The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-12-07

running through hor fingers from the dis
taffs dshcveled head, when a small voice
cries "Grandma" from the old red cradle
and "Grandma y Tommy shouts from tho
top Of tho stairs. Gently sho lets go tho
the thread. for her patience is almost as
beautiful as her charity, and she touches
tho little red baik a moment, ill tho young
voyager is in a dream again, and then di.
rects Tommys unsvailing attempts to bar
ness tho cat. The tick Of tho clock runs
faint and low, and she opens tho mysterious
door and proceeds to wind 1t up. Wo arc
all on tip.toe, and wo beg in breath to be
lifted up ono by Que. and look in for the
hunircdth time upon tho tin cases Of the
Weights, aud the poor lonely pendulum.
which goes to and fro by iis little, dim
window, and never comes out into the world
and our petitions are oil granted, and we
are lifted up, and wo all touch with finger
the wonderful wcigh,e, aud the music Uf tho
little wheel is resumed.
Was Mary to bo married, or Jane to be
wrapped in o shroud SO mookly did she
fold tho white hands os the one upon hor
still bosom that thore seemed to be prayer
in them there, aud so swoo,ly did she
wreathe the whito roses in tho hair Of the
otbor, that ono would not have wondered
had more roses budded for company.
| How she stood betwoon US aud appre.
hendod harm; how the rudess of us softened
beneath the pressure of her faded and trem.
ulous band! From her capncious pocket that
hand was ever withdrawn closed, only to be
opened in our own, with the nuts sho had
gathered, tho cherries sho had plucked, the
little egg sho had found, the e'turnovcr" she
had baked, the trnkat she had purchased
for us as the product of her spinning, the
the blessing she had stored for us, the off.
spring of her heart.
Wall, she sang. Her voice was feeble
and waverng, like fountain just ready to
! fall. but then, how sweet. toned it was aud
! it became deeper and stronger; but it could
not grow swoeter. What Joy of grief" il
was to sit there around tho fro. all Of us
except Jane, that clasped prayer to her
| bosom, and her wo thought We saw, wher
the hall door was opened u mOmont by the
wind, but then we wore not afraid, fol
wasn't il her old smile she wore: to sil
there around the fire. and weep over the
Babes in tho Woods" who laid down side
by side in the great solemn shadows; ard
how strangely glad we felt when robin rcd
breast covered them with leaves, aud last o
all, when tho angels took thom out of nigh
into day everlasting.
We may think what wo will OF It now, bu
the song and tho story hoard around lh,
kitchen fire have colored the thoughts Rnt
lives of tho most Of US have given Us tho
germs of whatever poetry blosses our hearts
whatever of memory blooms in our yestor
days Attribute whatovor We may TO th,
school and tho schoolmaster, the rays which
make that little day we call life, rsdiat,
from tho God. swept circle OF the hearth
stone.
Then she sings an old lullaby she sang tt
mother, her mother sang to her; but sb'
does not sing it through, and fultors ere 'ti
done. Sho rests her head upon her haads
and il is silent in tho old kitchen. Some
thing gltters down between her ingess ir
tho tire-light, and it looks like rain in tlit
soft sunshine. The old grandmother il
thiuking when she first heard the song, anc
of the voice that sung it; whom, a ligh
haired aud light hearted girl, she hung
around that mothers chair, nor saw tn,
shadows of the years to como. o, the dayi
that arc no more What spell can W,
weave to bring them back What word
unsay, what doods undo. to sot back, jus
this once, the ancient clock of time?
80 oil our little hands woro forever cling
ing to her garments and staying her, as i
from dying for long she had done living fo
herself. and lived alone in US. But the ole
kitchen wants o presence to-day. and tb'
rush-bottomed chair is tenantless.
\ How she used to welcome us when W,
wore grown, and come once more to tn,
homestead.
We thought we wero mon and women, bu
We wore children thore. Tho Gld.tashoneC
grandmother was blind in her eyes. but ah'
saw with her heart, as she always did. w,
threw our long shadows through the opeI
door, and she felt thom. as they fell owe
her form, and she looked dimly up, and saV
tall shapes in the door way. and she says
Edward know. and Lucy's voice l cal
hear. but whose is that other 1t must b.
James," for she had almost forgot tho to'de'
hands. 10, no. not Jane. for she-let IN
SEQ, she is waiting for me, isn't sho y An,
tho old grandmother wandered and wept
ut is another daughter, grandmother
that Edward has brought" says somo ono
'for your blessing"
"Has she blue eyes. my son: Put he
hand Ia mine, for she is my latest born, th
child of my old age. Shall | sing you
song. children :" Ilcr hand is in hor pocke
as of old she is idly fumbling for toy--'
welcome gift for the children that have
como again.
One of us. men as wc thought we were, il
weeping; she hears tho half suppressed sob
she says, as she extends hor feeble hand -
Here, my poor child, rest upon your grand
mothers shoulder; she will protect yor
from oil harm.
"Como, children, sit round tho fire again
Shall sing you q song, or tell you story
! Al Al.G A. F.. - q. IL IL
growing colder"
The clock in tho cornor struck nine, The
bedtime of those days. The song of life
was indeed sung; tho story told; it wa'
bed, ,timo at last Good night to thee. grand
mother Tho Old-fashioned grandmother
was no more, and We miss her forever. But
we will set up tablet in the midst of the
heart, and write upon it only this:
SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF THE
D-FASiIONED GRANDMOTHER.