The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-07-07
y Coriginal "'-
Jessie WaltOn--An Autobiography
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Oh! the memory bells! the memory
bells! how, they ring this morning.
Sometimes softly aud sweetly, as If
calling the worshippers of God to His
holy temple; sometimes loudly and
joyfully, as if peaiiug for a merry
bridal sometimes slowly and solemn
~, as if sounding the knell Of a de.
y parted spirit. Years Of my child
SShood, gone forever, never to be recall
Y,ed, buried in the tomb of the asst,
how inexpressibly dear ye were to
he how the recollection Of your: JOYS
and sorrows brings tears Of love and
sadness to my eyes and causes my
heart to throb, b,almost to bursting. The
,augel Of memory has stirred the
depths Of my spirit and awakened
haunting visions Of those haloyon days
when the sun beamed with suoh I'm
clouded spleudor( upon my humble
hode; ~hen~the deep cerulean hue Of
my life's sky remained ever the same {;
when no, rolling thunder-clouds nor
lurid lightning flashes appalled, my
soul and overshadowed my heart. All
was tranquil then and dreamed not
Of the fierce waves of sorrow, the
wild blasts Of adversity. Earth was
to me a paradis men aud women,
!, angels of,gooduess and purity. I was
2 a guiieiess, unsuspecting child, loving
and beloved, joyous aud free as the
wild bird of the forest or the bright
gazelle of tho mountain. Of life's
stern realities L did not oven d ream-
the future was vague and Jude efped7-
Il lived aud gtorifisd q ID the present.
Ring on, ye blessed memory bells |!
love your mellow chime. Ring on |!
aud bear my spirit back to those
sweet days and let me, dream am
again child. 'yr iH~ Fe"asa 5nas
At my earliest recollection Twas an
inmate Of my uncle's humble but
, happy home. II was a little brown
cottage situated in grove of elms
with broad open space in front ind
a grand old forest stretching for miles
behind. Not far distant was the lit.
tie village where we attended church,
procured our household goods, and
sold the various articles which, Sas is
generally the case, farmers eveu though
small ones, raise in great abundance.
1Of my parents I knew comparatively
nothing save that they died during
my infancy. My uncle was a grave
but generous and no5le-hearteds man,
and was to me, the kindest of fathers.
My aunt was fair, fragile woman
who had we'll supplied a mothers
place to the penniless orphan commit
ted to her care. She had shown me
all the tender love that parent be-
stows upon her offspring and in her
heart, l held place second only to
my uncle's, for of her numerous chill
dren, none. had lived long enough
even to lisp her name. There were
i've little mounds in the village e-grave-
yard and five little apotless doves rest
ing IN Jesus bosom. .Sfy. gsntio
aunt, how often have I seen her, weep
such tears, as only a bereaved mother
s>ean weep, who mas seen the precious
y >darliugs of her longing heart laid
under the damp sod, and hidden for
ever from her mortal view. Ohl sc
careless ones, ye can never know the
height not depth nor length nor
breadth Of q mother's love. Ye can
never comprehend the &%;!d agony
that sweeps in such terrific billows
over her soal when death snatches
from her embrace the tiny form so
closely elasped. Ye can never dream
bow longit takos the bruised and
bleeding heart, quivering in every
abre, to heal, if indeed it ever does.
Deal gently then with sorrowing
mothers and point the finger upwards
J to that blest haven where their babes
, have gonea Myaaunt,s grief .was quiet
.spd unobtrnsiye, what che suffsred no
one could know, for her demeauor was
mild AMI gentle always But the
pictures Of those dead children hung
forever upon the wall Of her, memory
and their names, were traced ipdeli.
bly, upon the. red leaves of her heart.
The hope Of being speedily reunitcd
TO them vas balm of consolation to
her spirit. "Passiug awayss was
written upon every ,linsament of, her
face and she. knew, that her stay upon
earth must be brief. As for me. I
dreamed notSthat such sorrow was In
store for me. "a .ss
Ny nnole endeavored to giyo mo an
eduoation. Ior several e years Il at4
tended the village-sohool and there I
frs met Paul Herbert, whose 'sooiesy
I soon infinitely preferred ,,to, that seof
any boy or girl Of my, aoqpaintepoe. /.
lie was the son Of widow lady of
redaced circumstances who resided in
the village, and ves the ivonnaeah