Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1852-02-05

Madge is there; she has dropped in softly
with with her mother, and Nelly has well
coined her with a bound, and with q kiss
Jenny has not SO rosy cheek as Madge.-
But Jenny with her love notes, and her lam
gushing dark eye, you think of, as lady
the thought of her constant drain upon your
sentiment. AS for Madge-that girl Madge,
whom you know so well-you think of her as
a sister; and yeti is very odd-you look
at her far oftener than you do at Nelly.
Frank too has come in to have game with
tyou at draughts; and he is in capital spirits,
all brisk and glowing with his evenings walk.
| He-bless his honest heart never observes
that you arrange the board very adroitly, SO
that you mag keep half an eye upon Madge,
as she sits yonder beside Nelly. Nor does
he once notice your blush, as you catch her
eyes, when she raises her head to fling back
the ringlet; and then, with a sly look at you,
bends most earnest gaze upon the board,
as if she were especially interested in the
disposition of the men.
You catch little of the spirit of coquetry
yourself-(what native growth it isD and
if she lift her eyes, when you are gazing at
her, you very suddenly divert your look to
the ca. at her feet; and remark to your
friend Frank in an easy, oRhand way-how
the cat is lying.
And Frank turns-thinking propably. if he
thinks at all about it, that cats are very apt
to lie still, when they sleep.
AS for Nelly, half neglected by your thought,
as we'll as by your eye, while mischievous
looking Madge is sitting by her, you little
know as yet what kindness, what gentleness
YOU are careless Of Few loves in life, and
you will learn it before life is done, can bal
ance the lost love of sister.
AS for your parents, in the intervals of the
game, you listen dreamily to their talk with
the mother of Madge-good Mrs. Boyne.-
1t floats over your mind, as you rest your chin
upon your clenched hand, like strain of old
familiar muslc,-a household strain, that seems
to belong to the habit of your ear,-a strain
that will linger about it melodiously for many
years to come,-a strain that will be recalled
long time hence, when life is earnest and its
cares heavy, with tears of regret and with
sighs of bitterness.
/. BY and by your gamo is done; and other
games, in which join Nelly (the tears come
when you write her name, noD y and Madge
(the smiles come when you look on her then,) }
stretch out that sweet eventide of Home, un-
til the lap fickers, and you speak your friends
-adieu. To Madge, it Is said boldly-a
boldness put on to conceal little lurking
tremor but there is no tremor in the home
goodnight.
Aye, my boy, kiss your mother-kiss her
again; fondle your sweet Nelly; pass your
little hand through the gray locks of your
father; love them dearly while you can! =
Make your good-nights linger; and make
your adieus long, and sweet, and oftenrepea-
ted. Love with your whole soul-father,
mother and sster-for these loves shall die.
Not indeed in thought: God be thanked
Nor yet in tears-for He is merciful! But
they shall die as the leaves die-die as Spring
dies into the heat and ripeness of Summer,
and as boyhood dies into the elasticity and
ambition of youth. Death, distance, and
time, shall each one of them dig graves for
your affections; but this you do not know,
nor can know, until the story Of your life is
ended.
The dreams OF riches, of love, of voyage,
of learning, that light up the boy-age with
splendor, will pass on and over into the hot
ter dreams of youth. Spring buds and BIOS
SONS under the blowing sun of April, nurture
at their heart those frstlings of fruit, which
the heat of summer shall ripen.
You little know-and for this you may we'll
thank Heaven--that you are leaving the
Spring of life, and that you are floating fast
from the shady sources of your years, into
heat, hustle and storm. Your dreams are now
faint, ,fickering shadows, that play like ire-aes
in the coppices of leafy June. They have no
rule, but the rule of infantile desise. They
have no joys that belong to your passing life;
they have no terrors as the darkness Of a
Spring night makes They do not take hold
on your soul, as the dreams of youth and man
hood will do
Your highest hope is shadowed in cheer
! full, boyish home. You wish no friends but
the friends of boyhood-no sister but your
fond Nelly--none to love better than the play
ful Madge.
| You forget, Clarence, that the Spring with
you. is the Spring with them; and that the
storms of Summer may chace wide shadows
over your path, and over theirs. And you
forget, that Summer is even now, lowering
with its mist, and with its scorching rays up
/ on the hem of YOUR floWry Nav