True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-09-29
RAINY Days and Farm .Houses.

Who hasn't spent rainy day in some
quaint old fashioned farm house "a
farm house with brown or red walls. and
mossy, clever.looking roof-with low
chambers, where the cesseless, never.
wearied footsteps of the rain sounded
through them all the day, as they ps.tered
and slid adown the roof! Who hasn't
spent hour after hour under the low caves,
pulling from their quiet rest. old, antigua
ted newspapers, which were as carefully
preserved as though they were worth
thousands OF dollars to the owner--news-
papers that were dated away back among
the eighteen hundred and ,wenties, and
piled away sacredly before your busy.
busting hands, and enquiring face had
blessed the world with their presence
And who hasn't grown weary, too, and
thrown with a sacrilegious haste, these
old relics Of by.gone days. back to their
resting.places 10 barrels and boxes, as
they chanced to belcng' Who hasn't
turned to the small chamber window with
a sigh, and looked out upon the bending,
dripping grass,-the sober-looking barns,
with their drenched yards-the awkward
hens. twisting and shaking psrseVeringly
along through the rain, talking cheerfully
in spite of the soled and defaced appear
ance of their glossy coats, and their un-
comfortable feelings genelally,-for I
know that hens can't feel comfortable
when they look so shockingly little
paths running out from the house, like
brown pieces Of insertion set in the green
garments of grass that sloped gently away
across the sombre-looking fields? Alb,
and who hasn't looked out farther, and
watched the rbbon-y roads stretching
away up over the hills in the distance,
like caressing arms-away up, until they
seemed lost in the heart of some giant
growth Of woodland, or to have met Sc
crely the very trailing robes Of the gray
sky itself? Who hasn't watched the
smoke curl up from the neighboring
houses, listened attentively to the sound
Of every voice that came across the fields,
looked anxiously out to The scowliug west,
to catch smile Of pleasant weather upon
its dark face, until wearied out the wan
dering heart has turned home upon itself!
And then-and then, there was a new
"path across the hills" The path that
ones own feet should break through the
future. Then there was a wrenching
from out fate's hands all her closely held
secrets. The low alto Of the rain was
forgotten the grabbed eastern wind was
no longer head; everything was dumb in
the presence Of that wild. youthful mag
ination.
i What life was seen from that low
widow! What life Of brilliant conquests,
of pure deeds, of love and Joy was pictured
out; there were storms ahead, TO be sure
but none so dark but what they carried
within their bosoms little torch Of hea-
: ven's sunshine. There were trials to be
s met, but they would be conquered brsvely
and resolutely. There were disappoint'
G ments to be endured, but they would bs
borne with heroic forti!ude, such as few
could summon to their aid How the
bright glad eyes sent their light, and the
. happy heart its joy into the stern future,
+ SO tha. its darkness gave way before them
d And how restlessly the young feet tarIiet
: in the still places Of youth, and the child
y ish hands brushed the sweets from III,
IS flowers, and the heart kept its FRESHNESS,
Il in The dewy morning Of life, SO eagerly
e was the bursting, active MONDAY looket
forward to. ~
II Alb, but the coming days when the ear
1t shall be deafened by the worlds tumul
that no longer may be heard the songs Q
d, birds; when the heart is so buried in tn
n dusts Of selfshness and intrigue, that ever,
* dear influence Of carly life slumbers as
A. dead; when the eyes have gathered upol
nt themselves a mist Of iniquity whicl
n spreads over everything on which the,
"a fall-what, 0, what shall then bring bacl
= the hearing, the sight and the heart Q
:. youth 7
or Dear, dear old farm.housesl VIII
We does not love them-who!