The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-07-25
When Psyche and Ma Came Home.

When Psyche and Ma Came Home.
Some years ago my business called
me often to the coastal section of the
State, and after business was done
l took many rambles alone in that
section, and one day l came to a
large oak grove, Duridic in appear
ance, and under a monarch of its
kind I came upon an old man sitting
near two grass-grown graves. His
long white hair and beard gave soft
ness to his fine, yet withered face.
The aged father was asked if he was
guarding hidden treasure buried
there, and he looked up with tender
and expressive eyes and said:
MY son, you augur we'll, for under
this grassy sod my greatest treasures
lie, and as you speak so kindly I will
tell you a tale Years ago when
was young, I met blue-eyed maid,
my ideal of womanhood. Her form
was fashioned by the fays, her face
was as the morning flowers, her voice
was soft and gentle as the cooing
doves. I sought her heart and hand
and won them. Hard by on yonder
farm we started life, which was
lovely dream to me. Each day as
Burns, 4 plowed the lilies down. and
came back to the cottage home at
eventide to be caressed and kissed
by my sweetheart, my bonnie bride.
The years went by so swift, so fleet,
and in those feeting years, there
came to us a little blue-eyed girl.
We named her Psyche. Oh! how we
loved that child so sweet, SO fair, so
innocent, and when the little lisper
began to talk, our love was even
greater. At a tender age our darling
child began to sing, and her baby
songs were the songs of grown up
people, symphonies as sweet as ever
angels trilled. We loved her, for in
her makeup, we saw ourselves re-
fected. And often times with Psyche
in my arms, and with the mother by
my side, we would stroll about the
farm, over the woods where fairies
dwell, and watch the squirrels play,
and hear the cooling doves, gather
| the wildwood flowers-a happy trio.
But when our love was greatest
sweet Psyche took i'll and died. We
| laid her here to rest, beneath that
spot. My form though young and
| strong, weakened beneath the shock.
would go at early morn afeld to
| make an honest loaf of bread, but
the former vigor was not there. Then
| Psyche's ma began to fail. I saw the
languor in her eyes, the pallor on her
| cheeks, and I knew load was rest
| ing on her heart. In time to come
she died, and we laid her body there.
Then double was my load of sorrow.
My empty footsteps in my house,
seemed to mock me, and to call up
sweet memories of the past. l would
| wander all alone. l would look upon
the fields, ripe with the gracious
| harvest; upon the skies at night, all
studded with the stars; upon pale
Luna; upon the forest clothed in
| majesty and beauty; upon the sun
shine, but in none saw the beauty
| of bygone days. Then I would HE
me to this spot, under the moss
grown oak, emblem of England's s
| ancient faith,' and here I would
pour out tears of grief and agony.
looked upon yonder cottage. To me
it seemed funeral pyre. Upon it's
roof the ravens wings were spread,
and gloom and desolation seemed to
mantle it, once bright and beautiful
to me. Within, there was no hand to
guide me, no smile to cheer me, no
sky-blue eyes to look into my own,
no ruby lips to press upon these SUM-
Drowned cheeks a raptured kiss Of
love- 1 tried to look beyond, but
there 1 saw shadow cast. No sun
beam broke upon me, no light, no
hope, but all around closed up the
threatening clouds of gloom.
''Arise," said the aged father, "and
let us go to the cottage, and there
we may say more"
We arose the slope before US, and
there upon a central hill the cottage
stood. We entered, and upon the
wall l saw harp, and l asked the
aged father to try his skill upon this,
the most gentle of musical sources.
He took it down, and with his wither-
ed hands he swept the strings, and
| the. chord was perfect. Then he be-