Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-06-06
Views of Marietta
-EY A.
ParkerSburg Visitor.

spent Memorial Day in Marietta.
This is bold and somewhat danger
GUS assertion for Parkersburger to
make in the face of all the facts. but
like Johnson's protege, believe have
good excuse. 1t is good deal like
going to circus, you know was
somewhat ashamed of myself, but the
children wanted to see the animals.
ana so l went along to look after the
welfare of the two adolescent West
Virginians. Bul | didn't put in all nv
time gazing into the faces of the
youngsters to see how they were en-
joying themselves. At first, without
letting LIEN imagine that was at all
interested. and while endeavoring to
make them believe that | was in Mar
ietta solely for their benefit, took a
little notice of things out of the corner
on one eye, when they weren't look
ing. But at last | was compelled to
throw off all restraint and was not
loath to acknowledge, with them, that
if there is any more beautiful, sooth-
ing or restful place than the old town
on the Muskingum don't know where
1t is.
Marietta is old enough to be the
mother of al of us; and, as | stood in
her streets, whicn are not streets at
all but wide tistas of green Arcadian
loyeliness, those lines that came to me
years ago abot another ancient city,
came to me again about this one:
The world is far away:
Broad pine barrens roll between
We are thy dear children, be thou our
mother,
Oh. dear ST. Augustine!
While crossing the college grounds,
| met kindly faced old gentleman,
whom | certainly had never seen be-
fore, but in some vague way as look,
ed into his face | had a realizing sense
of having been intimately acquainted
with him at some time in the past.
When? / could not tell. Ages ago
in another world? Perhaps, | am not
certain, but | have dim, vague feel
ing, almost startling me at times. of
having lived before in some far-off age,
where even the morning stars sang to-
gether. That feeling came upon me as
looked into the eyes of the old man
before me. But even while gazed up
on him, the idea vanished like vision
OF Mirza or a dream of Ossian, and
asked the old gentlemna if the college
buildings were open to the public. He
said no, that it was holiday, and the
buildings were closed. He turned to
go, but came back to us again, and,
pointing to Andrews Hall (St. An
drew's Hall, | call it,, directed us to
the rear entrance and told us we could
go there and view the library and the
old paintings. We went and | am
not sorry.
Hung :.hout the rooms and the al |
coves are the pictures of the gradGat
ing classes for every year CT the old
college tor nearly a century. Cover
nors, Senators, congressman, Generals, |
soldiers of all the wars of our country,
and one President, believe, are there;
and in the class of 1873 | noticed the
likeness of the present Governor of
West Virginia, Hon. Albert b. White,
who is a credit alike to his Alma Mater
and the Nt untain State of his adop-
ton Then | turned to the large old
oil painting of those stern fathers of
the western word, who, from Ply
mouth Rock to the shores of the Mus
kingum, have left indelble and undy-
ing traces OF lAei. nobility, grandeur
and patriotism-whose unquenchable
love of liberty lighted the beacon fires
q freedom on every hill and in every
valley from Cape Cod to Pixies Peak.
Memories of Miles Standish, recollec-
tons of the deeds of Roger Williams
and iridescent dreams of brave old
Israel putnam came thronging upon
me as | wandered about those halls OF
Ed. And there was the sword of Ruff
us Putnam, also, My attention was
attracted to an old picture near one of
the doors, with the name r. K. Slim
son underneath, and which | instant
ly recognized as that of the kindly
faced old gentleman who had directed
us to the building. He is the profess
sor emeritus at the college, | believe,
OF something like that, and he was
editor of the Marietta Register from
1862 to 1872. will probably
never see him again, but if
these lines should chance to meet
his eye, what kindness have endeav-