The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1870-03-01

Even the old barn, crazy in ever,
Iimbsr aud gaping al ever JOINT. hal
oharms for M. Itry again lh, breath
loss leap from the great teams in ih,
hAy | at again on he threshold q
The widely opened doors--epen 10 10,
soulh wind u sprng-and watch ib,
cattle whose faces hook hail human {,
,ns, as they sun themselves, aud peace
fully raminate, While drop by drop the
melting suow on the roof cT lis hules
through tie wasting drifts beneath the
caves The first little hmbs Of the
season tolter by The side of tbeir dams.
and utter their feeble tleatiDg. while
the aacK nlbbie by the hay rack, or a
pair rival wethers try the strength Of
their skulls in an encounter. half in
earnest, half in play. The proad old
ROSTERS crow upon the dunghIll
throne, aud some delighted member OF
bis family leaves her nest, aud tells to
her mates aud 10 me that there is one
more egg in the world. The old borse
whinnies in his stall and calls 10 mr. ipr
food. j look upto the roof aud think
Of last years swallows -soon to return
again--and catch glimpse of angular
sky through the diamond shaped open
ing that gave them ingress aud egress
How, know not, and care not, but the
old barn is a part Of myselfit has en-
tered into my life aud given me wealth
AMI growth.
But look into the house again,
where the life abides winch has appro-
ptiaied these things, aud finds atnong
them its home The hour OF evening
hsa come, the Ian ns are lighted, and
the good man IN middle lie though
very old he seems 10 me takes down
the Bible aud reads chapter from its
ha lowed pages. A sweet mother sits
at his side, with my sleepy bead nppn
her knees and brothers and sisters ste
grouped reverently around me l do
not understand the words, bat ] haYu
l'een told that they are the words "
God, and | believe it, Tie chapter
ends, and We all kueei down. aud the
good man prnys. fall asleep with
my head III the chair, and the next
morning remember nothing of how !
went to bed. After breakfast the BIZ
bic is taken down, aWl the goo 4 man
pfays again, and again is The worship
tepeated through all the days Of many
golden years. The pleasant converse
OF the hresids, the simple songs Of
bone. the words II enelurgeu, nt as l
bend over my school task, the I s. as |
he down 10 rest, the patient behring's
Of my restless Nature nature, the gen
tie counsels mingled with reproots and
approval, the sympathy tia; meets and
assuages all these return to me amidst
the responsibilities which press upon
me now, aud feel as il / had once
lived in Heaven, aud strapng, had lost
my way.
Well, the good man grew old old,
weary, aud fell to sleep at lnst with
blessings on bis lips for me, Some Of
those who called bim father, lie side by
side in the same calm sleep. The 9th
ers are scattered and daeIl in new
homes and the old house AMI orchard
have passed into the bands Of struug-
ers who have learned or are learning
to look down npou them AZ do now.
Lost, ruined, forever left behind, that
home is mine to-day as trnIy as it ever
was, for have / not brought il away
with me and shown it to you ? 1t was
the home OF my boyhood In il first
found my mental food and by 1t was
my Young soul fashioned. To me,
through weary years ard ninny sor
rows, it has been perennial fountain
OF delight and purifying Influences,
simply because it was my home, a4d is
part of ne The landscape comes
when | summon it, aud hear the
voices that call me from hps which
memory makes immortal Timothy III.
comb