The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1862-02-12
A Picture of Home.

/ recall home long since left behind
in the journey of life, and its memory
floats back over me with a shower of emo
lions and thoughts towards whose precious
fail my heart opens Itself greedily like
a thirsty flower 1t is a home AMONG the
ountaihs-humble and homely, but
priceless in the wealth of associations.
The waterfall sings again in my ears as
it used TO through the dreamy, mysterious
night. The rose at the gate, the patch
of tansy under the window, the neigh
boring orchard. the elm, the grand ma,
chinery of storns and showers, the little
smithy under the hill, that famed with
strange light through the dull winter
evenings, the wood pile at the door, the
ghostly white birches on the hih, and the
6im blue haze on the retiring mountains,
all these come back to me with an ap-
peal that touches nv heart and mostens
my eyes.
| sat again in the doorway, at summer
night.fall. eating my bread aud milk,
looking off upon the darkenng landscape,
aud listening TO the shouts upon the hill
side. calling or driving home the reluc-
tant herds. watch again the devious
way of the dusky nighthawk along the
twilight sky, and listen 10 his measured
note, and the breezy boom that accom-
panies his headlong plunge toward the
earth
Even the old barn, crazy in every tim
Der and Gaping AT every joint, has charms
for ne. try again the breathless leap
from the great beams into The hay. sit
again upon the threshold of the widely
open duors--open to the soft south wind
of spring-and watch the cattle, whose
faces Look half human to ne Us they sun
themselves, and peacefully ruminate,
while drop by drop the melting snow on
the roof drills holes through the wasting
drift between the caves.
The first little lambs of the season tot
tie by the side of their dam. and utter
their feeble bleatings. while the focks
nibble at the hay-rack, or pair of rival
wethers try the strength Of their skulls
in an encounter, half IN earnest, half in
play The proud old rooster crows upon
his throne, and some delighted member
of his silly family leaves her nest and tells
to her mates aud to ME that there is
another egg in the world.
The old horse whinDies in his stall, and
calls to me for his food. look up to the
root, aud think of last years swallows
soon to return again--have glimpse of
angular sky through the diamond shaped
opening that gave them iugrcss and egrcss.
How, know not. but that old barn is a
pert Of myself, it has entsred into life and
given he growth and wealth.
But look into the house again, where
the life abldcs which has appropriated
these things, and finds among them its
home. The hour of evening has come,
the lamps are lighted, and good man in
middle Iife.-though very old he seems
to me--takes down bible and reads a
chapter froui its halowed pages n sweet
wouan sits at his side with nv sleepy
head upon her knees, and brc theirs aud
sisters grouped reverenlly around ME. /
do not understand the words, but | have
been told that they are tie words of God,
aud believe it. The long chapter ends.
and then we all kneel down, and the good
man prays. | fall asleep with my head
in the chair, aud the next morning re-
member nothing how | went to bed
After the breakfast the Bible is taken
down, and the good man prays again, and
again is the worship repeated through all
the days of many golden years. The
plea ant converse of the freside songs Of
home, the words of encouragement as
bent over my school tasks, the kiss as /
lie down to rest, the patient bearing with
the freaks of my nature, the gentle coun
sells mingled with rep oval, the sympathy
that meets aud assuases every sorrow and
sweetens every little success, all these
return to me amid the responsibilities
which press upon me now, and feel as
if had once lived in Heaven aud stray
ing had lost my way.
Well, tn good man grew old aud weary,
and fell asleep with blessings upon his
head for NE Some of those who called
hin father, lie side by side in the same
calm sleep. The others are scattered and
dwell in new homes, and the old hou;e
and barn have passed into the hands of
strangers, who have learned or are learn
ing to look upon them as | do now.
Lost, ruined, forever left behind, that
home is mine TO day, as truly as it ever
was. for have not brought it away with
lne aud shown it to you? 1t was the
home of my boyhood In it | found my
first mental fo"d, and by it my young
soul was fashioned TO me, through
weary yeais aud many dangers and sor-
rows, it has been perennial fountain OF
delight and purifying influences, simply