Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-11-22
THE OLD BARN.
BY ALTnnp 2. STARR.


The ghostly old bern with It's weather-stained
frame,
How often itrises TO viewl
In lis nagew, green lane, cut in parallel tracks,
Hhefe ihe heaVy farIn- wagon wheeled through.
1ts % oau lodlng- doors, and the sable-doOr next
Ana the roof, soaring upward in gloom,
Save the network OF hgnt from the knot-holes
Which scarce could the darkness illume.
The hay-mow, how fragrant and welcome its
How soft and elastic the hayl
The nooAs. what sale coyerts for ''hide- -and-go-
The noor, what platform for playl
ON that floor, like the beat OF the pulse, went the
nail:
And the huskers, the corn how they hulledl
And, when ceased the husking, how merry the
dance
Till the stars in the daybrcak were duIlcdi
Next the yelow-brimmed oat-bin the straw.
cutter stood,
The barrel Of c..laT by its side:
And cast-a" ay pillow, broken on atthe top,
With cay stains all over IL dyed
spade, cleft grindstone, u saw-buck. and
cask, anu
Win a brace of bright pitchforks. stood near.
Andd envied he strength that the loads to the
Win their ereScent-bent handles gould rear.
Oh, what though the storm clustered fiercely
And the hail as from catapults flew?
There dozed The rieek oxen secure in their stalIs
u1ane ana Win Sfample, Old nothing but chew.
Ihere chanueleel roamed with his partlets about
baen scratching and snatching the seed:
Ana tpe pigeons flew in ON their silken-toned
wings
'Twas a picture OF comfort, indeea
A rough harness streamed from peg in abeam,
a saddle sat, bride hung, nigh:
And the road-wagon stood, bright as satin, be-
side, ~
with Us silyer-plate trappings near by.
Ntxl slaInpeo the two stectis, and what trotters
And counted it one of my Joys
AZ ''ie I aHeih with halter, narebacked to the
Then race with the rest of the boys.
InS lane in the sup.mer, how greenly it smiled
ltii rs weeds and tail mullein -spearsl
,bra's ine long pnmpkin-vines, wreathed
or thf uumpets that deafened all ears
anu T-e pumpkins, what lanterns they made, TO
be surel
What mouths, and what noses and eyes!
And when on my head famed the horrible face
How the household resounded with criesl
In the sunset, how jolly to hop, skip and Jump,
And run swift race to and frO;
Or search IN the NOW and the manger for eggs,
And poe set them closely from shew.
IN the uusk, what clear fun 10 chase lightning
bugs round
The beetle 10 strike in It's flight;
OF baTl out, bat, bat, come into my hat;"
Ugh! the hornet, the big, yellow hornet, we
IN the honey bee placed under ban;
And che butterfly found little grace; how We
As he opened and folded his FAM
Ahu the qUeer, square-lcgged grssshopper chirp-
lug around,
How, we made him dsgorge his brown wine,
ON boy is lyrant, as men are, in soeth,
sfould fortune brigat toward them incline.
Old Crumple, so sure as she came to the pail,
We stoned till she waddied away;
WHAT cared We for Molly? secure in the weeds,
we laughed as sne searched where We lay.
And old Tom, purring softly, at peace on the
posi-
How close grszed the clam-shelis we SHE'D,
I'LL he heightened his frame in gallop for life,
While mirth brought the stitch to our side?
And the brave little bantam, with falchlons of
spurs,
How he pealed forth his challenging cry
IN the pride OF the bSrn-yard came siruIting
Then the Gght-how the feathers would nyl
vi the fierce. burning glow of the soldier We felt
As they fought, while With awiulest yeh
We capered. and felt to jump out of our skins,
TIilone, If not both of them, fell
A tangle of yissas the old barn displayed.
Win its bins, and its barrels, and all;
Where the spoiled, banished rocking-horse
glanced like ghost,
And the ladder leaned narrow and tall
And the drone of the wasp on the WALL
Slighthoof-stamps, and rnstiings tnatrun through
the hay,
And the niianchings that came from the stalls
But. alas! the old barn has long since passed
away
The lane has been turned to street
And the fields into court-yards and gardens oI
flowers:
An isnew all is strange that meet.
All have sIrunken In size, and the INSTANCES,
The pond at the wood is near by;
And the long fence L trembled 10 skirt in the
AS pass it, scarce catches my eye.
The. old barn is gone, like. the past with iti
Which crowded, chaotic, my brain:
All are gone--all are gonei and yet often wisf
lcould hve in their Eden again.
Though the barn, low and dark, isa dwelling o
mark,
And the lane is street wide and bright,
les long TO go back TO that par adse-track
All flashing and living with light.
All are gone-all are gonel the soft pictures
draw
Not one has Times cruelty spared:
All are gone; and | wonder and smile to mysei
That for such things ever have cared.
Yet somehow they bear in their presence agloV
lhat The present can never display;
Ills The ligntin the urn alabaster of youth
That soon fades forever away.
And in that sweet light the heart grows pure AM
bright
In the paradise smiling around;
And We WISH 0'cr and O'er, We were childrel
once more,
And roaming atmagical ground.
Its scenes. how grotesque, and how trivial an
tame
And yet as upon tive dwell,
Like the pool OF Bethesda, it treshens the heart
And brighlens our thoughts with spell.
--AppiefoHs' Journal.
->o~--------
A BRAVE GIRL.
ny u