The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-10-28
'p,he Oh Rose Trec.
ny MRS. rRANcks D. eAaE.

tdISS Auu lllC Olu nldl, lull VI lONc,
full Of faith and uust, full of happiness--the
fruit Of wel-spcut life-looked back over the
past, and saw only tho beautiful aud the good,
made brighter TO his dmmiug eyes By contrast
with the ugly and repulsiNe, which lay in indis-
tinct shadowings through the long drawn out
panorama OF more than tour-score years.
These sunny days, these buebird twiuerings,
that call me from the dull hresidc, where the
blaze has sunk into somber embers, out into the
open air, after the long, cold winter months,
wakcn old and pleasant memories, and stir my
heart, which is beginning to grow sluggish in
the down hill OF life, with the thoughts OF youth,
and seem to grow young as go about hunt
ing for he first crocuS or the first green spire
in the hyacinh and tulip bed and to live over
again in imagination the days of the past,
1t was a ilue, sunny morning in that month
called so tickle (though we don't know why, for
April has of late shown herself much more
steady in her habits than her coquettish sister,
May,) when we-Kate, Lottie, and | sailed
forth, broom and rakes in hand, to clear the
rubbish from the old door-yard, and give spring
fair chance to scatter her pets the blue vioiets
aud the dandelons, without fear of losing their
beauty under the damp leaves that lay scattered
about There they were, the leaves of the old
locusts, that stood like sentinels around the
farmhouse There were interlopers, too, that
had been waited from the poplar on the hill
NOp lOuNCS bIVdl W6illuJ OH lllG Dlulll,
that Satlie, the milkmaid told me, when five
years old, was the ladder by which the man in
the moon climbed up to lis bright home leaves
from the oaks by the barrel spring; leaves from
the beech, at whose root made my seat of
moss, and where with childish delight read
Robinson Crusoe' and Sinbad thc Sailor" and
more especially when conued with mysterious
awe the long columns Of the Boston Weekly
Messenger, which came all the way from the
| Urpat ltprory 20 bo Df IA,
Muskingum, forty years ago.
! No matter where the leaves came from, there
they were, strewn over the ground, and marring
the beauty OF the soft green carpet which Nature,
the grand uphoIstcr, was trying to lay down, or
rather to ruise up, as we fancied, for our eS-
| peclal use, and of which not one emerald spot
could we afford TO lose.
There were chips, too, scattered by thought
less hands, and stones, thrown to inform truant
| tour-looted cultivatCrs that their services in
| that locality could be dispensed with; bones
that old Gag, the house dog, and his younger
companions, Mingo and Minus had left to
bleach above ground. These we've not only
deiormIty but sadly suggestive OF waste, and
hlntlng strongly that they desired to be buried
at the foot of the grapevine OF pcar-trec and
still cherished as adding comfort and luxury to
those they had served SO well in life, that they
might be useful even to the end,
There were twgS and br, ken branches that
could not bear the cold, surging, wintry winds,
aud fell TO rise no more, till lifted by our hands
to rear the funeral pile of Winter, that We might
scatter the ashes of his destruction over the
SOIL aud bring FORTH Phoenix like, new life
from the dead. a merry trio were we-kaie,
Lottie, and I-anl can't tell now for the life
OF me which sang the merriest roundelOy, we,
or the cat-brdS across the lane in the cherry.
tree. now in full bloom, or the robins in the
spice-appIe, down by the barrel spring, that
gushed out cool and clear. at the foot of the
hill, and where the Eastern emigrsnt so often
halted for the night, aud built his camp fire aud
refreshed himself and family for the coming
journey. The clear cool water, so soft, so
much like New Engand's gushing fountains,
was llch treat 10 weary travellers in those
early days. Those old oaks were q pleasant
shelter, too, stretching their arms east west,
north, and south, as if to show proper resent
ment towards George aud Dan for cutting off
their grand old heads, that stretched skyward
day by day.
1t is no matter; we We're all cat-birds, robins
and girls, as happy as happy could be. Our
lungs were strong, for we had never learned that
Nature nude mistake in giving women breath
ing room, or that the " real lady must be fash
Toned by bands and whaiebones, cords and tapes
into symmetry and grace. Strong hands had
we, too-Godey and Graham had not given us
ouS'' Olt-ICpSdlCu icSSOHS ABOUT sHlull, Willie
hands and taper fingers as they have the girls Of
the present day. Aud then, our hearts were
willing, Tor our good mother had imbued our
minds with the great truth, that labor and USE
lul employment gave health, strength, and hap
plness. So, with our tools we went TO work.
How balmy and fresh were the breezes of spring!
How magnificent the apple orchard Every
tree IN its ailluence of bloom huge boquet tied
up by the hand Of our mother Nature for the use
oh al, /
made the spce-apple his home; il was the
most beautiful OF Them aIl--so round, so grace
luI. We all loved it, too, for there we gathered
The first Tipened fruit; there the woodpecker
lodged his red head among the limbs, and drum
med his defiance as he picked the blushing
cheek OF the tairest aud best His time is not
come yet but the thrssher is master now
There they go, with bills full of shreds from the
barnyard, where the FAX was prepared for the |
wheel. See, see, Kate, we will hunt their nest !
some day
Fie how | wander! 1t seems but yesterday, |
SO freshly does it all come back to me this sunny
morning. breathe the odurs and mark the |
beauty and take in the melody of my child |
hoods home, and hear tile voices of the loved
ones, and see my mother looking out with calm,
blue eye upon her children, as il it were all be-
fore me. Lord, keep my memory green
Well well, We worked away. BY the south
"ON' VI tHS olu opoHlSl PONaNo (ue SOlle VI |
the neighbors chrlstened the Irregular, rel brick
house, built then, as few are now with
view 10 comfort and convenience, light and
ventilation, but very plain aud homely) was
nook, yard or so wide, which separal led the
doorstep from the stone wal. that supported
the cellar stairway.
Into this nook in the winter fell the scrapiugs
Of the feet as they came in from the barnyard
the sweepings of the house, and many bits and
snds which iha WiDl tpbicEin Nd 4 h
corner, compelled us to throw down aud beat |
retreat, with tears starting in our eyes
Tnis nook, now the spring was come, must
be cleared out. There were the winter boquets,
made OF sprigs OF evergreen, few having been
Wet and dipped in -four TO make them snowy
white to contrast with the deep green and buds
ol blue. There were ,he orange clusters of the