Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-12-07
0riglnal 4apers.
Written for the Spirit of the Age.
THE S E AR lie A T
BY oLIN oLNEY.

Away up among the hills, dwelt Anna
May-beautiful, gentle, Anna May!
IL you have ever passed over the old
road which winds in circuitous course
through the mountains from the city to
the little village Of p, pcrchance you
have noticed little white cottage, half hid
by its grove of cedars and oaks, nesting IN
a little sunny nook on the left of the road
side. Great round hills stand upon the
west and cast; and huge old mountai
bears away its woody summit to the nortL;
30 that when the fierce winter winds sweep
over the mountains, the little cottage rests
unharmed and almost untouched. Far
over to the right, stands the old village
school house, and halfa-mile down tbo
dark, woody ravine you saw on your left,
is the old forge told you of before.
This passage across the hill used to be
much used but now the swift locomotive,
with its vast cavalcade of ringing cars,
dashes through gap in the mountains
farther to the south, and rolls its hoarse
roar through these once quiet hills. 1t has
been long, long time since passed over
the old mountain road, and still longer
since | clambered down among the trees
and rocks to the black, smoky walls of the
old iron forge, and looked with childish
awe and wonder in at the raging fires OF
the furnace, and at the ponderous arm of
the strip hammer" falling with its steady
SIauK; yet whenever oflTSls - .l-->i-ls E.-ya
and Of the broad-chested blacksmith, NOV
inc dimly through the smoke, and flame,
and sparks, forget that my hair is fast
turning white with age; and my thoughts
wander back to the scenes of my child
hoods happiest years. Once more, trip
lightly along the winding path to the old
log school house, and hear again the JOY
GUS prattle Of the happy ones that used tt
greet me there. Again | am surrounded
by bevy of bright and familiar faces; anc
once again the hoary head OF our teache
comes up before my eyes, and We look Gu
riously upon his great crutches, and wonder
and wonder why the old man sits so lonE
and musingly over his worn bible, and VIII,
the tears are trickling down his cheek
when we are so very, very happy. hougI
little Ben Smith says, maybe his head aches
and satisfied with this explanation, we tum
bic off down to the play ground again
Since then, have thought that little Be-
Smith was mistaken-that it was not TIA
headache which made the old man weeF
II was almost the first session attende
school, and rs was very young, l coul
not be expected to remember and retai
events in my mind very distinctly, yet
remember, as ifit was yesterday, the sweC
face and kindly beaming eyes OF Anna Ma.
She was many years older than myself an
indeed Considerably in advance Of most {
the others, both in years and mental az
Is ouirements. Her form was almost perte'
ton Of girlish beauty, without its usu
sauareness and acuteness of outline. IheI
was about it an undulating and aerial grac
such as one might dream of, for some sylpl
like, or allegorical being. Her face W;
remarkable, less for its perfect beauty
feature, than for n certain, singular an
dreamy expression, which made the ide
start when they looked at her, and /
which the dullest and most illiterate wei
impressed, without exactly knowing VIII
The form of her neck and breast were p
culiarly noble, and the long golden ha
that hoated round it like cloud-the dee
spiritual gravity Of her violet-blue eye
shaded by fringes of golden brown-a
seemed to say that if the soul was tyI
of the form, il must bo indeed beautiful
Nor was it strange that so gentle al
beautiful being should win away Il
Young hearts Of her class mates. Yes, '
all loved Anna. One reason was, becau
she was SO kind and obliging in assistil
us in ourlessons; and another, that it W
impossible to know her and not to love h,
If there was hard problem to solve,
a faint heart to rouse up for action, h
sweet face was always ready to assist.
She was too old to enjoy our child
plays, II is true, but when VIC were tired
ball and bat we used to gather arou
the old oak tree in the yard, and then S
would tell us pretty stories OF fairies, a
how the children were carried of to
woods and left to die, and how, moved W
pity
"The robbin red breast carefully
Did cover them with leaves"
A great many other stories too, she to
and once sbo sang beautiful ballad o
young man who went away upoL the s
and never returned any more; and o
fair lady, who was so unhappy that
piued away and died. She sang v
sweetly, and VIC were all sad /; and W