Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-03-28
The Old Garret.

Sarcastic people say that the poets dwell in
garrets, and simple people believe it. And
others neither sarcastic or simple, send them
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 un-
der the head of rubbish, and consign them 10
that grand reception of "hRs beens," and de-
spised used to be's, the old garre:
The garret is to the other apartments of the
homestead what the adverb is te the pedago
que in parsing. Everything they do not know
how to dispose Of is consigned to the list of
abverbs. And it is for this precise reason we
love garrets because they do contain the relics
OF the old and of the past-souvenirs of other
and happier and simpler hours.
They have come to build houses nowadays
without garrets. Impious innovation.
You men of bronse, uad bearded like the
baTdS,H who would like to make people believe
if you could, that you were never "toddling
wee thing that you never wore a "riffied
dress" or jingled o rattle box with icfuite de-
light that you never had d mother, and that
she never became al old woman, aud wore
caps and Spectacles, and may be took snuff :;
90 home once more after al! these years Of
absence, all booted and whiSkered, aud six
feet high as You are and let US 60 up together
into the OLD fashioned garret that extends from
gable to gable, with its narrow, oval windows
with spider web as a sash, through which
steals dim, religious light" upon q museum
Of things unuameable, that once figured below
stairs, bat were long since crowded out bv the
Yandal hand of modern times.
The loose boards Of the floor rattle some
what as they used to do-dou't they? when
beneath yourprattling feet they clattered afSre-
time, when of q rainy afternoon, Mother y
wearied with many-tougued importantly grant,
ed the Let rs 20 up in the garret and play"
And play Precious little OF play you have
bad since, We dare warrant. with your looks Of
dignity aud dreams Of ambition.
Here we are now in the midst of the garret
The old barEel-shall We rumage it? Old
newspapers dusty, yellow, a little tattered !!
'TiS the CClambian Star How familiar the
type looks How it reminds you of old ti--e
when YOU looked over the edge of the counter
with the letters or papers for father And
these same stars just damp from the press were
carried one by Que TO the fre-Sde, and perus-
ed aud preserved as they ought to be. Stars!
Damp. All, many star has set since then,
and many new turfed heap grown damp with
rain that fell not from clouds.
Dive deeper iu the barrel There ! A bun
die, up it comes, in q cloud Of dust. Ola al
manacS by all that is memorable, thin leaved
le1gerS of time. going back to-let Us see how
far ISL, 1873, lS2-, before our time
lS0-. when our mothers were children And
the day book-how bIotted and bleared with
many records aud tears.
There you have hit your head against that
beam Time was when you raa to and fro be
meath it. but you are nearer TO it now by more
than the altitude Of chopping." That beam
is s,rewn with forgotten papers Of seeds for
the next years sowing: = Gistaf, with some
new shreds Of fax remaining IS thrust into .
creyce of the r4fters over head, aud tucked by
aTav close under the caves is the little Wlee.
that used to stand 10y the fire in times long gone.
lis sweet long song has ceased. and perhaps
perhaps she drew those hlXeu threads-but
never mind-you remember the line don't
you?
Her wheel a. rest, the matron charms no more"
Well, let that pass. Do YOU see that little
craft in that dark corner 1t was red once, j;
was the oulv caskel 10 the house once, and
contained q mothers jewels. The Old red era
die for oil the world Aud you occupied that
=
once, and over it the only horizon you behed
bent tie heaven OF . mothers eyes as you
rocked in that little barque Of love, on the
hither shore Of time-fasI by mothers love
TO q mothers heart.
Aud there attached by two rafters, are the
fragments of an untwiSted rope. Do you re-
member it. and what il vas for, and who tas-
tened 1t there
Twas the childIen's swing You are here
indeed bat where are Nelly and Charley ?
There hangs his little cap by that window, and
there the little red frock she used to wear
a crown is resting upon her cherub brow, aud
bis robes are spoiess in the better land.
Dea. E-ived out West. He had son,
John. The soYe7ei-ns OF that section met 10
caucus to appoint delegates to County Con,
vention. Now the Convention would meet
many miles from that, and how 10 get carried
there without expense, was subject OF the
!