The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-10-24
Chips o'Lde
Bits Of Knowledge Gathered BY Experience on
Journeys Along Lies River Of Time
"Reminiscences

Remniscence
About some chaps who sit in revery
And dream; live again the boyhood days
That time has 30 enhanced. Such dreams unfold
So many scenes But it seems that most
OF them show some old swimming hole-a crowd
Of kids forgetting time and school and chores
In diving splashing. ducking-beng ducked.
Oh, it's well
Such dreams the youth in men. Oft times
Hold failure off while coaxing time to grant
Success and joy. l, too, return DER dreams
Much travelled route to boyhood scenes and live
Again the hours that youth reckless flung
Away with jest and thoughtless act
TITS strange
NV thoughts just touch the cluster round
The old fair grounds pond aad that hold the lake
The brickyard's crum'ling kns claimed as their
Just fade away as born. The fair
Canal it's Turing dixie across the way,
And Mississipp's appealing depth and stretch
Are not the end of dreams that come to
Those scenes
Are dear; but one is dearer still and tits
A happy hour when dreams restore again
Its pleasant ways. A night in dog days when
An August had left behind heat
That seemed to smother all it touched. The trees
Were motionless and perfume from the fow'rs
Was thick, like drugs in old Doctors shop.
The dusk that is evens goodnight kiss to
Departing day working magic spells
On nature with it's caressng touch.
And remember how,
The windows screened, our house COOL The work
Der supper dishes done. ia dried them
While Dad had trimmed the lawn. then sat beneath
The cherry tree to read his Democrat"
And then atched the and walked just slow,
And talked about OH just the little things.
like the dreams of that still night. see
Again the streets, their peaceful dusk lit depths
So sll-now here, there broken with hail:
A hello folks" from friends who sat lawns
Or hind the treised v'randas. plying fans
Against the heat. Twas thus we walked just slow,
Until came at length to railroad tracks
The river lying just beyond.
We knew the way; led Mother to the raft
We knew anchored there and walked far out
To where the last crib Old Msslssip'
Was different after dark; up the stream
And down, across, just water was all we saw
Except the Silver Crescent" coming home
With lights aglow-a ghost she seemed. A trains
Fast moving CLEAN all that marked the shore
Across from us-a freely 'mong the trees.
The water
Was like sheet of glass. Its silent flow
Was awesome like. You couldn't see. but just felt
Its movement and the ripping eddy's whirl
Around the cribs loud pile of lath
And shingles, boards. stood like shanty
And undressed. and Dad did too, when we
Had fixed comfy seat for our lady fair
Where the lightest whisper of breeze
Refreshed the air.
Undressed-
Of course the first was I've dragged long
And springy plank to where the water
And made diving board. Sure, dived first;
Came up way out. SO deep" cried. and sank
You know Dad Owed. and Gee II was scared
Cause he stayed under so long. He up
Right by my side. quick and still laughed
Relieved and happy-such fun it
We raced,
As happy could be- back; beat-but now
know he just let me. We turned fp.fops
And did all kinds of stunts. Just yelled and laughed
And splashed water until Mother called out
You kids be careful there" you kldsp Oh Gee!
Us two Just kids /! Then slipped up and ducked
Him good and laughed when he got loose and grabbed
For mel dived down clear to the bottom to get
Away; and stayed down m1nute-or more
When came up
He was right there-how did he know that spot
1 wondered-he ducked me; that the most,
Best fun of ALL Twas hard to leave such sport
But Mother said that's enough" and we dressed