Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1867-01-25
Going Away at Eighteen.
BY VIRGINIA =. TOWNSEND.

ny VIRGINIA ,. TOWNSEND.
1t seems to me that the old house never
looked quite so pleasant as it does tonight, in
this still harvest moonlight.
know it's dreadful old house. brown and
low, and weather -beaten--no, much to boast
OF in its best days and now il shrinks and
quivers and can't hold its own against gale.
and its roof leaks with every cup-full Of a
shower, but it 8 my dear old home for oil that
and now that this is the last night, and I'm
going away to the great, vast, noisy city to-
morrow, strange sadness comes over me-
standing here by the little brown gate, and
loosing at the old place, and Wondering what
will happen before stand here again.
There are the two great cherry trees I've
| clamtercd every summer that can remember
and tossed down the fruit until it lay like a
thick red hail on the grass and there is the
line Of current bushes, that hide the old worm
| eaten, shaky fences, and there is the ounce
tree in the corner that swcctens the air all
about it; assa just beyond the well-curb stands
the old gnarled apple-tree. with the birds
nests rocking up in the hoaghs-littlc robins,
will you sing on just as sweetly up there when
I'm gone?
! never expected to feel like this. It's hard
to realize now that my life here has ended
that shall never drive the cows up in the hill
pastures again when the grass is sandcd all
over with shining lews--that shall never
NOV down the sweet clover nor GO shouting
a aang the blackberry patches, nor heap up
the bright ears in the great cornheld over
yonder, and somehow it makes me sad to feel
that everything will go on just as it always has
done, and nothing will mind when I'm gone
away.
Come now, as though was going 10 make a
fool Of myself beca use at last I'm going to the
city-thc city after which my thoughts and
dreams have painted for years--the goal Of all
my hopes and longings, which has seemed so
far off, which I've reached at length.
You're going to make Your fortune. Tom
Reynolds Just think of that
No more chorring wood and moilinc at the
plow, no more long days cutting grass in the
meadows and coming back tired out with the
. hard work at night, to drive the cows home ;
you re going to make man of yourself, to
take yonr chances in the thick of the fight ou.
yonder in the great city, and it shall GO hard
with you if you don't make you're pile and
pluck your prize with the best of thea.
Ear I 4 ~
II! be faithful, Industrious, silrewd, and make
my way up to the top of the ladder
And some day shall come back here 10 the
old home, and people will stare and say, That
is Tom Reynolds, who used TO go barefoot to
the COW pastures and drive the old ox~ca..
down to the MILL The old house slai eome
down then, and in its place shall stand hand
some mansion for mother and little lmv-Alay
Will have grown woman by that time, and
shall make a lady of her, bless the dear li'tle
chubby sis. how pleasant it will be to see those
rosy cheeks Of hers shining behind the blinds
of the stately new hane, and how proud the
whea he hands her into his fine carriage and
dashes down the village street with her by his
side.
And the poor old mothcr-ah, that's the best
Of all, she who has toiled so hard to keep Amy
and me under the old roof since. father died
she sha II have the rest she's needed so long
then She shall sit by the window Of the new
house in the pleasant summer sfternoons in
HOY oil
caps and the hands that have workc' so hard
lying idle in her lap then, and her eyes, full
Of pride and tenderness shall follow her bow
around the housc-her boy that IS rich man
now, and that has never forgotten what she
taught nim, to be honest, and just, aud true, in
the thick Of all temptation.
And then. too, somebody will be grown a
ladv-littlc Lucy Ames, the Doctors daughter,
with her hair that has the gold of the spring
dandelions, and her eyes the blue of the cool
spring up among the rocks offtherc--litt!e
Lucy with your sweet, shy face, and your kind
~ words, and smile always ready for me,
tho was Your fathers chorc boy | sha nj
forget it then! And what will you say when
come back rich man, with houses aud lands.
and an honorable name?
You will be u lady then, little Lucy. but will
your blue eyes smile OH me just as swcc,ly-
will you come dancing out Of tie door with the
light i'll your golden hair and the old bright
welcome in your face?
What if-what if-Ah Lucy, the question
will do to wait, for l have only seen my
eighteenth birthday yet, and you are inside
your fifteenth But shall carry the thought
hidden away down in my heart to the great
city Tomorrow.
All, the old. swift hopes and longings-thc
strong, fiery ambitions come back, and stir the
blood Of my youth. long for the morrow to
come SO that can be away, and at work.
G"od-byc, old home, and yet shall carry YOU
too in my heart MS you looked that last night
when stood by the little gate, and you Law
before me asleep in the moonlight
COMING BACK AT FoRry-rrvE.
1t just score and qnarter Of years ago
since ! stood here by the old gate and my
blood was hot then and my heart throbbed
high with the frey dreams and hopes Of youth.
An, rrown co al thn.o