Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-03-27
q lt-s ssPRING.

IN ,onF sehooldags, as Ne may all remem>
Der, requisite art for the strengthening
and expansion OF the youthful mentality
was the construction of what were known
to usby name as 'ticOmpositions," which
name coujured up before our small,
intensified mental vision, piece of archie
lecture, Stately and ayful in its proportions,
in whose grim shadow we sat helpless and
despairing for the first half of the week at
least. For the Thought that crushed and
toverpowered Us was that this wonderful
structure was'to be built up ont of our, own
selves. If it were only feat of memory
snch as the multiplication table, or one of
the widest linesl8it6 three sets of defui-
tiOns, from Towns spelling: book, or q re-.
hearsal OF the heroism of Casabianca-
nothing in that way, could have driven
us so utterly to despair ss did this first
awakening consciousness. vague and uu-
defined as yet, to the mystery of ersatios..-
II was the tfue experience of making brick
and getting straw where We might find ii,
aud without doubt, teachers were the real
Egyptian task-masters of modern times.-
Such loose straws of thought as Had been
dropped accidentally in our narrow little
footPaths would go avery little way towards
the building of pyramid such as was re.
] quired at our hands, and when we were
told to "describe only something we
knew all about, something stsndipg right
before our bodily eyes,-did that solve the
difficulty in the leastV Gould We not dim
1 y guess what was expected of us under the
guise of this seemingly simple req quirementa
For, did we not once when driven to des-
peratiou, take refuge under the suDsFyis.
ion Of the school mistress, in "Psrker's
Aids to English Compositiop," !" and in that
particular page wherein are contained such
suggestive subjects as the mi6ute descrip.
tions of houses, for instance-and did We
not thereupOn draw up an exact inventory
Of the doors, windows, &c., of5the house
best known to US, (viz: our own, which
when duly constructed aud completed, was
rejected by the said school mistress as. Ut.
terly uurecoguizable? 1t was clear there
was no help for US in books, after that
no resource left but to 60 the rounds, for
the tortieth time or more, ofthe four sea-
sons-spripg, Summer, Autumn and Win
ter, which, along with home, the school
house, and the play ground. comprised
our knOwledgeot life aud the great, mys-
terious out door world. What the little
mind could take in of this through ewes
and ears, it could tell you of-uothing
mOrei SO, when beginning at Winter and
coming back to Spring again, ssfely landed
US on familiar coast, what could We say
after all, but the same old thtugs7 That
1 the sunshine was warm, and the sky was
blue, that the birds were singing, aud the
bees and the Ries were hummtng aud buz.
2ing about against the sunny side OF. the
house, in the afternoons which we're getting
longsenough for a game Of ball or marbles
after school, and that, or the whole our
favorite season.. alter much veighty bal.
aucing of advantage aud disadyin taRe. y as
! Spring, and We were glad it had come bacl
again. So simply We told our story of the
joy et,e1istencs-auy bird or butterA Ii
could have. told as much and about III,
same-in fact does tell as much, avery .da,
of its singing, auttering existence. Chill
fand bird aud buttetfy ate a part Sof Ii,
seAson-i Sd all three there isths SklGe al spon,
taneops, healthy rejoicing in this IN materia
world, in all thatis seen and heard. 'sTil
the natural way' of liyiug, . and they are Al
happy together t'becanse Cod. wills it. -
This is childhood, We say, ilfookine bacl
over the Springs that b ave ereeded suC
bloomed and faded since hen--ehildhood
with its butterflies, its hapaipess which va
not known or understood for happiness
and we turn. aWayIWtthou regret, yet mo-
Petbaps without sigh, fre N ths e tttssospec,
tion. Intt6Ose past! years We have let tn,
springs go by upbeeded-1e have forgot.
ten to look fot them in theiE earliest dawn.
ing in the woodsTGudiupOn the kiIlsAglt
do 10. know so we'll now the surs signs. Q,
the coming new life upon tbis brow bSTS 3. bari
old earth, We have been looking s6t al
things from different ''sssud pofntV-E.
have looked abroad upon thifsl' q outward sfri
physical world from point vtfhia' 'some,
Where-have taken self for onr cenIra
POiutit may be, with our veEys ,od1Ll6ok
:, upon Nature itself, directed tron q e o0l
: small, sWayipg platform, until tBere i
j nothing which looks clear and plain to Us
from within OF from without. TIE ! n a
TIE cares Of this world. the many thorn
-
which spring up from within, hare grow
up high sia betEssp Sst eyes aad The sanahiuls