Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-05-13
For the Kcowco Courier.
Stray Leaves.
BY MINNIE.

hood aud tho friends We loved while thorc.
1t is aud to leave the old haunts where VIC
used to play; to wander for the last time
beneath the old oak trees, whore the long
groy moss sweeps the ground, and listen
to tho songs of tho birds among their
branches, und know that it is for the last
time; to look upon the flowers and vines
that cluster around the old porch, whore
Ho used to sit and dream the happy hours
away, and know that our places there will
bo filled by US no moro.
Yes,
Tho homo Of my childhood, twill ever be
dear,
With its moss covered porch and vines
clinsng there,
Of all tho bright spots to my memory given,
The homo Of my childhood ia the place
nearest heaven.
How oft have I wished to rc. visit the place
Where first saw the light, my stops to
rotraco,
I'd twno tho bright flowers; I'd sit meath
the trees,
And lazly list to tho hum Of tho bees.
I'd silently sit by my grandmothcr's ride,
Tho place whore went all my troubles to
hide,
AS on that dear face I would lovingly gazo,
a child l would be os in childhood 9 bright
days.
But ah! must stop, for that homo once so
dear,
No moro is my home, for the stranger lives
there,
Those loved ones that lovingly Welcomed
my stop,
Long 'ncath the grey covered moss stone
hath slept.
But there arc other scenes in life equally
as sad. It is sad for the school-girl to bid
farewell 10 her beloved school mates, with
whom for years she has gono arm in arm to
school, studied from the same books, rccitcd
the same lessons. II is sad to say farewell
to the kind teachers, who have patiently
and lovingly assisted them to ascend the
hill Of science, and chccrcd them from
timo to time with loving words and kind
counsel. 1t is hard to break away from all
these loved associations and friendships,
and know that the last hours of our school
days are rapidly passing away when wo will
no longer be called school girls; when these
college halls and doors will be forever closed
upon us aud our places will be filled by
Strangers, and our voices will no more be
hoard in tho morning song and the evening
eccitation, that our names urc soon to be
left of the roll call.
These are sad thoughts and arc ever
calculated and sadden us, even amid the
brightest and happicst days Of our lives,
and wo are often led to wish that We could
don our white aprons and bibs again, and
with spelling book and primer under our
arms commence over and rc-spcud those
delightful days of childhood.
But alas! oven whlo wo nro ponniDg
these lines, time, with its ever revolving
wheel, is hurrying us on, and only few
moro days and wo will have takon our
places in the great arena Of life, and the
happy faces of grlhood will bo changed
into those of women, and traces of care and
anxiety will loayo their indciblc stamps
upon our brows.
Yet amidst all these changes of life will
memory carry nc back to these dear old
halls, where | have spent SO many happy
hours, and then each dearly remembered
face will como up before me as in days
gone by, like somo beautiful dream of tho
past, and often will ! wish to know tho
road that each Of these dear ones hayo