The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-05-29

| VIC h"u huhSS oh Po'tS tdPestIy idSiiIOu u
round our rooms, to serve rs walls. Matil
da of Flanders could not have felt bette,
satisfied and more self-complaccnt, wher.
gazing on her splendid Bayeux tapestry
than we did when We had finished new
playhouse thus decorated. was Just go
ing to drive up the stakes and re-arrange
the whole, when espied on the hill Just
opposite, that wild, mischievous Bill Mich
OILS, and heard him calling out in his stento.
rlan voice, Books Books Well, thought
|, will wait now until play-tirne, and
then shall get Carrie Glenn. Bette Gr,-
ham and Amanda Nichols to come and
help me fix it up again. "You had better
come along Bertha Chatham" :" said Bill
Nichols to me, or "Mr. Buchanan will give
you veryunw welcome greeting" Meekly
stepped in at the doorway, went behind
the door to sit down my bucket and hang
up my bonnet, and was about to take my
seat with the other girls, when up came Mr..
Buchanan, with II face looking very much
like that ola storm king, and just rs he
was preparing to chastise my hand with a
certain, long narrow board-I awoke from
this short second childhood, to find that the
little urchins, Jamie and Meta had fled and
left me to my visions. / cannot say that
wished them back so began to dream
again.
Aud what, ask in all sincerity. has be-
come ofthose who went with us to the old
log school house Where dwell those
sweet faces Who now hears the glad
laughter which then rivaled the mocking
bird in sweetness and melody. Where now
wander the little feet that used to have with
us in all the brooklets for two miles around
the old play grounds Into what streams
do they paddle now 2 Where are all Of
those little blue and black eyes. that we
have seen sparkle so often 2 With what
arc those Tiny hands busted now, that we
used to grasp every morning Of the year 7
0, tell me of them all
Then it WAS, heard voice, as it were,
from the clouds say, "and wouldst thou
know of all these things again ?' looked
up and there stood before me young girl
from the land Of spirits. Awhile I stood
eniranrcd with her garments of white. and
her brow of dazzling light. looked into
the soft blue eyes, saw her radiant smile
and then I knew, that it was the spirit
form Of sweet Carrie Glenn, that had come
to visit me in this hour of remembrance.
1t had been six years since she went to her
long home-to "the undiscovered country,
from whose bourne no traveller returns"
In voice sweet and low, she said to me,
mourn not, mourn not for the past =? We
played togcthcrin eartll's cllildhood-liSten-
ei to the same birds voices-gathered fruits
and flowers from the same gardens-play-
ell on the same grass-plots now, that you
call 10 mind the early days, you miss me
from the old play ground. I cannot come
to you now. except in spirit /; but the good,
sweet child, and we shall meet again, face
to face, in the beautiful land where the
Blessed dwell. Together we shall wander
hand in hand, upon the shores Of Paradise {;
and if you wish for flowers, we will gather
Da'ses and wild Roses in heavenly groves.
So saying, she shook the morning dew
from her pl"mes and winged her fight
back to the land of spirits. -.
Now, as we turn over the leaves of the
heart, we see sweet prayerfu face, in
whose dark.sdreaming ewes, there is some
thing thoughtful and serious. 1t looks like
some ETHEREAL presence, and seems baptized
in the pure waters Of Peace and Love-
Such WAS Bette Graham amongst us then
in childhood. In a little brown cottage,
on one of the sIoping hillsides of old Edge.
field District, amid u lovely eak grove,
dwells this mate. A happy homeiss hers,
with Father and Mother, brothers and sis-
ters. Pleasant he her stay amongst US !;
and soothing be her evening songs.
In happy contrast 10 this sober child Of
thought, stands out upon the hearts canvass,
the round faced, rosy checked Amanda
Nichols. Well do we remember in days,
Long syne," how we used to stand in the
yard at old Mount Prospect schoolhouse,
and gaze down the sunny hillside that we
might catch the first glimpse of her as she
came trudging along, bearing her basket
piled to the top with juicy apples whose
cheeks'were as rosy as any Dutch girls,
crimson cherries and golden plums. Then
how we clung to her and begged for dis
tribution Of the fruits. 20, for those gIori-
Gus days Of the past."
She brings Hesperian fruits to us no
longer, but dwelIs not far from us in a hum.
bic cottage, with loving husband and
three pretty little Immortals to bless her
home.
Besides these, there is great merry.
making band, whose names are somewhat
forgotten, but whose faces look like bur-
nished gold in our "heart of hearts" f.
But what has gone with all Of that wild,
roguish lot Of boys 2 o, how they used to
tease and worry US with their "hide and
seek, fishing tackles, and ball 7" We know
OF few homes made happy by them of
Others, we have not heard in long while.
1t would be pleasant to meet them after.
years OF separation but we shall all be
gathered together never again, except in
Eternal Lands.
CORNEILLE..