Year: 1860

says to the eager boy who is going out from
the quiet of his native village, TO make bis
way in the great bustling world beyond.


'O@yes-as soon as have made my
fortune is the laughing reply, aud the
good'byes are exchanged, and the yellow
stage-coach rolls of bearing more hope and
happines upon its back seat, than aCith tie
same occupant, il will ever bring back again.


Coming back again = The boy little
knows that he never can come back Some
thing may come that will be taller, and
more graceful, and more attractive, and
call his parents father and mother-some-
thing that will look, half-sadly aud half
coutcmptuously on the old familiar places
where bis youth was speut-but the boy
happy, eager, hopeful and innoceut-has
gone forever


Coming back soon ? Is this young
lady ringleted aud founced and gIoved,
who plays the piano to a charm, and looks
askance at kitchen towel and broom, the
sun-browued, good-natured little Maggie,
with whom he rOmpedin early days Mag
gle wore her brown hair in curlS, flying in
The summer wind-but this young lady's
locks are pOmatumed, scented, and careful
Iy done up,' according to the latest fash
ion. Maggie wore blue gngham frock,
which has always danced before his vision
as the most charming thing in existence :;
but Miss Marguerite arrays her limbs in
the most expensive silks, and wears hoops
Of such vast circumference that he can only
look on and admire at a respectful distance.
Sometimes as they sit side by side, he re-
members the old times and half wishes
they could come back again-but his first
glance at the composed face of the lady
beside him annihilates the idea, and be
heaves kind of rueful sigh, and lets it
pass away. By-and-by, Miss Marguerite
is married to bald-headed rich old man
old enough to he her grandfather. He
goes to her wedding, and drinks her health
in the best of wine-he begins to dream
himself of a wealthy wife, and to think it
won't do to be foolish, and that he must
have an eye to business when be gives
himself away. The fast young man and
the woman of fashion meet often in their
gay city life-but the boys who walked
hand in hand to school, have gone straying
away over strawberry fields and daised
pastures long ago, and no one thinks of
saying TO them, You are coming back soonf


Coming back | Who ever yet came
back and found all things unchanged /?
Drive up the long remembered roads and
you will miss here tree, here a patch of
daiSeS and buttercups, and here an old gray
farmhouse, which you had fondy hoped
would last your day and generation En-
ter the town which was once happy val
ley to you, and what do you see Only
a puny little village with the pleasant walks
you used to love turned into ambitious side
walks, aud paved with the toughest Of stones
with the old familiar houses and fences re.
modelled aud newly painted, till You lose all
the old IaudmGrks-with everything chang
ed, and you, it may be, most of all Sit
down, then, if You will, in your lonely
room call up the forms of those you low
ed, who are now scattered far away, and
try to people the dusty streets with more
beloved faces. Can you succeed Z? Is it
not poor, pale phantom that you strive to
press to your aching heart Was it wise
in you, after ALL this coming back p Oh,
the past is beautiful to look at, afar Of, but
when we stretch out our hands to bring it
nearer, it vanishes, and leaves nothing in
our grasp but thin and unsubstantial air


Strange sit in my lonely room, and
miss something familar-something dear !
1t will never Iinger here again the sun
light falling through the easement VIII new
er play upon that soft, fair hair h; the white
hand will never gather these blush roses
the arge blue eyes will shine upon me here
no more. One page of life's romance has
been read Much that might have blessed
me-mueh / might have oved-much that
might have loved me-and much that can
never hope to meet again-that consecrat-
ed this little roon--has passed away like
dream Of beauty, aud will beam brighten
here no more is not, cannot be coming
back soon."


But there is land, thank God There
is land where all the lost light aud lovli-
ness of life shall cluster around US with ten
fold the glory it has worn for US here | There
is land where we shall sin aud sorrow no
more where there shall be no more part
ings, aud no more tears where the young
and the old, the happy aud the wrstchsd.
the bond and the free, shall all alike know,
the loving kindness aud tender mercy OF
God whoEs divinest sitFibute is love