Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1855-11-06
Under the OAK Trees.
By Mss LOVIsA FIUhHO'

Under the oak trees, where the soft shadows
slept. and the lpN drops gistene,i on the daisy
turts, :: little gri played with iapful of flow
erS.
She had starry danIeIions, that had burst
out suddenly along sunny lanes, and blithe
little violets that just looked up through the
warmth and dew OF the sweet Mdy-time c!o-
Yer blooms from the meadow, and fair lilies
from the brook side.
Winds went-bv, burlened with ;he family
sweet breath Of apple blossoms and gold-bslt-
ed bees humnIei Iow-tunyrd welcome to the
Spring. rs their light wings glanced away to.
waris orchard aud flower garden.
Bright waters gurgled with soft, silvery
laughter, ans. the hlackbird's joy WAS told in
many gay Warhle and mulodlOuS thrill, hrStS
Of twittering swallows circie,i ahout the caves
Of the old barn; up among the waving oak
boughs, the genilr, browmryed robin patiently
huillrd its little nest. and ever and anon, the
child dropped the flowers she had been weqv
inc in grIand, and listened with eager inv
as he csrule>l Ike the voice Of Hope, " To.
murrowl toworrow r.
As oae. day i,',ied by with the happy child,
so did Innry.uthers.
Here the doll was dressed, and the tov-tahIe
spread with lis beautiful acorn cups and bright
berries here tn. tears rolled down her checks
as she read Of he fearful fate of Little Rcd
Riding Hood, and the mountain history of the
Babes in the Wood.
The Springs early blossoms came ont and
passed awav-;he season Of roses smiled on
the earth like the recall of ieu-aud that
too vanished; thrsnmmrr harvest riprned and
was gathered in. and then the autumn came,
and the forest lrav-s were gloriOu' i'll the spen
dor of gorgeous and varied cOloring. But they
too. changed and faded. and fell, and the
wailimg winds moaned dismaIv among the
naked trees.
The Birds too, we're gonc-all gone--those
that had built the nests, and tIo>" that had
been reared in then. and every lovely day had
sryn Alice, the child, PLAYING under the oak
trees whose branches, So strong and graceful,
waved close beside her mothers cottage door.
So summer after summer went by, like
beautiful morning dreams, and the happy,
peaceful riiIdhnpd left the impression of a
tender beauty on the face OF the guileless
maiden.
Etne>t and Grcp were her eyes, and she
WAS geutIc- hearted aud sweet voiced.
The IaborS Of the household seemed light to
her always cheerful spisit, and ever. when her
word WAS dpnr She sal, aS in the hv-gnmr
days. IN ,iIe dear one nt,i spot, and read, ana
read, through fairy rgrud~, hcau'ituI poems
and wild "lntnrcs. or sent her guncrS wan
dclug far away through Natures wjde-"prn
volume, trcA~urIng up the precious lessons OF
her holy teaching.
But soon there came to the heart something
swyrgcr >,. an| far more lovely than the
Smile Of Nature, The spirit that Is not Of
earth. h.bul liraven--the gentle minister whose
m.!nc Is Lore.
Before, It hlI come TO her in faint fore
~hnGpwiug; the flowers had hreathrd Of it
tn. wjuds had sung. AMI the birds had wIrhlrd
OF tit had looked ont in the mysterious
starlight, anI been whispered through the
trembling leaves; but now, she SAW it wear
manly for,m, and heard it in the gentle tones
OF one 3 rlvved v"i,'c. Snr WIS under the
oak trees. tut no longer alone.
Now ,he listened more iuien'ly to the
Eljmliug rippliug riH and looked with deep
er delight "u the lovely flowers, and on the
>iIvcrv sheen ii The shining laUreIs; the glow
of new strange !nveIimrSS WIS over them
cast and to her eyes they wer" more marve
uu>Iy beautiful than ever. But on the living,
breathing fom by her side, all the untold
wealth OF that young hearts hottest affections
WAS ayi>hed, and where she had found te's
enrIic>t, she found its deepest joy-uuder the
oak trees.
1t was there that once when the sun went
slowly over the hills, aud the brown shadows
dyrpcnrd IN the aisle of the w0rdS, and the
lonely lanes seemed stiiler in the brou'ling
twIlight.-whcn the flowers s'umbrre,, aud
not II night-brd sang, aud the winds just woke
to whisper to the stIrriug leaves BE still, -
,Ihcn slept again, that the lover spoke and Al
.e Iistcued-listrned to tale of loves hopes
nd fears, told through cIuqurnty tender
IancrS grutc gestures, audI"le hcart-thrUbS,
MI softly murmured sentences.
Then 1t was that the deep waters OF her
cart were stirred 10 rest no more; that the
before unre>oivrd mystery OF life became
beautiful reality; aud from out the depths OF
rrr blue eyes there CLEANED souI-gianee Of
triumphant joy.
Oh. what happiness there was now under
the oak trees
i There were rosy mornings, when tlrushes
w"rbled IN the h!o>sominG hedges, and the
/ lark arose from his grassy nest aud scared and
sung his gladncss in raplurou anthems; aud
there were purple twilightS when the sky above
WAS a dome of starry splcndor, and the soft de-
licious air was all II trrmhIe with the passion
ate melody of the nightingale.
So many NOR and eve they sat together
and talked to each other of what the robin
had long ago osung-"To-morrow!"
Beautiful were the long summer days, and
still more beautiful were the pictures that their
Young fancies made in the visionary Future,
The while between their murmured sentences
they watched the clouds drcamily floating
through the blue above, the sunlight cleaning
on the meadows sumbrring amid the rich
mossiness of the turf at their feet
Often, as they sat there, the lover told his
Alice of sunny islands in the southern seas,
where when his good ship had borne him over
the stormy bilIowS, he had rested beneath the
Shade OF grar'f fu! coroas. or stately palm trees
lie described the lnveIiue>s of that S'!ft eli
mate its varied flowers the rich luNurianee OF
It's foliage, its bright birds, aud It's fruits and
spices.
Perhaps he should see those fair lands again
when she would he the loved companion OF his
voyage, though he knew not whether he
might he called upon to go-he waited for
tie bidding of his country. But when that
bidding came l. was not amid b;dmy airs