Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-03-23
From the American Sentinel
THE OLD ACADEMY.
BY CHARLES LAKMAs
'1 feel like one who treads alone
Some banquet hall deserted. Moore.

Some banquet hall deserted."-MOOre.
The iron-bolted door swings an
creaks upon its hinges, and | am stand
ing within the dilapidated walls of 9Th
old academy" Fifteen years hay
elapsed since l last stood here, a will
and happy school boy. Thens thi
building was the chief attraction of
little village, which was made up of
pretty church, one old store and post
Office, and a cluster of some twent,
rural dwellings,, situated on broaC
street, canopied with venerable elms
In coming up here this afternoon, | no
ticed that the various woodlands on tn
surrounding hills, were much narrowed
by the farmers axe, and | thought o
the armies of men, which time is con
tinually leveling with the earth. Nea
large pool in which / was wont II
bathe many years ago, now stands ;
RAILROAD depot, where locomotive en-
gines do eongregate, to enjoy brie
rest from their labors. Upon the wall
of the old academy there seemed to b,
brooding the spirit of desolation, and
approached it with a heavy heart.
What a throng of recollections are
rushing upon me, as my footsteps nov
echo in this silent and abandoned place
The past appears before me like an oper
and familiar volume.
Here | am in the yestibule, where we
scholars used to hang our cap and coats,
and which l remembered as the scene oi
many a scrape and scuffle between hot
headed and unfedged lawyers, doctors
and divines! o, how real does every
thing appear! 1 could almost believe
that not even a week had elapsed since
my own loud laugh resounded here,
when my heart knew not the burthen OF
care. There is the same old rent in
the ceiling, which was made by stroke
of lightning, during a severe storm,
when the whole school were pale and
breathless with mortal fear; and yonder,
is the identical peg which Billy Langdon,
"the bully" tried to usurp from me, and
whom it was my good luck to punish
with fogging, thereby securing to my
self reputation for possessing genuine
courage. Since then, l have been a
dweller in the wilderness, and in the
pent-upcity, and have ever found courage
to be valuable quality in my inter-
course with men. But man may have
stout heart and yet be poor, unloved
and unknown.
With timid footsteps | move along,
peering into each nook and corner with
curious eye. The threshold of another
door is passed and l am in the large
general school-room, with its rows of
desks for the boys, and the platform
with the large old-fashioned chair in the
centre for the master There, upon the
floor lies tattered copy of Virgil, an
other of Euclid, few leaves ont of the
National Preceptor, and chapter or
two of Murray's Grammar. Having
fulfilled their Office, they have been
thrown aside as of no further avail, even
as some of the nOJle-hearted in the world
are wont to treat their most faithful
friends. Here, at my side, resting upon
its shattered frame, stands the identical
globe over which l once pondered with
wondering heart. 1t is covered with
dust, through which l can Just discover
that the uppermost country is England.
True, England is indeed without rival
in her glory, but is there not stain of
something resting upon her domain?
Look at the condition of her people, who
are sorely oppressed by the mean ambi-
ton of her aristocracy. But to return.
How neglected and lonely is this placel
The dust upon the floor is so thick that
my footsteps are as distinctly visible as
when we walk upon the snow. A sun
beam stealing through western window
points me to the wall where hangs the
old forsaken clock Its song of "Pass-
ing away is ended, and has been for
many a year, but the language of its
familiar countenance seems to be 'They
are all gone, the pleasant, old familiar
faces! Yes, they are gone-but where?
l know not the destiny of single one.
The hour-hand is resting upon the figure
four, the hour of all others. which we
boys loved. Stop, did not see the
waving hand of our master, and hear
the hustle of dismission? Yes, have
caught my cap-I am the first one out
now listen to the loud, clear, hearty
shout of half hundred boys. Ills
only the vision of heated brain, and /
am sitting once again at the same desk
and In the same seat which were mine
fifteen years ago. Here is the same
fantastic ink-blot which / made when /
indited my first and only poem to the
eyebrows of a charming little girl, with
whom l fancied myself in love; and
there is the same square cavity in the
desk, which l cut with my knife, and
where l used to imprison the innocent
flies, which remembered fact is memo
: rial of my rare genius. But look! am l
not a trespasser? for here cometh an
ancient looking spider with vengeance in
his very gait. In moving out of his
way, I notice that his gossamer ham,
mock is in prime order. How hkea ma
bob, liveth that old spider. Around his
home, see the csrcasses of hundred
insects that have afforded him food; he
is monarch of all he surveys; and if be
desires to become traveller, he has but
to leap upon the slender threads leading
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