Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-08-30
THE OLD GARRET.

lleve 1t. And others, neither sarcastic
nor simple, send them up aloft, among
the rubbish, just because they do not
know what to do with them down stairs
and "among folks" and so they class them
under the head of rubbish, and consign
them to that grand receptacle of dilapi-
dated have beens," and despised 'used-
to-be' 's"--the old garret.
The garrct is to the other apartments
of the homestead what the advcrb is to
the pedagogue in parsing; everything
they do not know how 10 dispose OF, is
consigned to the list of adverbs. And it
is for this precise reason that we love
garrets because they do contain the
relics of the old and the past-souvenirs
of other, and happier and simpler times.
They have come 10 build houses now
a day without garrets. Impious innova-
ton!
You man of bronze, and bearded like
the pard," who would make people be-
lieve if you could, that you never were
"a toddling, wee thing" that you never
wore " rihe-dress," jingled rattle box
with infinite delight that you never had
a mother and that she never become an
old woman, and wore caps and specta-
cles, and may be took snuff; go home
once more, after all these years of alb
sence, all booted and whiskered, and six
feet high as you are, and let us go up
stairs together, into the old fashioned,
spacious garnet, that extends from gable
to gable with its narrow, oval windows
with a spider web OF sash, through
which steals "a dim, religious light" upon
museum Of things unnameable, that
once figured below stairs, but we're long
since crowded out by the Vandal hand of
these modern times.
The loose boards of the floor rattle
somewhat as they used to do--dont
they when beneath your little patter-
Ing feet they clattered aforetime, when of
rainy afternoon, mother" wearied
with many-tongued importantly, granted
the Let us 90 up garret and play" And
play Precious little play have you had
since, we dare warrant, with your looks
of dignity and dreams Of ambition.
Here we are now in the midst of the
garret. The old barrel-shall we rum
mage it z Old files of newspapers. dusty,
yellow, little tattered 'Tis the "CoIum-
btam Star" How familiar the type looks!
How it reminds you of old times, with
the Letters Or paper for father r And
these same Stars, just damp from the.
press, were carried one by one to the
firesde, and perused and preserved as
they ought to be. Stars2 Damp2 Ahi
many star has set since then, and many
a new-turfed heap grown damp with rain
that fell not from the clouds.
Dive deeper into the barrel There
A bundle-up it comes in cloud of dust.
Old almanacs, by all that is memorable
Almanacs, thin leyeled ledgers of time,
going back to-let us see how far +: 1884,,
1888, 182-,-before our tme-180-,
when our mothers were children. And
The day book-how blotted and bleared
with many records and many tears,
There, you have hit your head against
hat beam. Time was when you run to.
and fro beneath it, but you are nearer to.
t now, by more than the latitude of
,hopine" That beam is stFown with for
,otten papers of seeds for next years
owing; distaff, with some few shreds
f fax remaining, is thrust in a crevice
i the rafters overhead and tucked away
lose under the eayes,is @the little Wheel"
hat uscd to stand by the fire in times
ong gone. Its sweet, low song has
eased and perhaps-perhaps she drew
hose Aaxen threads-but never mind
,ou remember the line, don't you?
HcrwhecI at rest, the matron charm no more"
Well, let that pass. Do you see that
title craft careened in that dark corner !?
t was red once; it was the only casket
\ the house once, and contained moth
rs jewels. The old red cradle, for all
le world And you occupied it once
=, great as you are, it was your world
nee, and over it, the only horizon you
eheld, bent the heaven of a mothers
yes, as you rocked in that little barque
love, on the hither shore OF time-fast
y a mothers love to a mothers heart.
Aud there, attached to two rafters, are
lie fragments of an untwisted rope. Do
on remember it, and what it was for,
nd who fastened it there Twas the
lildrens swing. You are here, indeed,
ut where are Nelly and Charley P
here hangs his little cap by that win
ow, and there the little red frock she
,ed to wear. A crown is resting on
is eherub brow, and her robes are spot
IS in a better land.