Weekly Trinity journal., 1860-04-14
WEAvERvLIE. CALIFORNIA, SATURDAY, IA. 1860.
Old Time Sleishing.

b. f. Taylor of the Chicago Journal, treats
the world to this beautiful picture of every Nor
therner's experience at some time in the long
ago:
That old rcd Sleigh with its long box that
never was full-for down in the straw. wrapped
in the robes, or on or other of the four seats
it contained, there was always room for one more
what grouping of bright young races there
used to be in it, Faces in hoods, in caps, aud in
! blankets hearts that have loved since I; hearts
that have broken hearts that have moudered
And away we went over the hills, and through
the vale, under the moonlight, aud under the
cloud when the stars were looking down when
the Sun kindlcd the world into a great white
jewel but those days have gone forever away,
and the sweet old necklace of bells, big in the
middle of the string and growing small 10y de-
grces, has lost its power over the pulses.
In that old sleigh brides have gone away before
now-those that were married to manhood, those
that were married unto death" Great ships
have gone over the waters with less Of hope and
happiness than that rude craft has borne over the
pillows of winter; swanlike shapes now glance
along the arrowy way, but give us for its sweet
memories of yesterday, the old red sleigh
Then, the days when we were " coasters" and
down the big hill, by The maple wood through
the little pitches far into the valley we came in
merry shout, each the solitary Palinurus of his
own tiny craft. How like II flock OF swallows
we were. dashing down the dccivity, In among
IA group of sleds, side by side with rival, shoot
ing by like an arrow, steering in ga.Rntly ahead
like Jockey, and on our way up with II sled in
tow ere the party had reached the valley below
Aud then it was, when the wind had swept
away the snow from pond and stream, and the
ice was CLAIR that we put on the rockers" and
darted hither and thither, and drew the girls we
loved, and whrlcd them like leaves over the
highway of crystal.
And the schools where we spelt each other
down, and the schools where we sang Wind.
ham, and "Mear, and the schools where we
cvphercd, and wrote, and "went ups" gone, all
gone, teacher and taught, like the melting snow
under the rainbows of April.
And when sometimes after the great snow the
winds came out of the North for a frolic, what
wreathings and cary ngs OF the cold alnbaser
there were. What corinthjan adprnings surmoun-
ted the fence posts what mOuldings were fash
ioncd beside the way what fairy like caves in
the drifts what flowers OF rare finish aud pen
dants Of pearls on the trees.
Have you quite forgotten the footprints we
used to lnd in the damp snow-aS delicate, some
of thcm as a love letter the mysterious paths
down to the brook, or by the old hollow tree,
that we used to wonder over and set " figure
tOurs' by, if perchance we might catch the ma
kcrs thereof! Have you quite forgotten how
sorry you were for the snow birds that tiuttercd
among the flakes, and seemed tossing aud lost in
the storm
And there in the midst OF that winter Christ
mas was set, that made the Thanksgiving last all
through the night OF the year, and what wonder
the stars and the fires burned more brightly
therefor Christmas with its gifts aud its cheers;
its evergreen branch and its bright morning
dreams. Christmas, when there were prints upon
the chimney tops if we were only there to see
them, where Santa Claus set his foot as the clock
struck twelve. Christmas, when stockings were
suspended by hearth aud by pillow all over the
land stockings siken aud white stockings
homey and blue, aud even the little red sock
with hole in the toe. Blessed forever be Beth
lehems star.