The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1867-07-04

| tnaC l can remember, anu 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, sha-
ky fences, and there is the Ounce
tree in the corner that sweetens
the air all aboutit; and just beyond
the well curb stands the old gnarled
appletree, with the birds nests
rocking up in the boughs-little
robbins, will you sing on just as
sweetly up there when | am gone?
l 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
Sanded all over with shining dews
that shall never NOW down the
sweet clover nor go shooting
among the blackberry patches, nor
heap up the ripe ears in the great
cornfeld over yonder, and some
how it makes me sad to feel that
everything will go on just as it al.
ways has done, and nothing will
mind when Pm gone away.
Come now, as though | was 60.
ing to. make a fool Of myself be-
cause at last Pm going to the city
the city after which my thotghts
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 for
tune, Tom Reynolds-just think OF
that -
No more chopping wood and toll
ing at the plow, no more long days
cutting grass in the meadows and
come back tired out with the hard
work at night, to drive the cows
home; you're going to make q man
of yourself, to take your chances
in the thickest Of the fight out yon.
der in the great city, and it shall
go hard with you if you don't make
your pile and pluck your prize with
the best of them.
For | mean to make money-to
be rich man. I'll be faithful, inc
dustrious, shrewd, and make my
way up to the top of the ladder.
And some day / shall come back
here to 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
Ox.cart down to the mill. The old
house shall come down then, and
IN its place shall stand handsome
mansion for mother and little Amy
Amy will have grown woman
by that time, and | shall make a
lady Of her, bless the dear little
chubby sis! how pleasant it will be
to see those rosy cheeks of hers
shining behind the blinds of the
stately new home, and how proud
the little laughing puss will be Of
brother Tom when he hands her
into his fine carriage and dashes
down the village street with her by
his sldel ..- '...
And the poor old mother--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 shall have the rest she's
needed so long then! She shall sit
by the window of the new hou:e in
the pleasant summer afternoons in
her black silk dress. and her pretty
white cap, and the hands that have
worked so hard lying idle in her lap
then, and her eyes, full of pride and
tenderness, shall follow her boy
around the house-her boy that is
a rich man now, and that has never
forgotten what she taught him, to
be honest, and just and true in the
thick OF all temptation.
And then, too, somebody will be
grown a lady-little Lucy Ames-
the doctors daughter, with her hair
that has the gold of the spring
away up among rocks off there
little Lucy with your sweet, shy
face, and your kindly words, and
smile always ready for me, though
1 was your fathers choice boyl
shan't forget it thenl And what
will you say when | come back a
rich man, with houses and lands,
and an honorable name?
You will be a lady then, little
Lucy, but will your blue eyes smile
on me just as sweetly-will you
come dancing out of the door with
the light in your golden hair and
the old bright welcome in your
face9 1'-' -.
What if-what if--ah, Lucy, the
| Il ..,o.k a., II Loro