True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-04-16
And this is What is Left of Youth.
BY MONT. JASPER.

| Bt MONI' JAoEEhs
Yes, and all that's left-said poor in
ebrlate as he sat dreaming over the dying
embers of his last armful Of wood. Only
lhink--just twenty short years ago, was
school boy, trudging backwards and
forwards 10 school; light hearted and hap.
py, with prospects much brighter than
one half Of my school mates. had
wealthy and indulgent father, a fond and
doaling mother, and being the favorlIe OF
my parents, took that advantage TO ex-
ercise my own will. Could the events
of the past twenty years be summed up
and stricken from the book of memory
| could The wheels Of Time be rolled back
5 wards, and | be boy agaln--ten thou
4 sand worlds like this, were they mine,
would freely give to be once more a
: child. And we'll do | remember The last
day spent at school. That was.a sor'
: awful day for me. The master just be.
fure dismissing US. bid us all adru in the
most touching and allectionate language
+. | ever heard. True l was young then.
e and more easily affected than | would be
now; hut the wealth Of This world, if laid
It at my fee would | freely give to shed
those tears once more. As we left the
school house, we one by one shook hands
= with him, and each in return received
some friendly admoni,ion and kind ad-
,r vice; but few Of us, however, were able
n- to make any reply. Our young hearts
tn were too full for II ,tefance. AT length we
er came to bid him farewell and as
ie approached him inwardly resolved to
:" make some reply to whatever he said to
- ~ me, but | reconed Beyond my power
:, When he took hold of my hand with his
IS cordial grasp. he said: "Francis, all
ry though lift's coming years remember
a. ,havyou ds nothing that would pain your
MnTHER."
IT, lie knew me--and also knew that he
'r- could not have touched tenderer chord.
he Nv over wrought feelings now burst forth
w like volcano, and..seizing my hat rush
' I'd out of The school room and sal down
), at the root of an old elm tree that stood
s.. against the house, and wept freely.
,k was happy then, for all those tears seem
llv ed childish. Would 10 God | could slIpt
nd them again But those hacyon daysart
gone now, and am .hir,y'iwo years %
age. have a wife, too, whom | drag
se- ged from wealth 10 poverty-irom re
MI spec,ability to the vilest disgrace whit
'"o feeds and clothes me, and offers prayers
''' to God for me even drunka,d that am
She too has shed tears. as nunberless
,ho the stars. for my reformation, but
like the wave upon the rock, makes nj
impression. Would the knowledge o
aul this "pain my mother :" Certainly
his would, then let her rest in ignorance
not for the heart knows no pain half so sick
i've enihg as the conciousness Of childs di'
grace.
o "And this is wha, is left of youth,
said gray haired old man as he tollere
Tor. down The road of life, upon whose shou
han drls The weight of years sat heavily. II
off fancy, with all It's prauling, childish inn
'gh cence gave place to youth with vii
'ons dreams of ambition aud fame, which
W turn retired before the numberless car
and perplexi,ies Of manhood.
70 1T is the past that maketh my despair;
~. The dark, the sad, the irrevocsble past.
1 Alas why should our lot inlfe be made,
re- Before we know that life2 Experience com
aoie But comes too late. II ] could now recall
OF All that l now regret, how different
liter Would my choice. At best a choice Of i'll
But better than my miserable past,
new Loathed, yet despised, why must think Of
ious Every youthful reminescense seer
raft frdught with twice the pleasure il ev
u gave be(ore, and now that | am old c.
.rA' 1 look back over the sunny memories
ons ', days gone by, and see in thought what
- : once enjoyed in reality. Az
nest Thus, young reader, itmay one day
3 with you. Every day you are addl
the new spice 10 embalm the memory Of
,sslf past. orgall to make bitter its recollecti'
/, yon And 80 things move on from generat
"a, to generation, and from century to cen
We ry, for all things earthly must change.
1--we y Y 81
4 for Man is. a singular heipg-MortHl I
. all Notwithstanding 10 the touib, and c
for scious Of principle not subject to its {
~ a