St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-05-27
ROCK CREEK.

All! well remember that dear old spot
Where in earliest childhood was taught
To lisp the name of all most dear-Sweet -hoth"'.
Twas there first learned my evening prayer
,Twas taught by her with the same loving care
As I kIelt by her side, to God above,
Perfumed with the sweetest OF lncense-loVe;
And at morn with the first tuneful Warbers dld
sing
NV tribute of praise to Jehova did bring
'Tis of thee sweet home OF my childhood ia
Thou dear old farm on the banks Of Rock
Creek.
Twas not a place of grandeur and power
Where colossal statues upward tower,
OF ancestors and scons great and small
With their chronicles hung ON the OLD oakeh
wall
The hist'ries that mark their deeds of fame,
The fateS of all encircing each name,
That future heirs may pride to look upon
The honors which their foretathers had won,
Perhaps with envy, or with hate for aye,
At thought of some foul deed--some dread al
fray
No! little cottage hard by the stream,
'Tis this OF which now fain would dream
That stream where the silvery fishes noat-
Where oft we have gone i'll our little Doat
NV brother, my sister ana
Or we'd wind our way to the sparkling 1olin..
The wild rugged rocks would feariesSiy mount
Tn the freedom of nature we each had a snafe,
Through the dewy morn and the noon-tloe Slare'
or pleasure i'll that lOngagone past
Til ey'ning her shadOwy mantle had cast
Then. with pebbles and shells from the SHINING
brook,
With the lowing kline our home-ward way took,
AS on times swift wing came the twilight shade
And with dew-be-spangled each how'r Ill tne
glade.
How 1 loved that home with affection so
fraught! l.
Thy birds, brooks and flowers, compare ito
n""eA' NY home sweet Home.
Yes, entertainments cen in the pillows that
On tby craecy banks my loved Rock Creek:
nrltp
Thy gorgeous sunsets, thy towering hills,
The stately elms that listening lean
To hear thy praises OF their LIVING green s4 dear
BEST vision art thou, recOlectlOnS most deaf
About thee still cluster, tho many a tear
Hath fallen and much of its brightness be hed'
Fond Memory halo around thee hath spread,
Which though years may come ana ages may
Tn ife,s latest hour shall be peace to the soul.
Methinks see yon azure. towering peak
From thy l0ftiest crag-thOu dear ROCK creek
Bright realization of happiness thou,
Nor a cloud. nor tear to o'ershadow the prov
Not even childhoods tears for a fathers SMILE
Or mothers kiss would cen these besnlle.
But this was years, long years ago.
Fer my young heart in its tranquil now
Yet knew of the low and the mournfull spell
In that whispered word the last farewell!
All. yes, that heart-rending word has beeh
Aye. cherished links in our chain have been
broken
To those halcyon days, that brightrollng river
Those DAYS meath my grandsire's m0ss-clad cot,
Those days which by me can never De Iorg1t.
TIL rough the winding path DER the little Till
The path which leads to the wateT-mlll-
Near that path the ivy was wont to grow
Tn those joyous days of long long ago
With that ivy vine Il garland 10 tWlne
And wear for the sake of Aud Lang Syne,
But ne'er in reality would rest
Again meath thy cedars. my infant nest
For the Bud who with me those grounds has