The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1883-03-31
A THIRTY YEARS DREAM.
By n. X. GRIGGs.

The writer Of the following beautiful
lines, is an old time friend of the LEADER
cditer, and resides at Beatrice, Nebraska.
After an absence from the country of sew
eral years as Consul to Chemnitz, Saxony,
he returned and found the little country
school house which he attended in his
youth, had been torn down and a railroad
constructed across tho very spot where it
had stood. Hence he addressed the fol.
lowing letter to a former school-matc.
Where is the dear old school house, ALI,
That stood hard by the lane?
! looked for it to-day, but, strange,
looked for il in vain
II ma have been l could not see
For something made me weep
But If | saw, then | have had
A Rip Van Winkl; sleep.
We were hut school-boys yesterday
AT least. to me, il seems
As if there is but one lone night
'Twixt nov and boyhood's dreams!
Then why say you that we're not youngs
You know you Can'tbe right.
For boys don't grow to bearded men
At once in n short night.
All! Aft, what glorious times we've hsd,
Within that school house old.
We, there have played most roguish
tricks
The half, were never told!
Each object in that humble room
We've beloved with our sins -
Twas but last week the teacher sat
Upon some crooked pins!
We've marrcd the desks and notched the
seats
With jack-knives sharp and bright,
And culfed our books and scratched our
states,
AS is a school boy = right
And il il CHANGED that now and then
The teacher boxed our ears,
We scarcely cared, for Joy was nigh
To kiss away our tears.
At twelve o'clock-that blessed hour
When time for play begun
We sailed forth with hearts,
Intent on having fun
At times we sought the woods near by,
To plague the wary squirrels,
At other times we loitcred round
To plague the chary girls.
The fort We built not long ago.
Wa strong and finely planned
And those brave lads who stormed it, All,
Declared it was well manned
For though they far outnumbcrcd us
We yet fought long and well,
But when our balls of snow gave out
OF purse Il colors fell.
Last week we helped the girls to build
Their playhouse all anew
Then furnished it NTH messy seats,
And soft, green carpets too;
And made a cupboard with one shelf,
To hold their china-ware;
Don't you suppose, when we are gone
A fairy queen lives thcrer
When yesterday our school was out,
| bounded through the door
OF that old house with gladstone shout,
Nor cared to see it more;
And then at nine. | went to bed
With heart all filed with Joy,
Fer mothers voice had softly said:
Good night, my darling boy !"
And then I heard Il gentle song
Lie still my child and slecp!"
But soo the song seemed more a prayer
May heaven thy footsteps keep
And then dreamed a troubled dream
OF fancics strange and Wild
Mcthought | ceased, at once, to he,
a simple, little child.
l dreamt left the old home-place,
And settled in the West,
And married there a schoolma'am All
You know ! loved them best!
And then | thought a girl and boy
Came clambering on my knee;
And strange to say, my wife declared
Those children looked like me.
And then my fancy bore me on
Der many a stranger land;
1t carried me DER ocean waves,
Ger wales and mountains grand;
And ere turned my rambling feet
To take the homcward way,
| thought the icy breath Of age
Had tingcd my hair with gray.
When l awoke [ felt 60 worn.
] could not help lu5 cry;
And school time, Aft, still found me sad
Ireally cen'ttcll why
And then ! went, with heavy heart,
To meet my comrades dear,
And found that cen the house was gone
And not soul came near.
And ms waited, sore perplcxed,
The cars went laundering DER
The very grounds where we had played
A single night before.
Oh! tell me, pray, how m sll this2
Who took the house away2
What has become of all the boysi
Where are the girls to-day?
\
All! say You that my dream was true,
And that our youth had fedf
Say you the boys and girls are gone,
Or slumbcr with the dCadY
Then have dwell in lands of dreams
\ score Of years and ten
O! would that Icould dream for aye
That we are boys again!