The Hillsdale Standard

"THE OLD WHITE SCHOOL HOUSE,"

Written for the Standard.

Memory has been busy to-day, so busy that I have been forgetful of myself and present surroundings; busy in bringing anew to my mind the scenes of long ago. There are others, too, who will join me in these memories as we recall the many and varied scenes of our young school life in the "Old White School-house." There are other school-houses, red, or white, or brown, perhaps more noted than "ours," but not one so dearly associated to you or me. You remember it stood surrounded on the east, and north, and west by the grand old forest, which afforded such a beautiful and comfortable play-ground. Whether within the walls of our beautiful structure on College Hill to-day doth congregate beings possessed of nobler souls, warmer hearts, more aspiring ambition or greater expectations, than found among the boys and girls whom we met and mingled with day after day in the school-room, to learn the lessons, strive for the prizes, and win the approbation of teacher and mates. It does not seem long since then,--but oh! what changes have come to us. First, we have all lost the thoughtless wastefulness of youth. We were then, every one of us, quite sure that Fortune would bestow abundant favors; we were to be among the great in the land; learned, famed, rich, one or all. How many of us have realized these expectations? Perhaps some, certainly not many.

I wonder if there is one among the number to-day as happy as when, in the bright summer time, we used to romp in the cool shade of the thick woods, between study hours, and gather flowers and green bushes to decorate the school-room.

Has one of us since found in grand churches more enjoyment than when we met Sabbath mornings for worship in this same school-house, (it was used for a church then, too), made clean and nice on Saturday, after school closed.