The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-11-24
Old Songs.

ience, either of sentiment or OF melody,
to touch the heart and a song that has
once deeply affected us will seldom en-
tirely lose its power over us, and the
associations under which we first heard
il, or under which we were first accuS-
toned 10 hear it, will be revived as Of
ten as we hear it in after years 1t is
this power OF making us forget the pres
ent, and Of carrying Us back, in fancy
TO the days and realizalions ofthe past,
that renders old songs so precious to rs.
Next to restoring the dead past to us,
is to cause us wildly to remember it.
The old sundy-school sony m kcs up
on.the memory vivid impression Of
the Sunday school where we first heard
it sung, aud once again nnder its magic
influence, we seem to stand IN our Dla.
ces in the schoOl-room, inexperienced,
unhurt by the world trusting, aud joy
ful, surrounded by teachers aud schol-
ars, many of whom, alas! have long
since ceased to sing around the throne
Of God in heaven.
The singing of some merry song Of
Springtime takes us back to the leaty
woods, whittier, with baskets of provis-
ions, and wreaihs OF evergreens and
flowers, and coronation songs and
speeches, we went to celebrate May
day. The scene is in imagination
brought before us once again. We see
the grapevine swing, worked by will
ling hands, rising aud descending with
its precious burden--the jumping rope,
which ia kept turning while, SOMETHING'S
singIy, and sometimes by twos aud
threes, happy laughing, chatterlng girls
pass under it, and jump, aud then go
beyond its rearh--the tops OF trees,
waving aud vocal with the presence OF
adventurous boys, who from time to
time, calling upon the girls below to
look at them, alright them to scream,
by going tar out toward the extrcmilieS
OF bending limbs which threaten to
break and fall to the ground-the old
log whereOn two, a little Older than
the rest, are sitting aud conversing in
low tones, and finding pleasure in emo.
tions of love aud in thoughts OF future
happness-and the half beaten path
leading away from the central groups,
wherein sensitive pensive boy wa X
alone, dreaming his dream Of life TO
himself Tie song ceases, and one by
one the figures fade from the scene.
What power there is in songs we
heard sung around the fam y hearth
stone, on The quiet sunny, Sunday at
ternoons in the days OF beauty and heav-
enliness, which we have left SO far be.
hind its. Some of those who helped to
sing them meet and greet us no more
on earth. Their faces have at times al
most faded from our memories These
songs, connecting links between US and
them, and sweet, sad reminders OF the
joystheir presence afforded us, like the
skilltul touches OF paniera' brushes up
on pictures dimmed with age. bring out
their features before the Dyes otthe soul
once more, aud recreate our long-lost
joys .
Then there are songs which were
sung in the old church, which, perhaps,
has long since been torn down. or APP
proprated to other uses, where first
we heard the Gospel preached, and
where we were led to humble ourselves
at the mercy-seat Whenever we hear
those songs sung now, forms aud faces
mistily throng the vision, like those
which appear in the backgrounds of
sketches made by moonlight, The
scene arranges itself as for worship
The ministers who preached and the
people who heard take their respective
places again we sit silent, arise and sing,
or kneel and pray, or solemnly bow the
head when the benediction is pronouno-
ed.
Then there are songs which we have
heard since those days, on occasions Of
Joy or sorrow. Some Of them connect
us with that beautiful period in our
lives when first our "eyes looked love
TO eyes that spake again" when our
food seemed ambrosia, and our drink
nectar, aud when We felt almost able to
reach up aud grasp the sun, the moon,
and the stars in our hand. Others di-
rect our thoughts to scenes Of sickness
and death. A child died--a child who
had communed with flowers and with
songs There was one song which she
loved more than the rest, 1t has now
become ours, and its strains take M baok
to the room where she vat aud read, TO
the garden where she walked to the
pillow where she brealhed her last. We
see her, we kiss her, we embrace her,
in fancy, aud almost imagine her with
Us in the flesh again 1t is all the re.
suit Of the enchanting effect of the song
she loved
Oldsongs have the power Of bring
ing out the good that Las lain tor years
dormant in the hearts of men. "That
was the song" said one, with stream.
ing eyes, as he penitcntly gave himself
to God, after years Of sin, "that wat
the song that my mother used TO sing
when was a child"
Cold and hard must be the heart Of 9
man who has no love for old songs.
II q