hrough the long vista of years
which separate the past from the present, the object on which memory is
inclined to linger longer is a little brown house near one end of the
village of Elmwood. Kind reader that was the home of my childhood. There
was little in the external appearance of the house or its surroundings
to win admiration from the passer-by, but it was my home, and to the
young home is ever beautiful. Recalled by memory the old house looks
very familiar to-day, with its sloping roof covered, here and there,
with patches of green moss; and the large square chimney in the centre.
Between the house and the street was a level green, in which were
several fine shady trees, and one particular tree which stood near the
centre was what I most loved of every thing connected with the
surroundings of my early home--this tree was of the species known in
Canada as the Silver Fir, and I am certain that every one familiar with
this tree will testify, as to its beauty; they grow to a large size with
very thick and wide-spreading branches, which extend downward upon the
trunk in a circular form, each circle from the top growing larger, till
the lower limbs overshadow a large space of ground beneath. This tree
was my delight in the sunny days of childhood and early youth, and in
summer most of my school-tasks were committed to memory beneath its
friendly shade; and I loved it, in the dreary season of winter, for the
deep green which it retained, amid the general desolation by which it
was surrounded. When left a widow my mother was poor, so far as worldly
riches is considered. My father had once been in moderately easy
circumstances, but the illness which terminated in his death was long,
and the means he had accumulated gradually slipped away, till, at the
period of his death, all my mother could call her own was the little
brown house which sheltered us, and very thankful was she to find, (when
every debt was paid even to the last fraction) that she still possessed
a home for herself and children. My mother possessed much energy of
mind, as well as a cheerful, hopeful disposition, and, although she
sorrowed deeply for her sad loss, she did not yield to despondency; but
endeavored to discharge faithfully her duty to her children, and to this
end she sought employment, and toiled early and late that she might
provide for our wants, and so far did Providence smile upon her efforts
that we were enabled to live in comfort and respe