Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-01-08

away the noon-tide hours still remained,
but their leafess and decayed branches
told of the fury of the storm and the rava-
ges Of time, whilst upon their weather.
beaten trunks could still decipher many
n long forgotten name-the old school
house had gone to ruin and decay, and
rude pile of stones was all that was left
to tell Of the memories that clustered
there--the little stream that nestled close
at the base of the eastern slope of the bill
laughed as ioyously as in the days of the
long ago. Oh, those were sunny days
and sunny are the memories of them.
The tides Of life broke Silly on those
morning shores, and the golden days rip
pied by with gliding tread that was
half rest half dream. Yes. there was
change. l heard it in the melancholy
whispering of the breeze. / felt it in the
strange and spectre-like solitude which
surrounded me. | read it in the mute
and touching eloquence of every familiar
object that met my eyes. could stand
it no longer, but folded my thoughts and
like the Arab quietly stole away"
But those hooking memories of early
days we're not to cease so soon. Scarcely
had | made my way through dense
body Of woods which stood hard by, ere
my eyes caught view of my old home
eagerly | pressed forward in order to OBJ
tain a holder and mere extended range,
and as far as the eye could reach I could
recognize many of the old landmarks,
solitary and notionless. standing like
some pious old monks who had fallen to
/ sleep in prayer. There lay out before me
the home Of my childhood there the al
tar, where hope had kindled her every
earthly fire. whose light had followed me
under the cinging sunshine, under the
stars in the night. Yes, there was the
home of my boyhood, and | wondered if
other homes were like this one of mine
in the feeling and the presence. | had
not answered satisfactorily when two
little arms fell softly around my neck and
my ears caught the familiar slund of a
voice saying. Come to our bright and
beautiful little home; you will find flow
ers and sunshine within ard without.
| As summers cloud that has grown
weary of its wanderings and sought re-
pose in the clefts Of some mountain fast
ness, conscious of its safety, | yielded
and soon was asleep again.
When | awoke / found that our home
had been selected in pine bluff, favor
ite spot in youth, and which overlooked
the picturesque winding of a beautiful
and secluded meadow; there was but one
mode Of egress to and from our little cot
tage and that by crcuitous and shady
path. Here then in this romantic and
retired place. shut out from world that
/ had not learned to despisc, but in
which had found but little congeniality
of feeling, Far from the maddening
crowds ignoblc strife" was to pass
/ quietly and contentedly the remainder Of
my days---here the rough usage which /
had received out upon the sea Of life was
to be forgotten under the soothing affec-
ton of that little crew who had come in
with me from the storm-here the votaries
of ambition which beleaguered all the way
/ and which had lured me SO far from the
4 headand were to be lost midst the geni-
al blaze of domestic happiness here
then, on the margin of stream whose
untutored melody had so many times
lulled me to sleep was the soul Of youth
and the soul of age to keep tireless watch
DER the hallowed "reminiscences Of child
hood
The summer glided by as quietly as
/ by-gone summers were wont to do; De-
tober had kindled her fires all along the
dark lines of the fofests-wild flowers
preceding the fall had opened their deli
cate petals-everywhcre the songs Of
birds came softly from the glens and
hills, so plaintive and subdued their
voice, they seemed the echo Of golden
harps swept by the fingers Of unforgotten
dead all an autumn sun rested, like
benediction after prayer
Towards the close Of day such as |
have described, had walked to the cx-
IRENE Of a meadow land not far distant.
favorite walk because Of IFS deep scclu-
sion and quiet. and resting upon the
roots Of large tree which stood near by.
was watching the little stream formed
therefrom as iJplayed lover like with its
companion and playmate, the fast re-
ceding sunbeam, when my ears caught
the sound Of rustling leaves. Such an
unusual occurrence caused me to change
my position, and in doing so / observed
approaching me an old man whose falter-
ing step and bentform indicated too plain
! ly that be had long since passed the allot-
ted time for man on earth. That re-
spect and Difference which age ever COM
mands caused me to rise at once aud
offer my seat, which he very politely and
seemingly gratefully accepted. after a
few moments of what seemed TO be painful
meditation, he laid aside his hat and
wiping the perspiration from his forehead
addressed me in these words:
II perceive you do not recognize me.
this is but natural Time had driven
deep its burrows when you last saw me !;
since that period, twenty years and odd
/ have been added and the effect of the
storms have been fearful. am no strang-
er here; these fields and woods have
known me for nearly a hundred years I;
there is not a brook or stream near by
/ from which | have not drank and whose
waters have not caught the bright image
Of my infancy and the fitting shadow
Of my old agc--there is not tree around
under whose shade have not sheltered
the old mill which you see in ruins in