Old Kitchen Reveries

Far back in roy musings my thoughtslmve been To the cot wbere the houis of my childhood werepasecd; I loved all its rooms, to the pantry and hall, But that Messed old kitchen was dearer than lts chaire and its tables, none brlghter could be For ail its surrcundiDgs, wcre sacred to me- To the nail in the ceiling, the latch on the And Tlöve every crack on the old kitchen floor. I remember the fireplace, with mouth high and wide, . . , . ... .,j„ The old-fasbioned oven mat stooa oy us Out of whic)a,each Thanksglvtog, carne puddings Thaf fairbewildcrcd and dazzled my eyes. And then, too, St. Nlcholas, slyly and still. Came down cvery Christmas our stocktngs to Butfithedeare6tof memories I've laid up in Is theother that trod on the oW kitchennoor. Day in and day out, irom morning till night. Her footsteps were bu; beart alwajs For itieèmed to me, then, that she kuew not a TheCBmiie was so gentle her face used to wcd ,r Í" .!,„.. ,-ltl, rvlooenrp what 1OV fille.Q OUr WheTsïie toldusthestories that cWldren bo They wero new evcry night, though wa'd hcard From h?r Mpfat the wheel on the old-kitehen floor I remember the window, whcre morcing? IM As soen as the daybrcak, to watoh tor the And6I thought, when my head soarcelyreached ThaUtsfept through the night in the trees on AndÈmall tract oL ground that my eye tnere could view, Was all of the world that my taiancy knew ; Indeed, 1 cared not to know of it m, For a world ofitselfwas that old kitohenfloor. To-night thoec oíd visions come back at their But the 'wheel and lts niusic forever are etill; The band is moth-eaten, the whcel laid awav, And the flngers thaiturned It He mouldering in Thedhe"arth6tone, so eacrcd, is Just as 'twas Anathth voices of childrcu ring out therc Thetuntoough the Windows look in as of ButitOILeB stranger feet on the old kltchenfloor. I ask not for honor, but this I would craye, „f „hm thr Hns sneaklne are closed in the My Sfldren would gathcr theirs round by their AndBtcfl'oL the mothcr who long ago (Jied; 'Twouid bc more enduring f ar dcarer to me, Than iaecriptions on marble or gramtó could bc To have thcm teil often as I did of ■ yorc, Otthemother who trod on the old kltcucn floor.