The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1859-10-22

The following beautiful extract from the
pen of Albin Beard, Esq, Editor of the
New Hampshire Telegraph. Nashua. N.
H. will find response Ia the hearts of
many of our readers, as they recall the days
of s.Auld Lang Syne:o
THE ssALUMN's OF OUR SCHooLs--Great
times, the graduates of academies are hay-
ing now a-days. They had great time at
Gilmanton the other day, when the alumni
of the old Gilmanton Academy gathered
themselves together to talk of old times
The ssalumni' of the Appleton Academy
at Mount Vernon are to have great union
the Gath inst, when they are together
Somehow, we are sseounted OUT in all
these ataaanious gatherings. The fact is,
we never went to any of these academies"
nor to any academy. But if we could get
up gathering of the alumni of that old
school heuse-not the little cred school
house" that we read so much about, and so
often, for it was as destitute of paint as the
fairest and purest virgin maiden there
wouldn't it be one of the times Oh, if
we could only go back considerable num-
Der of years, and climb over the fences, up
the bills, and through the woods, where
the tortuous path led to that humble tenn
pie of very humble learning, winds its de-
vsious way as we did of old, and meet
them, the joyous throng of boys and girls,
whom we met there year after year, and who
are scattered now, God only knows where
many, we know, and very many of whom.
no doubt, are in their graves-that would
be a re- union worth going to And that
union will come. Not here.
Let US give our fancy scope for time.
All here we are upon that old path once
more. We have scaled the wall at the cor
ner and passed the little cow-yard, and now
we mount the hill. How steep it seems to
us now. We ''let down the bars,'' and en-
ter the mowing-pass the little swamp
enter the .sforest primeval," and pursue the
little foot-path through the deep snow
Anon, some mischievous boy kicks the
trunk of the close-leafed spruce, and the
impending snow comes down, perfect av-
alanche, filing our neck with the heecy ele
ment, and making the girls scream as girls
of certain age only can. Through the
woods we go, and emerge at last in the
open pasture, and there it is, the little
brown school house, perched upon the top
of the wall, in the geographical centre' of
the district, with only three families which
reach it except by cross-lots. We hear the
| tap-tap-tap of the master, as he beats with
his ''rule'' upon the window sash, sadly
battered with such usage, and we enter the
narrow vestibule. We hang our cap upon
the accustomed nail, and open the door in
to that inner temple. give nod, which
passes for manners and after warming
for space, before the enormus fire of green
wood, We take our accustomed seat.
They are all there, the s'alumni'' of that
humble institute. The big boys who wash
the smaller boys faces in the cold snow, sit
away on the back seat--those higher seats
to which we look with so much awe, shall
we ever reach them while on the front,
little boys sit with their heels dangling in
the air, powerless to reach the floor. The
great girls and the little girls are all there
as blooming and as fresh as ever. Time
has dealt very gently with them. There
was a fair face there, which somebody
thought passing fair, then. 1t has grown
4 mature since then, but the beauty remains.
This parenthetically] We ''take our places
again upon the foor,-the word is given
ATTEND ]" and every book falls at the side,
the fore finger marking the ''place."-
manners - says the master, and every
book comes up to eye-shot, and reading
goes on. Then comes the spelling-that
branch is not neglected here-and the strife
for the ''head'' is pursued with animation.
| The exercises of the forenoon are through,
and the joyous, uproarious noon has come.
The dinner baskets are brought out, and
such a savory smell of sausages, and dough
nuts, and bread and butter Do the Gil
manton alumni have any such festivals
as that? And then the frolic and fun, un
til some watchful urchin's shout tthe mas
ter is coming as that dignitary energies
from the woods, causes genera! stampede
for the school house--for all are equired
to be in their seats when he enters. But
this imaginary meeting must be broken up.
We shall meet them never again this side of
the grave. Beyond, they will all meet
the alumni of our school-and the sweet
faces that beamed on us long ago in the past
will be no more radiant than then