Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-06-11


Constant and pure he glides untainted,-
Ladies and gentlemen, please be acquainted.
1t runs among Virginia's hills
As pure as Judah's gushing rills,
And pours q train of blessings forth,
For man and beast along its course. sat
And just to show its noble race,
will, in brief, its lineage trace
As tepid Nile that Egypt waters
The birth of Pharaohs beauteous daughters
Was known ere rose the pyramid,
But still its source in mystery hid;
So tits to me an unknown thing
Where Christians Creeks first bubbling spring
Comes up from earth,-i fountain rills
Are somewhere found 'mong yonder hills,
Where rolls the king of day to rest
Mid golden glories of the West; ...-
But where its birth and infant flow,
I've neer explored-I do not know.
As Eden's pair could not live single,
So into one these branches mingle.
Its Adam branch from Bethel comes,
And Ger rough rocks it rolls its foam
But sweet Miss Eve by "Rose Bank flows,
Through meadows green she gently goes,
And when in fond embrace they meet,
The twain are one in union sweet;
No longer useless as before,
A train of good to man they pour,
And heavens purpose to fulfill,
They turn the wheel of Sitess mill,
And like all who good pursue,
ra oona tho worSa work they do.
The twain are one mid scenery rural,
So I'll no longer call them plural.
Still rolling onward in its course,
On every side it gathers force;
Thus youth in strength and knowledge rise,
Whose track along to manhood lies.
A clever stream from "Fountaindale"
Comes gliding down to tell its talo
About kind and worthy pair,
Who live in taste and comfort there.
Now wandering on through regions billy
1t drinks the spring of cousin Billy,
Where Ella lives with cousin Nancy,
Whom you and and others fancy.
Refreshed it hastens onward free,
'Mong sharp rough rocks and shading tree
To 'Mint Spring senior" where is seen
My fathers famous wool machine; a.,
There Ajax-like it turns our wheel
And Gibbs & Toucy dance reel,
And take the wool through thousand whirls
To make nice rolls for spinning girls.
There is my home, my place of birth,
The dearest spot of all this earth;
And e'er should fortune guide my feet,
n, ,,at.a -
In other lands to stray,
Then oft will memory, pure and sweet,
Return to this my native seat
Where loUe and mother stay.
Three of us from thence come down,
To meet our teachers smile or frown,
Just as the case may be;
Sister "Sed" with big black eyes,
And little "Sue' so fond of pies,
And here myself you see.
But creek proceed-'mid fog and mist
We almost missed our neighbor Christ.
Fog rolls away--the heavens smile
Please stop at "Blackwood Park" awhile,
Where noble Phillips taught and led
Our youth in honor's path to tread.
VOVuJ
Maria, Eliza, Mary Ann, you know
A band of teachers-faithful, true,
Deserve the thanks of me and you.
And one there was who left us sooner,
Scarce mind his name but think twas Spooner.
An ugly trick you did, friend creek,
To duck him off in one short week.
Two generous fountains are its pride
The Spring and School rise side by side;
To that, each day we all repair
To drink the cooling waters there;
But this fountain is of mind
Whence knowledge flows and thought sublime.
That's for our bodies-this our souls;
That downward tends-this upward rolls;
That, by attraction, seeks the seq,
This roams through worlds on pinions free;
This fits us for the calls of life
To "be hero in the strife"
And may we true and faithful prove,
To parents hope and parents love.
Pass on friend Creek; now we will 60
And visit realms that lay below;
In gentle flow meander through
Those Aowery meadows gem'd with dew;
Broad fields of grain on either side
Attest the farmers wealth and pride,
And further back where game abound,
With forests green the hills are crowned.
First Matthew Pilson's farm we meet,
OF David Brand the former seat.
Our extent lady-name Keran,
Sends us Rardy, Tom, and Marian.
Creek drinks again, then headlong pitches
Into Mr.. Pison's ditches
Was such a thing ere known before,
When one had passed Stlllhouse door?
But mind You, Sir. Greek is not drunk,
That old Still there has long been sunk,
As all Distilleries ought to be,
To keep our youth in virtue free.
Creek passes on little feeter,
Looks up the hill at Harris Peter,
Drinks there a cooling draught, and then
Pays its respects to farmer Glen
There standing on his "0live Green"
Making his speech, tall Jim is seem,-
"The man who did our conutry save,
Lies cold and silent in his grave"
Greek has a pipe without a joke,
But never stops to take smoke,
Save when the frosts of Autumn gripe, .
And then he smokes without pipe.
While passing Ger alluvial mud,
Laid deep by many thousand flood,
There on a rise in beauty new,
The Wallace mansion rose to view.
In summer warm and winter cool
1t is so long q road to school, s
That Lizzie, Sam, and Willie say
They have no time to stop and play.
In passing by tits ft, at least,
To make bow to Mr.. East.
At last comes Trusler-honest friend,
And there my downward course I'll end,
Where Sarah lives, and Bob the small,
Lizzie and Jim--school children ALL
Good by my restless Greek pursue at
Your devious track beyond my view,
Through Shenandoah's rolling tide,
And great Potomac, deep and wide,