The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-04-18
Original. })oetrp.
esThe Homestead soEd.''
BY CATALPA.


the sale,
And laid the scene of this our humble tale.
The ''honest peasantry' for miles around
Took this for holiday, and sought the ground
Where stood the homestead meath ancestral
trees.
Whose trembling leaves sighed back to every
breeze;
And every breeze to them in whispers low
Confided whence they came and where they'd
go.
And every bird that sought in peace to rest,
Brought here her moss and built her tiny nest.
And every flower, howe'er so plain was she,
Found here nook beneath the ancestral tree.
And many shadow DER the sweeping grass
OF flying bird in noontide heat would pass
And many an afternoon siesta there,
And many merry chat by maidens fair,
And many fairy moonlight serenade,
One, all Of these beneath thy waving shade,
Oh old ancestral tree, have been to lie llo more
The homestead's sold and all these scenes
arc o er.
Now let US turn, and scan the faces acre,
Who come the spells OF our sweet home to
share.
One sister whispered as with footstep soft
She sought window Of the cottage loft,
And like the tiunid dove who fears the foe,
She. hidden half, looked on the crowd below:
Like some fleet fawn who tired with the chase,
In Ieafy covert finds a hiding place,
Nor deems it well to move lest leaves should
know
And in their stir reveal her to the foe.
While hidden there the crowd still gathered
fast,
Form after form beneath the window passed !;
Now face of friend now face of stranger there,
Came, rs she said, the spoils of home to share.
Again the thought swept sadly Ger the heart,
Sweet home of mine, to-day the word is part :;
To-day to hear the strangers careless tread
Seems sacrilegicLs here, as to the dead
Is impious foot upon the grave let fail,
Or inpious touch upon the dead mans pail.
And still they come, nor desm to US can be
J mockiGg echo IN each repartee;
saddening thought be in each smile that's
given
How could it else be when each tie is riyen,
And this to-day but breaks the last frail chain,
Whose links and parts viii ne'er unite again.
The sheep that spot the sloping hilltop high,
The giant oak that towers toward the sky,
The brook that mUrmurs soft its silvery way,
The tasseIed moss thatdecks the old rock gray,
The birds, tie buds, the bees, the bursting
flowers,
Here, stranger, ta}le-they are no longer ours.
X x
The salesman now in voice both deep and loud,
Begins his work. and stills the swaying crowd.
Begins tbe praise of goods he means to sell,
Nor stops for truth to make his bargains well :;
Preyaricates bat ''slightually,'' you know
Enough to make the poorest bargain go.
For instance, shows saddle ten years old,
And says, q" It's worth its solid weight in gold /;
Tis Russian leather, and the man who buys
VIII have saddle til the hour he dies
The saddle, bought a. first fer dollars three,
Now sells for four, to some lallc lUck}ess he,
Who, charmed by "RUssian leather" bids and
buys,
And lauds the self-same saddle to the skies
The crafty salesman smiles that this is gone,
And tries again another new tlicl on.
And still with joke, and wit more bright than
gold,
lie pleases all, until at length is sold
All regis tered, save w,sa. from sad remorse
Was kept the iast--the fayo-ite family horse.
Forth now he's led, as ofttimes led Of yore,
To crop the grass before The homestead door,
10 snuff the breeze that tossed his flowing
mane,
And scour ct wiz across the spreading plain !;
Or sof,ly LED by maidea's gentle hand,
Beneath the apple shade obedient stand,
To wait his mistress, then vita spirits gay,
Outspeed the wind along the piIe-bouud way,
Past by the stceam, past by the noisy mill,
Along the PLAZA. andup the towering hill
With reeking sides, and nostrils white with
foam,
The race is ended, we are safely home.
Proud steed be staid the last wild chase is
Ger,
Tor you and ct least, forevermore:
Here, stranger take MIN, he is thine to-day
BE kind TO "Charley' when ne's cid and gray,
Bend low your head, old faishllIi friend, TO
mine,
C2cc more my arms your prond arched neck
entwine.
Farewell, farewell, ah. your impatient neigh,
Tells that in strength you iongto boand away.
Noble cid Charley here's lear to tell
How much I loved you; GO, old friend, fare
well.
The sitting clouds 90 o'er the leaden sky,
The long, long hours at length have winged
them by.
Well pleased the host sees every guest retire,
And wheels his chair before the kitchen fire
His smile was greeted bright at early day,
Nor dim has grown in evenings sombre gray.
Neighbor and friendl he feels that every heart
Gives him its blessing as the guests depart.
nea- A teacher asked bright little
girl, "What country is opposite to US on
the globe?"
L IL