The Winchester appeal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1856-1856, 1856-03-15
Childhood.

from the TOP of the stairs said that; /
wax Tonmy's. Good night muir
mrs u little something from a trun
die bcd-a little something we cal
Jenny, that fills a very large place II
the centre of two pretty large hearts
Good night lisps II little fellow IN
plaid dress, who was chrlstcncd VIII
lie about six years ago.
"Now ! lay down to sleep,
pray the Lord my soul to keep;
TT should die before a'w-a-k'e-"
and the small bundle in the trundla
bed has dropped off to sleep, but az
angel will finish the broken prayer fol
her, and it will go up sooner thar
many long-winged petitions that sci
out great while before it.
And so it was Good Night all round
the old homestead, and very sweet
music it made, too, in the twilight
and very pleasant melody it makes
now as we think Of it, for it was not
yesterday, nor the day before, but a
long time ago-so long that Tommy is
Thomas somebody, Esq, and has for,
gotten that he ever was a boy, and
wore what the bravest and richest OF
US can never wear but once if we try
the first pair of boots, so long ago
that Jenny has gone the way Of the
old prayer she was singing-lor says
ing another. she did as before, fell
asleep as she said it, and asked no
rc.--Good night to thee, Jenny,
Good night!
And so it was good night all round
the house, and the children had gone
through the ivory gate, always left a
little ajar for them, through into the
land of dreams, or through the golden
one they call 'beautitul,' into the land
Of angels.
SO they are all scattered and gone,
and the old house is tenantless, and
there is nobody there to say good
night, and nothing but the rain can
come in. and the birds that have made
themselves nest among the broken
stones of the hearth, and the sheep
that take shclteriromthe pitiless storm
under the wall that is whole, yet now
we think Of it, there is wonderful
dignity about the old place. Its rooms
were not very spacious; precious lit
tie tapestry adorned the walls; the
caves were low, and messy, and gray;
but did we not begin TO love, and to
hope there? Did not the old home
stead have very much to do with the
iashioning OF our thoughts!
Was it not, as it were, an humble
mould for the shaping of our tancics?
Did we not bear away with us, where
ever we went, a cabinet Of pictures
that were painted there? Have you
forgotten what q shapeless thing it
was that used to Turk in the dark at
the top Of the stairs, always in wait to
catch YOU on your way to bed, but
never doing it? And what long drawn
signs used to come moaning down the
garret, and what trailing garments
ruStIcd along the garnet floor! How
we fancied it was q lady in a castle
a lady fair and young--and we, were
so many champions to sound the
bueIe at the gate, and bear her safe
away. For then we had read the
Scottish Chiefs and 'Thaddeus of
Warsaw and the Duke Of Gloster; saw
fewer Richmonds in the field than
there were Wallaccs of us then--each
one with a Marion or Helen to bless
them.
Then the tale that Dolly told round
the kitchen fire, when she had done
up the work and done up her hair
and swept up herhearth. and sat down
to her sewing. Then it was we gath
ed round, and besought her for story
OF ghosts, or witches, or fairies, or
little wonderful children that lived a
long time ago, and became very beau
tituI. or very brave, or something that
we longed to be. How we would
have delighted to be Robin Hood, and
lived in the woods, and wear an ar
ray to Kendall green. How we wish
ed we had been Jack the Giant Killer,
or Richard Wilmington, or Cinderel-
la, or somebody she told us of.
But when she told us of ghosts in
white that made no football when they
walked; of their hands, how cold they
were; oftheir laugh, how glittering and
CHASTITY it was-have you forgotten
how we drew nearer, as the tale went
on, and though the light was burning
dim and blue, and begged her to stir
the sleeping fire, and dare not look be-
hind us where the shadows were, and
fancied something sighed or spoke,
and syllabled our namesl Each voice