The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-08-05
], H0LC0MB, Editor Il Publisher,

expansive lake, or retiring among the lionel,
deus OF those eternal hills; though now GOV
cred with the frosty mantle of winter, vel
spring is again waiting to welcome thee with
songs OF gladness, to fan thee with her gentle
prcezes,and to crown thee with her brightest
) sweetest flowers Tine which has scattered
his trosts, and strewed his burrows upon my
brow, has left no percevable impress upon
thee; still, thou art the samc,in all thy fresh
ness and beauty, as when with the fond i'm
aglnings of young heart, I left the patcrnal
, root, to take more active part in the great
drama of life, and the loves, and memories,
and cherished associations of other days crowd
upon my rlcolecton feel as if loved ones,
many OF whom repose in DEATH were again
around me; | hear thcir joyous voices, as we
clambered up yonder mountains to gather the
delicious whortleberrics, or dashed away in
some light vehicle to meet a party of associ-
ates in some distant habitation or glided
along in the fragile skilf upon yonder shin
! ing lake.
But the old School House, to me an object
| of deep, abiding interest, where l formerly
spent many happy days in cndcavoring to
train the young for future usefulness, had
wholly disappeared. There was the hill on
the brow of which it stood; the sparkling
brook still murmured at its foot; beyond is the
coppice, (here termed the 'cobble, ")its rocky
sides covered with gnarled, stinted growth
of forest shrubbery, and farther on was the
orchard where I often walked and feastcd on
the luscious fruit.
The building itself was planned with prm-
tive simplicity, being formed of logs, notched
together at the corners, with the interstices
filled with mortar, the thickness of the walls
excluding alike the heat of summer and the
cold of winter. The interior was well venti-
lated and lighted, provided with an excellent
floor, and furnished with a plentiful supply
of convenient benches and tables. 1t was
warmed by an apparatus of a peculiarly novel
construction. A platform of brick and NOR
tar some eighteen inches in height, with a
small fire place, was raised from the noor,up-
on which was placed an inverted cadron with
an opening in the center, over which was
placed stove pipe, that conveyed the smoke
to the chimney place. This was the school
room for the week, and the sanctuary on the
Sabbath, I have walked the yaulted aisIes of
splendid temples consccrated to the worship
of the Most High but religion seemed to busy
herself with display and pageantry; while in
that old school house ,picty in her native garb
of simplicity and truth, mingled with the wor-
shipper, before she arrayed herself with the
fripperies Of fashion, or became confoymed to
the world l have stood in the lofty porticocs
of Academic halls, but I never saw that love
Of improvement for its 0'Cn sake, which was
here manifest. The cold marble but poorly
contrasted with the loving hearts, bright eyes,
and smiling faces which met me there, and
it is among the dearest retrospections of my
life, to recall that school room, Gas used to
find it on Monday morning,) nicely swept,
busted, and fcstooned with evergrccns; the
small table in the center adorned with the
choicest flowers, while the humble bee revcl-
led among the the clover and daises, the yell
low birds fitted by in their golden plumage,
the robins filled the air with their melody,
the adjoining grave yard invited to sober
10 p
delighted to linger around that hill top. Il
have often, when tired of tumult and change,
visited it in my slumbers, and awokc soothed
and encouraged by its image of peaccfulness
and rcpose.
I made considerable enquiry respecting my
pupils, and found that many of them are pro-
feSsed followers Of the Savior, and adorned,
that profession by q we'll ordered life !" that
they were mostly filling stations of respecta-
who had suffered an ignominious death, in
habited a conyicts cell, or gone down to
drunkard's grave. dared not attribute these
results to any Of my poor doings, but could
only look upward and adore the grace which
had 50 signally answered my early, earnest
aspirations.
Some who were lovely in lifc," reposed in
an early grave, but hope, in her angel garb
sustained them in tho trying hour of death,
and they left the world in peace.
Another building, ofmodern construction,
supplied the place of the old school house,
but not its site, where, the Sabbath after my
arrival, l attended worship, and was forcibly
reminded of the change which had passed
over my acquaintance. The congregation
which had formerly filled the old house now