Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1853-10-12
For The Democrat.
A REM IsCENCE
by LIZZIE LovEGRovE.

School days What pleasing associations and fond
rememberances cluster around those sunny days of
my early youth They were, indeed, happy days,
around which, even now, memory delights to linger-
calling up images of the past and mirroring again the
scenes of those bygone years. ] love to look back
upon the time when the rays of science first shone
upon the mind-when the first draughts were drank
from the fount of knowledge-when ideas began to
germinate, and thought first trained to think.
love to trace the workings of the mind it grew and
expanded under the genial influence of instruction
to mark its enlarged capacity in youth and its increas
ing vigor in maturer years.
The companions, too, of those comedy days =
Methinks see them as they,used to sit coming
over their various taskssofae with all the ardor of
young aspirants striving to win the honors of the
stockholders, caring less for honorS than for fun,
taxing the utmost the vigilance of the teacher to
keep them within proper bounds, while few, with
out sufficient energy to for either, required the
stimulus of compulson to jog them on And then
" the nooning!' Who does not remember the gen.
eral outburss that followed its announcement, when
from the restraints of school sprang at into
the glorious liberty of " noon-time ~
But as look back upon that gay and happy group
as we used to miRgle in the sports of childhood and
the hilarites of youth, shade of mournul reflection
comes over me, and | can hardly persuade myself o
the change few short years have wrought among us
Some are sustaining the relation of husbands anc
fathers, of wives and mothers, whose children now
occupy the seats in the school-room where
they themselves once sat Others have gone from
the haunts of their early years. and amid the stirring
scenes eff life acting their pant in the drama o.
existence, while few have wandered far, far from
the home of their childhood, toiling to win for them
selves name and a place among the great ones o
earth
But many, very many, of those young and joyous
ones have passed away and gone to early grave
ALL one, victims of that fell-destroyer con
sumption. They all sleep in the same church-yard
and as the last beams of the setting sun gd the clos
of day love to visit their quiet resting place, an
there wander among the images of the past, Will
the memories of the departed steal me like gen
: tie whispers from the spirit land.
But there is one spot where | fondly lnger. aroun
which clusters the sweetest associations of my earl
+ days. Yes, she who here sleeps was the boon CON
$ panion of my childhood, the friend and confdant
after years. We loved sisters, and with hearts
unison no arring string worried the harmony of on
friendship. Our childish joys and gries, our you'll
ful hopes and aspirations, we shared together an
even the secrets of the heart we held in common wit
each other. Time but strengthened the ties of OF
friendship, and in the simplicity of affections W
never dreamed that the light of our morning wa
. soon TO he oDscured by the clouds OF adversely.
C But oh-the destroyer came Well do remeu
d Der when the fact forced itself upon me- that 81
h., whom | loved so well, was indeed passing away
True, had long marked the advances of that insd
GUS disease-the hollow cough, and hectic flush, tc
" plainly told the fearful truth She, too, felt her da
" ger but neither of found words to speak it. fl
a hope yet told his faterng tale But, alas the pail
: full truth could not long be disguised; and when
II knew that she must die my poor heart rebeled again
t. the dealings of Providence and in its repinngs
o. well nigh ready to nNbmur against the Omnipotent
t. She struggled hard and long, for life was swee
q aud the ties that hound 49, ls0- hard SIEVE
But grace triumphed, and calmly as the gentle infa
sinks TO repose upon its mothers bosom, so calm
she sank to her long sleep. My own spirit was su
dued and though wept tears, bitter tears, yet Il
: hallowed feeling of resignation and trust was minr
IL with my sorrow. And now, as | stand by her la
L resting place, her gentle spirit seems to hover nea
whispering words of heavenly peace and hope to che
N me on; and never do l turn from that loved SD
L without feeling strengthened to tread the paths of Ii
Of endure its ILL., and readily perform as best may
duties here in hopes of that blessed day when we sha
again unite to part no more forever.