Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-03-12
Ola Boys.

Mrs. NJ. u. Rayne IN PacKaru 4Hohthtq
writes: The Old Boy is Of erect form,
with an elasticity that bellies his age; his
cheek is like "rose in the snow" and his
countenance wears smiling expression
at all times, as if his thoughts were good
company. He loves to .doze little after
dinner, and invariably wakes up to tell a
dream about something that happened
years ago, when he was school-boy.
'.Ah that reminds me-" he says with a
relish, and then he carries you back forty
years or more when he was at the farm,
and used to 60 to school winters and work
summers and he tells you how he learned
Murray's grammar, and Goldsmith's geog-
raphy, and Dilworth's spelling book how
he took the prettlest girl to singing school
and wrote large-hand copy by tallow-dip
when he got home; how he rode ten miles
to meeting on Sunday, and was married
in the first coat of boughten" cloth he
ever had and how he and his wife toiled,
and suffered, and loved together until one
went first, land, please God," with a
smile and sob, we were young and old
together, and will soon be young again and
keeping company with one another for
ever" ~
1 remember two Old Boys who were SO
full of fun and frolic that no husking party
or social gathering was ever complete with
out them. They romped with the chill
dren, and flirted with the girls, and made
love to the grandmothers, and danced old
minuets with an odd mixture Of gallantry
and grace. I never knew them do but
one really foolish thing, and that was to
attempt to stand on their heads at hay
ing frolic and having attained that juven-
lie position, they could not ge. back again,
but looked like two enormous V's, and
ruined their beavers irretricvably.
The Old Boy goes out Of the world just
as pleasantly as he staid in it. He has al
ways taken God at His word, and does not
need any late Interpretation Of His promi
ses. He does not want to reconstruct
Heaven any more than he did earth, and
is quite sure it will be high enough, and
broad enough, and bright enough.for him
and so he folds his hands quietly over his
finished life-work and goes to meet the
Master with smile on his lips.
"Ahl the genial friendships Of those
Old Boys The remembrance of half a
century in the cordial shake of the hand f;
the beaming look, the friendly, cosy dinner
or supper, with the very same dishes they
remember you liked, and the talk of our
by gone days, until you actually seem to
hear 5sa .
sThe tones of voice that is still , E
The touch of vanished hand" ~
IL .. FOL IF tfxy
Mary Gray, as if she was still the girl Of
forty years ago. ut seems but yesterday" "
says one, shat saw her home from sing
ing school," II had curl of her hair
remarks another, land it was like gold. "
lie might have added, no gold could have
bought it. Boys" says third, solemnly,
II forgot to tell you that when was home
last fall heard Hetty was dead. She was
visiting with one of her grandchildren
when she was taken down." .E
"Deadr' they cry in chorus, "Poor
thing she was good girl, but we are
none of US too good to travel the road she
has taken" And they begin to sentimen-
talize little sadly and end by getting into
the merriest and most. harmeless ,sts in
the world.
Oh! the harmless, happy lives of those
Old Boys! The times and times they have
helped some struggling soul to its feet, and
never once said II am holier than thou
The little deeds that have marked their
way, like the shining footsteps of angels
going straight to the better land.
Dear Old Boys when your spectacles
are laid aside, and your canes hung up
and your slippers put away, we know how
much of the kindness and gentleness o
life has gone with you, and the remem,
brance of your happy lives will keep us
from growing bitter, OF morose, or old, unit
we meet again in the summer land of per
petual youth. ~ c