The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-28


ates were disappointed at not hearing the
essays of the young people they will bt
| published from day to day. The following
| one Is by Dorsey Real Rodney:
1t was clear warm day in late autumn
| when first made tho acquaintance of my
unCles garrett one If those Indian sum.
NOR days when still blue haze h lngs over
the landscape. and the only sound one can
hear is the call of n late bird. was alone
in the house, the othors having gone on an
excursion. Finding time hanging heavy
on my hands, decided to explore the old
house TO which l was almost stranger.
The lower rooms and the occupied bed
rooms w g much like one would expect to
see in an old farm house, and 1t was not
till | got to the attic that recognized how
old the house really was and through
what changes it had passed 1t was a
picturesque old room with sloping rafter-
ed celling and huge dormcr windowsf
which admitted the sunlight dimly
through The thick cob-webbed panes. In
the dark corners which had not seen the
sunlight for years. | could soc odd shapes
which seemed to me like ghosts of by gone
years. running up to resist the intrusion
Of one who knew so little of their history
Seating myselGin an old straw bottomed
arm chair, lallowed my eye to wander
over the quaint pieces Of furniture, which
had once been familiar objects in every
farm house, but which woro now muth
sought after rarities. Not far from me
was spinning Wheel complete in every
respect, from the spindle to the treadle,
made of polished black walnut which
even after SO many years retained some of
its original brightness
As | looked, tho room seemed to grow
lighter and to take on an unfamiliar air,
Inc walls were bare, the furniture plain
and simple and he sunlight streaming
through the uncur' aimed window, lit up
the tigurc Of young girl seated Mt this
very spinning wheel. Sho was clothed In
simple dress of gray, with a white ker-
chief folded round her neck. Tho sun.
beams tingcd her brown hair with gold
and played upon her little hands as Jhey
dro% out the long thread, and On her foot
as it tapped the treadIo.
AS Withdrew my eyes from the spin.
ming wheel, they fell upon an old wig
which was hanging on tho wall near by.
Struck by tho reverend look of this wig,
could not help wondering what had been
the appearance OF The gentleman who had
once worn it. Perhaps the owner had been
reverend Clergyman who had preached
from his pulpit eloquent sermons on tho
Divine Right Of Kings, and had been
j aunchTOry In the days Of the Revolution,
who, perhaps had gathered round him a
little band Jf Red Coats who had defend.
cd, throuEhout, the right Of the king to
tax his colonies without representation
Perhaps on the other hand, it had be- |
longed to man Of law, who had delivered
fiery speeches in behalf of the colonies,
Who, like Patrick Henry had aroused
other men to action by his speeches and
his deeds, and who when peace was res or.
cd, had become ono of the most respected |
and honored men IN his native state
Not far from the wig, l saw an old mus. |
kCt, the bayOnet rcd with rust and the |
stock roughOnod by tho ravages of worms. |
Nhat adventures had that old gun not |
seenY knew it had belonged to one who |
had fought in many Of the battles of the |
Revolution, until, at the Close Of the war,
ho had returned home with but one arm
andswith Il bal! In his chest.
This Dlusket had heard the stirring calls
Of the bugl2, had seen the unbrukan limo
of IIessan soldiers advancing with tri.
umph in their eyes toward tho determined
soldiers clad in rags, it had bGhHld the
mcrccnarias broken and fleeing, throwing
their guns behind them In thUir flight. Ii
had perhaps, read the other side of the
story too II had, possibly, seen tho British
victorious and the COlOnists fleeing in
danger Of their lives.
While its owner lay-hy the campfire in
the evening, it had perhaps seen the I'm.
mortal Washington go by, had heard praise
Of him and grumbling too, for they did
grumJle a. him in those days. But it had
heard the grumble change to applause and
this applause grew louder and still louder, |
until now th0ro Is no name IN our history
or indeed in any history, itat awakens rs
much feeling rs that OF the father Of our
country. And Notwithstanding all its ad.
ventures, the old gun was Left here to rust
In obscurlty, Il fit type Of SO many lives,-
lives which had once bocn bright and
but which have become cloud
ed and obscure until at last they have no
place in the memories Of the present gen.
Grafton
Rut the last rays of the setting sun fail.
ing across my face reused me from my
lay dream, Slowly collecting my wan
llcring senses l made my way down
stairs, resolving to visit the Old room very
In the future.
As the visit to the old garrct gava rise to
musings and speCulations which would
otherwise have remained dormant, SO re.
Prospect Of tho past sometimes stimulates
4 now line Of thought.
We ought not to live iu tho past, but an
occasional contemplation of " will lead US
10 see wherein Its deeds have b1cn barron,
and wherein thOy have been fruitful; and
since men may rise on stepping stones of
heir dead selves to higher things, by the
aid of past experience, viewed in the light
IF today, We may go on, and on, ever
advancing to q higher level, ever strength.
,niDg our growing powers.
DORSEY READ RODNEY.
New Castle, Delaware.