Paradise Restored discussion

Stanzas in Paradise Restored by Charles W. Kaighin containing clues:

My angel mother – near the shore

Is looking down this way,

And father, who went long before,

I wonder what he’d say,

And brother Ed. (maybe typo, probably Eb. for Ebenezer, unless they called him Ed) if I’d drop in

Just now and say “Hello”

And sister Mona, pale and thin,

I’m sure she’d like it so

This was written between 1925 and 1950 as both Ebenezer and Mona died in October of 1925 and Charles died in 1950. His father, Charles W. Kaighin Sr. died in 1883, and his mother Margaret (Christian) Kaighin in 1904. He makes no mention of two other sisters, Margaret Christian (Kaighin) Cubbon, or Catherine (Kaighin) Fix. Margaret died 30 Sep 1930, and Catherine died sometime after her husband John in 1938. He also doesn’t mention his oldest son, who died at the age of 37 in 1929, so I believe it was written prior to then.

In olden times men lived to be

Nine hundred years or more,

God’s Son showed us in thirty-three

What we were living for;

Now three score years and ten are ours

And we may live ‘til 4—

Which only bring those longing hours

For those who’ve gone before.

Could he be indicating his age at the time of this writing? If so, then at age 70, the year would have been 1933 or 1934 as he was born in February of 1863. So if this is true, then why no mention above of his sister Margaret and son Charles? It is much more likely that he is speaking in general terms, that people now live to be 70 or even 80 years old. If this is the case, then revert back to the first stanza above

I used to think that Adam’s fall

Destroyed this garden fair,

But no, there’s luxuries for all

Who come, and much to spare;

The old “Pacific garden” gate,

A side door to this place,

I found and hadn’t long to wait

Until he heard my case.

How glad I am I hit the trail,

God took away my shame,

I walked up front, kneeled at the rail,

Confessed, and took the blame;

Repented, asked Him to forgive,

Believed, t’was then that He

Revealed His Promise – “Thou shalt live”

Thru all Eternity.

I knew exactly what that meant

When I walked out of there –

Sin, doubt, and death, and darkness went

Relieving every care;

Van Buren on to Dearborn Street,

To Jackson Boulevard,

O’er Adams to Monroe I beat

The way – tho’ long and hard

Seemed very short, and smooth and light,

As Madison I crossed,

On thru the darkness and the night

In Glory I was lost;

Went on to Washington in haste

I cared for nothing now,

Of God’s real Joy I had a taste,

Got home, but don’t know how.

This reference is to the Pacific Garden Mission, a Presbyterian run homeless shelter opened in 1877 in the old Pacific Beer Garden building in Chicago. The name was changed in 1880 to Pacific Garden Mission. The streets names in the area are unchanged from that time. I have never seen any reference indicating that he or his family ever lived in Chicago, so this may be a reference to someone else. See map:

Submissions, corrections or suggestions kindly

received by the editor at kaighin@iname.com