The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-02-07
THE LAS T PARTING.
nY Joseph 4. CHANDLER.


twesty years. has been used for almost every CON
ceivabie purpose, from a turner's shop to meet
ing house, and even Jewish Synagogue. The
character Of the building is not napty sei forth by
a scriptural quotation which our Hebrew brethren
placed ON the outer wall, while they were tenants
and worshippers within: .s5-s. ..... ~
"How dreadful is this place, TX
The rear of this ancient building extends to-
wards our establishment, and its hack windows are
within a few feet Of the windows Of our sanctum.
Last autumn, ibe Directors of the Public Schools
hired the lower part Of this building for primary
school and placed within its walls host Of little
children. With their windows and ours closed,
we couldhear their noise, the tumult Of ahundred
voices, and we thought there was weight in the
moniion ofa FRIEND that the next spring we should
be finely annoyed with their clatter, when the
windows Of both buildings. aud ihroats Of the
youngsters shouldbe wide open. . ,....s.,-..,
Late in the spring the windows were opened,
and occasionally the mnltitudnous voices Of this
host reached Us across the short distance. They
were singing their morning hymn, or closing the
day with their evening song But neither mathis
nor vespers disturbed; our pen slid easily over the
paper, aud our thoughts moved as regularly in the
small noise of these songsters, as il "siencs and
night, twin sisters" had sat at our elbows, with
finger on lip, gazing into that diatance which sag
gests no words aDd asks 10 voice tor the thoughts
that it inspires. ...,4.s
Occasionally we would pause in our business, as
the anthem arose, and feel our heart rise with
gratitude, to Him that had perfected praise from
such mouths.
We rarely saw the little folks A high brick
wall cut off all sight from our lower windows, and
there was so much harmony in the singing, that
we never learned to distinguish one voice from
another. It was a perfect whole. made, perhaps,
from the perfections of arts, but likely from
the skillful combination of little voices,
II was rare. indeed, that we could understand
word OF the hymn which the little choristers gave
forth. Their low delicate utterance was breathed
out so gently, that we could only guess at the
character Of the words by the movements Of the
music. ,
A short time since, we were struck with sounds
from the room at an unusual late hour for music.
We listened, and the school was apparently in full
song We could catch few words. Apparent
ly, the burihen Of the hymn was: u II;
.sShall meet to part no more!'
And as the singers reached this ..refrain," there
was peculiar distinctness in their utterance. As
cendlng towards the composing room Of the Office.
we cast our eye out Of the window on the stairway,
and saw single scholar, leaning from the back
window of the school room, listening 10 but not
joining in the music of her mates.
She was thin, pale girl, with ceanly plain hab-
its. She could scarcely be more than ten years Of
age, and her eyes were wonderfully expressive; and
as the scholars reached the chorus oftheir song,
we thought her upturned eye denoted peculiar
the paleness Of her check, and its activity seemed
scarcely in harmony with her frail bony form. =
When the little band had concluded their anthem
by double repeat Of the words-"we meet to part
no more," one o: them came to the window, and
caliiug the child by her name, intimated that she
was needed at the other end of the room. ELIZA
beth-,'' that was the name used turned away
with severe coughing spell and we prosecuted
our errand. The next day we missed our musical
neighbors. There was no hum OF studies, no loud
uterance Of lessons by classes, uplifting Of their
voices, that took with them our heart, all was STILL
all was quiet. And the song which he had listen.
ed to with SO much delight, was the little ones VAL
edictory for that season. The holidays had CON-
menced so pleasant to them, so necessary TO their
faithful teachers, and we fslt loss--felt that .
part OF the ncitement to DEVOTION il not to compo-
sition, had ceased We felt for moment as il we
had parted from those whom we should not meet
again-and it may be so. Their little throats may
swell with the sound of thanksgiving and devotion
In their wonted place, while the ear that was de-
lighted at their performance shall be closed and
dull. The event is one in the order of nature
The old die, and the young come up to fill their
place.
ltwas only on Monday afternoon, that driving
down towards the Neck, we met funeral. 1t
was OF little cerenony--a small cortege, and no
carriages. They were Conveying to the grave a
child, and judging from the number Of young fe-
males, the deceased was girl, The procession
turned into burying ground; and as the occasion
might he made one qfproit to our little ones, we
stopped the carriage, and followed the train to the
resting place designated by heap Of fresh earth,
When, the company had gathered in circle
around the coffin, we placed our charge upon a
newly sodded hillock, and leaning forrest over a
head stone, we awaited the simple ceremonies
When the narrow coffin had been lowered into the
grave, the attending clergyman, (such we suppose
the speaker to have beeu,) addressed the audience
with simple eIoquence, upon the mu,abiliiy Of hu-
affairs, and of !he uncertainty al that life So
precious in our eyes And he closed by solemn
appeal Ia the li.e ones, loay these things TO heart
that shey might number their uncertain days, and
apply their hearts to wisdom; that they should
cherish the grief at the loss Of friend thatit may