The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-10-20
NUMBER 24-.
Vanished Years.

Who can look back upon the vanished
years without a sigh of regret for the
many beautiful remembered joys that
/ the Years now vanished brought to US,
but can never return to US again?
70 one, it is the memory of childs
caressing fingers, straying over the face
aad hands; of clinging arms about the
neck, and the pattering of tiny slippered
feet over the stairs or down the hall. 1t
| is the music of sweet, innocent voice,
| floating in rippliTg laughter, or precious
/ baby words from the past along the
vanished years into the tide of the pres
ent
To another, sweet, loved faces float
suddenly from the mist of the vanished
years. As if the daises grew not be-
tween the closed eyes and our own, they
meet us again with the same never for
gotten glance of tenderness, and we ask
of the vanished years if they have given
back to US our own, or whether the
spirits of the air take form, sometimes
only to vanish, leaving us only our
memories. Half forgotten songs float
dreamily back TO us, and the memory of
Il woman's smile or a manly voice has
thrilled many a heart with an intensity
of emotion that only presence from the
vanished years could bring.
Youth, beauty, love and happiness all
belong to the beautiful vanished years;
and looking forward brings not the sat
isfactiOn that we find in silent, sweet
communion with the past.
The joys, the happiness that has been
ours, is ours still, for faithful memory is
ever going backward to the vanished
years, and bringing to us our treasures
that have been.
But in looking forward we see only
what may be, and past experience tells
us that hopes fail. Perhaps there is
nothing in the past of a person who has
reached the quiet middle years of life
/ that so brings mingled sadness and
smiles as the recollections of youths
| first love.
/ How real it all seemed then; and yet
| how is the vision changed.
The girl that seemed an angel then Is
only an ordinary mortal now, faded and
wOrld-weaTy like the boy who thought
himself man, and claimed the manly
right of wOrshiping every angel in
maidenly guise.
And from the relics of the departed
years is drawn the curl of shining hail
that was such a talisman then.
1t is just as bright, just as golden now
and it coils itself about your fingers jus
as prettily, reminded us in its almOs
animated curling of the cOquettish grac
of its wearer.
But, alas! the years in vanishing hav,
stolen from it its talismanic powers, an,
to-day it is only lock of woman's hair
shOrn before the silver threads began t,
linger in sad silent tokens of the care
and WEAKNESS of the earth life.
. And thought of silver hairs bring
Z ha.l- To Tho aud frIa aft1fr 4
; the mirror we find them plentiful,
, bestowed upon ourselves, and smile a
we wonder if the girl to whom that cur
, belonged has kept that shining lock O
bright chestnut hair we gave her il
exchange.
Only the vanished years can tell.
/ Do they tell us of broken vow tina
made two lives failure?
. Why, then, did not that golden hal
rest forever in happy security agains
the breast whereOn it leaned when
lovers hand severed the shinining curl.
All! we gather only the beautiful
. memories from the vanished years. Oul
treacheries and deceitfulness we consigI
to the past, and say, '1et the dead pas
bury its dead" and clasp more closely
the sweet cherished memories that were
exquisite in the reality.
. How sacredly we treasure them! How
we linger with them But lingering
with the vanished years brings us tC
silent grass-grown graves and mOssy
tombstOnes, and thence to tears.
So we fold away the treasured men,
Ories, and know that though the straying
baby fingers may nevermOre stray OveI
our faces hands and hair, nor the tiny
feet make music over the stairs and
, down the hall, or white-haired age grow
? young again, nor broken vows be re-
newed, nor anything belonging TO the
vanished years return to US, we are hast
ening on to them. Earth life is only q
shadow of the substance that the second
| life affords.
, Eternity is before US, and who shall
say that in the eternal years all shall
! not be restored to us.