Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1852-03-04
My uncle encountered me at the gate.

My uncle encountered me at the gate.
7" You must be my nephew William" said
he, in such assuring tone as at once consoleG
me. @
My aunt received me cordially. I soon be-
came reconciled to my exile. They had no
offspring of their own, l was in the stead Of
such to them.
: | recollect the painful feeling experienced
on going to school few weeks after my ar
rival. was stranger amid strangers I
fancied there could never be any interest in
common between the master and me; and
and as for the other boys-they were foreign
urchins to me. But the master came to me,
shook my hand, and told me he knew my
father Immediately he was transformed in
to an old acquaintance AT play-time,
wandered aloof from the school-boys, till one,
a mild, fair-haired little fellow, came up to
me, took hold Of the skirt of my coat and said,
I" Come don't be shy-play with u.s." l yiel-
ded and joined in their sport. l got excited
Il excelled my rivals in the game-they
were no more foreigners to me!
So passed away several years, I studied
assiduously, | improved in knowledge. At
eighteen, entered my uncle's Office to study
medicine. There, read for six months, and
then repaired to Philadelphia, where l was
to remain two years, until graduated in the
profession.
Finally, | obtained my diploma : I had an
tcipated it with JOY, accepted it with sad
ness. Suddenly the responsibilities of phys
ician realized themselves in my mind. re-
turned pensively to my uncle's.
Meanwhile, during these eight years. (how
slowly they sped away y did never recur to
home! Oh, yes constantly. 1t was ideali-
zed by absence. 1t was changed into an Ar
cadia, Happy Valley, Fairyland. Letters
came to me at remote intervals, such were
the poor mail facilities. What God sends
they were to me! laid them up, like fairy
money. Those from my sisters, with ocea-
sionally postscript from Berry, sometimes
"Round Margarets,' when they all wrote in
copartnership, so full of love, and girlish pratt
tie! could follow their improvement in
their letters. How a school had been opened
in the neighborhood, then dancing school,
then music teacher, with an assortment of
guitars, finally drawipg-master, who taught
them to paint everything. They drew pic
ture of the old family mansion, and Berry one
of the graveyard, inclosing another twig of
arbor vitR. Then could discover that Bet
tie began to have beaux, and that she thought
a great deal of "Mr. White, }" fellow hunter of
rabbits of mine! Each one said the other was
growing quite handsome, but that Bette was
most like me, with her dark hair and blue
eyes. However, all declared in one epistle
that Berry was the prettiest if she wasn't SO
strong and healthy; she had cough, which
they knew 1 could cure. My father was full
of advice and manly projects in his commu-
nications. My step-mother was less digni6ed
than he, but more SO than my sisters, and
talked much ofpiety The Rev. Mr. Black
burn, she said, was doing much good in that
part Of the Lords moral vineyard, and she
hoped | might soon hear him preach. Berry
had professed religion, though in quiet way,
not having sore conscience to trouble her
as many others. She was feeble and delicate,
my step-mother continued, but such faith,
such beautiful trust in her heavenly Parent
babe my uncle and aunt farewell shall
never be ungratefnl to them for their thought
fol regard for me and my interests. My
aunt is no more, but my uncle still lives ven
cradle old man, beloved by all that knew him.
The. old roam Wallace had found cine
cure IN my uncle's crib, and in his hardy green
age was fully competent to go back again the
same long journey he had once borne upon.
| packed my saddle-bags, as before, with a
diploma in addition. had preserved my tiny
gloves, the small handkerchief, the toy purse
and the twigs of arbor vita. packed them
up TOO, To show tlle lar donors how treasur-
ed their mementos. i.8 aea.tgar hTg
The journey was less monotonous than
formerly, more settlers having come out into
Tennessee Bet it was nothing like what it
isat present II is now great, prosperous,
densely populous and glorious state. 1t was
then new country, though not SO new as
when was child
1t was sunny Sabbath morn in May that
| arrived in the, vicinity of my home. ! re-
cognlsed numerous alterations, in the scene
ry, made by the industry of the farmers. But
most of the changes were owing to the grand
one in size, proportion and distance, which
We experenceswhen we revisit the associa-
tions and haunts of childhood after attaining
To fl,a eco &c efro, ms NJ oh ~ 4,