The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-08-09
Correspondents Of the Di,patcb.


Trip a1to the Country-Fara,uile- -Hamp-
den Sidney College-Old Recollections-
Ot to Boarding School, DC. -I.
On bright and beautiful morning, week before
last, while yet old Sol shading his waking brow
with few fitting Clouds the whistle of the engine
on the Richmond and Danvle Railroad reminded me
that to bid farewell TO the dusty walls of
Richmond. and breathe the fresh atmosphere of Gods
dweilng-place--the lovely and besutiful country
With marry bound Of the hsart. and merrier
beund of the cara lost sight tho towering spires
and lofty editiees of our rapidly growing city and
joy ousnes d fused itself my lenely hesrt as my
ling county Here we eped rapidly along we
passed son. 9 rich cornfsld waving with Gods boun
teoqs blessings to the farmer there Nature oppre.
ed by Art had given her treasures in boundie 80
heaps of shining coal Now the fields of Tobacco
well watered by refreshing rains spread forth their
verdure; and now the whsa:-ltacks. thick and
large, seemed like sentinels to watch the spoils
of some hard fought battle field. Through such
fairy scenes as these we were hurried rapidly along,
preaching the Junction-and soon bid farewell
to our comfortable seats, and took our accustomed
surprise, and more to our qualification, met with
OF those fair maidens with whom in school boy
days, we ~t had whisd many weary hour away And
easily overleaped by memory, and again we lived
boy The scenes of boyhood came back fresh again
with all their sweetness and their gayety. The
Queen of May" seemed still to reign supreme and
the sweet crown of flowers culled from her own fair
domain seemed still to press that marble brow now
radiant with the smiles of womanhood. But while
we have thus been reveling in the joyou, past the
little town Of Fsrmvle has been painiy attempting
and modest looking houses. Rut necessity
compels our descent from our pleasant seats and
many jolt. we at last beheld the classiu walls of
old Hsmpden Sidney, rising in solitary grandeur to
the skies But ah where are the joyous youthful
hearts that were once wont to welcome as with SUM-
ny smiles to those old quiet shades? Some are now
resting in the bosoms OF their families relaxing their
minds in these warm summer months But Others
have LETT these walls. to which thew al! inno.
cent and lovely, with the anath ma of God stamped
upon their brows and ere long the green grass will
wave above them-rotting IL 6runkard's grave the
wnds will howl mournful requiem around them,
pity will weep her tears that, frozen by the cold
mark the spot where sleep the ashes of degraded
worth A sadness came over me az l wandered all
little bird. as they sung their evening vespers in
those kind old oaks, whose fuliage had echoed so
many n merry laughs in BY gone days stood in the
midnight lamp when Ambition first planted Its upas
seed within my breast And oh! how ssdly did
feel. when looked upon those old familiar walls
and listened to that old meiriiy going bell which
had often called my waking ideas from the pleas-
ant scenes of 'dreamand to those old stern reali-
ties we only meet in College life. Gladly would
lingsr the memory of these scenes al liz.
gsred then and drank the sweetness of their
In. But many weary miles must yet be tassed ere
the reader and l must bid adieu So hurryine over
a few days Of social intercourse with these love-
and those vi whom, in former years, / felt
there were some thoughts of friendship spent and
love, to resve the dull monotony of College life,
will let the curtain fall and when it arises again
find the scene has truly changed Before pieas.
ant cottage stands carriage, which. by its packages
heaped outside and in. gives evidence that travelling
must be done And now company comes forth.
Two ladies' blushing in their teens, and smiling
through their tears ready to leave the paterna
roof, and meet with their tender hearts all the rude
customs of boarding school. The mother looks sad
and desoate little sisters and brothers cluster around
the loved one, mingline their farewsls with ther
burning tears, their little encircle her neck,
their ruby lips for instant pressed to hers the
wheels roll heavily on, the little cottage hides its
head beneath the trees to weep the old oaks heave
client FAREWELL and she is gone. Yes sister, daush-
ter 10 gone, gone for ten long months Her joyous
lsush will be hushed, her ssat at the table is
vacant her place at the family altar Is desolate
but SOC n, ah! soon, her merry laugh will break the
stiffness of her home, and her form, improved by
absence, will again be ssen to glide through the
clustering roses of her honorsd home.