Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1838-01-10

FROM the h0cnester ITEM.
Mr.. Editor: the following thoughts were writ
ten at the request of young lady attending the
Rochester Female Seminary, for exhibition on
Examination day. Ifyou think them worthy
place in the GEM, they are at your servco.-L.
HIP.
THOUGHTS ON RETURNING HOME
AFTER LONG ABSENCE.
OF all the incidents that happen to us in
our journey through life, none, perhaps,
possesses more thilling interest than that
of returning home after long absence.
When we have been long time from home,
every thing around that cherished man.
sion seems to beckon us with an inviting
smile to return. Not the dear inmates of
that house alone, but the house itself, and
all that is within--the trees without-the
garden-the felds-the grove--all the
scenery ofthe country around--now spread
all their charms to call their wanderer
home.
Many of us now attending this Seminary
are at a distance from our homes from
the scenes Of our childhood ardt.e compa.
ny Of those we hold most dear. Much as
we think of the privileges we here enjoy
dearly as we prize the instructions daily i'm
parted to US by our excellent teachers, and
highly as we value the company Of our
young associates, would we not forget them
all for short time, TO make but tempo.
rary visit to The home of our fathers and
the scenes of our childhood Is the day
| near at hand when we are about TO make
this pleasant journey? How do we dwell
on the subject before that day arrives
What thrilling emotions accompany the
thoughts of returning home And when
the day arrives we can bid adieu to our
friends here in this delightful mansion, with
less regret, when we consider that we shall
soon embrace those we hold most dear of
| all we love on earth.
No journey that we make in this world
is SO delightsome TO the feelings of young
persons perhaps the same with older ones)
as that, after long absence, Of returning
home. Is the father that loves us and cher
ishes our being with SO much care avail.
| ting our return? Does the tender affec.
tomato mother, too, that bore us in her
arms and nursed our earliest infancy, stand
with open arms to receive US? Our little
brothers, too, are they skipping about the
yard, or on the portals ofthe gate anxious
ly watching our return? And our much
loved sisters, with whom we have spent the
most of eur lives--thc most delightful of our
! days and nights--are they watching with
eager eyes for the first glimpse of the car.
riage that conveys us thither? And what
are our emotions too, as the scenery ofthe
surrounding country breaks upon our
"ravished eyes?" The groves--the fields
the neighboring dwellings-how i'm.
proved in appearance since we left. o,
what are our emotions-what our Joy, as
we catch the glimpse of that paternal roof,
or see the smoke gently curling from the
chimney of that venerated mansion! And,
as rolled nearer and nearer that sacred spot
what are our feelings when we reflect that
the next moment we shall be at home !!
In this moment of transport our carriage
weels stop, and we fall into the arms OF
those we love. Here is happiness without
alloy, and joy unmixed with pain. The
most intense feeling of rapture pervade our
souls at such meeting after long alb
sence. Nothing can exceed the happiness
of such meeting unless it be when the a.
ged Christian terminates his long career by
a safe arrival at his fathers throne.