The Van Buren press., 1873-03-25
Tor tho Van Buren Press.
Little Graves IN the Heart.

! Ia dmgy and smoke begrmed city,
in the second story Of dingy house, an
apprentice piled his daily task. Before
the shining coursers Of the sun had
planted their golden feet upon the sum.
nit of the mountains, his work hogan.
and ended only when the weary day had
sunk to rest in the lap Of soothing night
A ho,i,h face and hands roughed by
toll. marked him son and heir Of Pov
erty DAYS and weeks chased each other
/ m their rapid march to eternity, and still
the apprentice at his window piled his
laborious task, and his shapely fingers
lost their symmetry by the constant pres
sure OF relentless toll, and the cloud Of
| friendlcss oveIty was creeping slowly
about his heart, and lfe's young morn
| ing seemed sinking into gloom and dark
ness One ray of light fell upon his path.
His eyes would inyoluntanly steal from
| the work before him and rest upon an
opposite win low, whore ayOung girl sat
and piled her busy needle or poured over
a fayorite book II may have been that
" distance lent cDchantment to the view,
for to him she seemed the embodiment
of beauty her neck rivaled the polished
ivory and her forehead the finest marble,
and her full dark eyes were mirrors Of
affection and beauty. The boys mind
would wander from his work and hope
ful fancy soon began to build ephemeral
! castles in the ar a v.ne. clad cottage
ood in a country village honeysuckles
and roses draped it with garlands of
bcaut, and laded the mir with their rich
perfume In the cool and shady varan-
dah, sat a woman young and beautiful,
her busy ne,dle keeping time to the rock
ing Of the cradle, where innocence itself
was swee'lY sleeping The large New
FoUndland dog lay stretched beside it.,
the watchrul guardian Of It's unconscious
occupant Comfortable ucatncss reigncd
about the premises, aud rs the lingering
rays Of the setting sun had reluctantly
withdrawn their golden reacil ngs from
the tree tops Of the surrounding hills,
and the shadows Of evening were herald
iag The approach Of sombre night, came
the husband and father, 4 smile and kiss
greeted him upon the threshold. the
cheerful evening meal awaited his coming
and baby held out its chubby arms and
soon was nesting in his bosom. But
labor and its realities cut short the work
of fancy, and the beautiful picture melted
into nothingue8s But still The face at
the window wound silhen webb about
his heart more tenacious than the plant
steel and stronger than letters Of iron,
4 few short months had passed away and
the be ,utilul face was seen no more. A
funeral notice sounded the death kncll to
The affections Of the boy, and pluckel
from his Grmamcnt The shining star of
hope, and the gloomy darkness Of dis
appointment settled about his Young
heart and life seemed bat n dreary desert
TO a lonely, frieudIess traveller He FOL
lowed the mourning friends t. whore
'hev laid her beautiful form, Although
no word had ever passed between them,
yet no friend followed that mouruful bier
with n sadder heart As the crave re-
ceiyed the silent dead the falling clods
sounded the death kncll ofcarthiy hopes
and in the deep rccesscs Of that hoyish
heart were buried the frs, pure love and
brightest hope Of youth As oft he
stood beside the little mound that held
his buried hopes, he dropped the silent
tear upon It's quiet bosom. The long
sras, waved its graceful head when kissed
by the passing breeze, and the weeping
willow caught the gentle zephyr and sung
requiem DER the silent dead. a part
ing toar, long, last lingering look, a
deep drawn sigh and the young man left
the place forever, Though many years
have passed away and left their foot
piiUts on his hardening features, still the
l.ltle grave Within the heart is as fresh
aud green to day as when the earth first
closed upon the loved and lost, and the
last t2ar-drop fell upon the grass that
waved a last and sad farewell to departed
hcpoS.