The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-18
NoMe and 1drMl.
THE Old FARM BARN

The deareft gift to all that live
Are the quiet JOYS our memories give.
The future we know not; but safe Is tn; (;
past;
And the first we loved we love to the last
Tn. image undlmmed, We hold 1t more
dear,
As the d~v- disaPpoint us from year To
The l., ing gone, though never So small,
Com par d with JOYS pre-,nt, Is worth the III
all.
What W. thought would be substance, ar
rived-'tis shade,
And ton tie il le ,rned the mistake we
have made.
so il comes nv heart has rainy day
In the old farm barn, with the children at
play.
The maple look on with bright eyes in
their leaves,
The clear drops drip from the swallow
bullt caves
The chickens find shelter. the cisterns fiI /;
There's a uusier wh,rr from the wheels oi
the mill.
The pond Is all dmples from shore to
shore,
And the miller smiles back from his place
in the door;
Slow mists from the mountains come drift
ing down,
The houses show fainter afar in the town,
The gust sweeps up, dies away again,
Then, loud and last, the rap-tap OF the
For all wonder sun Ills my hearts rainy
In the cid farm barn with the children at
play.
The oxen chew slowly, with sleepy eyes,
The sheep huddle up into half their size,
The dazed calves stare az the grim, dingy
wall,
Old Nancy looks soberly out from her stall
Tiger Puss crouches close to the mouse :
hole,
Great Caesar gnaws boldly bone that he
stole
Over all is the roof and the dance of the
rain.
Not sorrowing thought, not touch OF
PAIN
The old larm barn is so dusk and still
The verv spiders sleep on its window
'Tis the hush, the browse Of the rainy day,
And I'm leaping again from the beam TO
the hay.
Up, chunky George, of the woodchuck race!
HIT, witty Ben, with the chlpmunk lace
This way, broad Bill, with the trousers
wide!
Come, stumbling Tom, with the big toe
tied
The scramble is made mp the shaky stairs,
Hatess and breathless we stand In pairs.
Bawlng Rob gives the word, and down
we go
From the cobweb beam to the NOW belo, .
The sport is forbidden that doubles the
zest;
More ri-ts than the damage to breeches or
vest.
Aha he's no coward gets sprout to-day
For bliss Of the leap from the beam to the
hayl
But stay brave boys Are these all there
were?
That olher-how shall mention her?
The beautiful one, 81 gentle, shv,
With btue of distance suiius'ng her eve;
The golden haired girl that always came
And stood in our midst like u shape OF
flame.
Il that ,he. there, by the cradle now,
With the snnken cheek and the bloodless
brow
Ia it her voice in the still night heard;
Her voice once biithe as the voice of a
bird
Can she have so changed since yesterday
When she laughed as we leaped from the
beam 10 the hay?
o, the way of the world, its worry and
strife
Tne wrestle, the battle that men call "life y
The smiling anu weeping they pand down
OF the sons and daughters OF Country and
townl
On US all, at times, may the noon sun shine
Nay warm 10 your hea-t, may warm to
mine.
But question if ever hue will u
smile of land. glance OF the sea
As dear as the mists when the fresh show
ers fell
On the old home-spot we loved so well.
No. the heart will go back to the rainy day
To the old farm barn and the children a
play.
John V. Cheney, in n. Y. Independent