - aud J tOid him it was a wa.sle m my time irvin; Lo teacb him and pu.-hed hi;u away (rom me. I rciuember now. l s=e te flash come Into the Hule ured lace, tic brave, ehcerful look n liis eyes - bis motuer's urave, paaent checrlness - strugellng w.tn lus iisa;j; olmment and pain. 1 see liim lie dovii on íhe iloor and iie little face bent over the trouüiesome iesson - saeh a simple, easy leBSOD] any DHoy might readit. Tüen, altera il uas to boglven up, and tbe lia ned little sold.er, witu onu more appealinK Iook toward meior ro-oulorcemencs, siiii e ay irom the Iesson bc cannot read . tue piay taai comforts hiuj. And there lies the ii' tic book just as i.e left It. Ah, me, I ouM Kiie.'i downandkiss it now, as thouh it were aliye and loving. Wny, vrhat waa my tino worm to me to-day; What'was there in liie bjok 1 wanted to read oue-uan so precious lo me as oiie uooiog word from t lit: práttliu . 1'S that quivered wlieu I turned away. ! hate the ooo.i 1 read. i will nevirlookat Itagatn. Were it the last book in the vvorkl, 1 thiuK 1 wouid buin it. All its gracious worde are lies, i say lo vou, thougb ui umi praise the kook, and, tbough an hour agoltuoaKQt It excellent, 1 say tojou that tbere is poison in iis hatefui pages. Why. whatcun l team trom booKa Jiat baby lipa can not teacb mei Doyou know I want too to bis ruoin aiui listen; tne liouse is so still; maybe heisnot breathing. Wuy, 11 between nlv booK and my boy i choosemy book wbyshouiu not God leare me wltn my boons'i iiyhaieiui books. But 1 was not harsli. I was only a little Impatlent. Because, you see, bis Icssod was ■;. easy, so simple. Au me, there were two o. ustrylngto read this afteruoon. Tnere were [uo easy, simple lessons. Mine was sueh a vet sim;,;-,', easy, pleasant, loving one to Learn. Just a line, just a linie throb of patieue.', oí f;entlenesn, oí love that wouw lave m.iúe my own heart glow and tanh and siuji. The iO.ters were so larfje and piu.u, the vords sj easy and the sentem-e so short. And li Uh, pity ni.1, 1 imssed every word. I did not read one line srignt. Bee, here is my eopj' now, all ulunvd and blistered with tears aud beartache, all inaireU aud misspelied aud blotced. .[ am asnftmed to show ii to tue lüastor. Andyet 1 Know He will be'iat.ent witu me; I know how loving and geulie iic will üe. Why, how patiently and lovuiKly "1' these years He bas bien t.-acblng metbij simple iesson 1 failqj u. ou i d.iy. But when uiyiitilu pupil BtUjjbieu On a siïule woid - is S2 }}!!M: :H; fiffifcïn?raifen"tLe4ïïa i m in. re t. an once.1 An, trie.id we do waste uia,; when we plait Bcouree tor ourse.ves. Tuese Lurryiug days, ihese busy, aux.ous, shrewd, ainuit oua Unies ot' ours are wasted wuea t: e t.i e o :;■ bearts away rrom patiënt gentieness, au iglye us tame tor love and gold ior Msses. .. ome day, then. WLea our huijgry Boais will 8eek for bread our BtfJflsh god wLl ;;ive us stonc Life not a deep proiounu, perplexiuj; problem. It is a simple, easy lesbon, siKii as any ehild may read. ïou eau not liihl lts solubon in me Douderous tomes Oí the old lathers, the phliosophers,the mvestigators, tiie theorlsts. it is not on _our boon she.ves. Hut in the warinest corner 'ol the most ULlet: red heart itgiO u's Id letters that tue bundebt may re.id; a sute., plaln, simple, easy, lovinsj lesson. And when jou uavu learned ii, brothr oí mine, the world wJl be bettér an.l aapper.