Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-05-27
THE OLD HOME.
fFrom the Portland Enterprise.)

sadness and delight NIL the mlnu every
time the threshold of the house in
which one was brought up is crossed,
on the reflections of the days long
since gone by! At evening-tide,
when the cares of the day have been
laid aside and the mind ..is free to
wander here and there, how often
does it choose to travel back and sur
vey the path of childhood and youth,
and in fancy take seat once more by
the blazing fire on the dear old hearth
stone, and listen to voices now forev.
er silenced, and look upon oil the sur
roundings there with joy that
tongue cannot express or words por-
tray ? There was complete fitness
and harmony between the house, fur
niture, foot and dress that made up
the scene in that good, never-to-be-
forgotten old home, the log house
and barn.
The split-bottom chairs of elm, the
fat pork, saur-kraut, Johnny cakes,
and pure tow-linen, fannels and the
Linsey dress, all conspired to make
home memorable in the many long
years to come. Blessed is the gener-
alton that deems its real wants but
few, and is contented when this sup
ply is afforded. But supper is over,
and the few dishes are neatly put
away in the dresser > and by the
light of the wood fire the children are
gathered, with books in hand, to COM
mence the study of the evening, whilst
mother makes the old wheel hum as
she skeins the fax and tow, and sings
the precious hymns 'On Jordan s
stormy banks 1 stand or Hear the
Royal proclamation or There is a
land of pleasure, where streams of joy
flow, happy in the thought Of a home
in heaven, and that she is able to sup
ply the want of her offspring in ten
der group around the freside whilst
father pours over the old family Bi-
bic and other useful books, or amuses
and edifes the children with some
fiery story, or feat of personal remin-
iscence, or of history, or aids in the
lessons in spellings from the United
States or Elementary Spelling Book,
or in the lesson from the western
Calculator or Ray or Murray or
'Kirkham.' Who that has ever wit
messed such circle or was brought
up in it, can ever forget the sight or
the experience Vivid and endear-
ing is the recollection of it Those
were days of innocence and loveliness
days of brightness and sunshine,
and nights of sweet sleep and pleasant
dreams
The prospects of life were fattering,
and ambition fancied many an acqui-
sition and many joy that have not
been nor ever will be realized. The
old home was the birthplace of many
prophecy that will never be fulfilled.
and many a hope that was as tran
sient as the morning cloud or early
dew. But what childish delight,
what real pleasure was enjoyed in
that dear old domicile in the back
wood, with its surroundings and as
sociations |! Connected with these in
memory is the log school house, with
its many happy, cheerful faces-the
spelling school, and the old time
singing school, all of which enter in
to the history of long ago, and hover
around the recollection of home and
childhood. But alas those days are
gone the old log-cabin has long
since been torn down, the hearth
stones have been scattered, the woods
have been cleared away everything
around has undergone great change
and the ancient landmarks have dis
appeared Time, the common leveler
of all things, has swept over the place
and almost obliterated all traces of
the long past. The occupants of the
old home have also been scattered
one here, another there the white
marble in yonder graveyard marks
the sleeping places of some others
are here by many weary mile, per
haps never to meet again. Shall we
all meet again in the old home, at the
OLD freside Never no, never ! o
days of my youth ! O scenes of my
childhood O associations of the old
home wilt thou return no more, or
be viewed agaiu? Can it be, must it
be, never again in time-never, never,