THE FARMER BOY.



  Here Uncle Juvinell paused; and, as he looked
round on the saddened faces of his little auditors, a
moisture crept out softly upon his eyelashes, and
dimmed the brightness of his spectacles. " It grieves
me much, my dearest children," said he, after a
moment or two, - and there was a tremor of deep
fatherly feeling in his voice,-" it grieves me much,
that our happy little circle must be broken up. It
will be but for a season, however; and, when we meet
again, we shall be happier than had we not parted at
all. On Monday, I take the stage-coach for Louis-
ville; and there I take the steamer 'Eclipse' for New
Orleans. As it is a long journey I have before me,
I must needs write many letters, and do a deal of
packing, before setting out: so we will sing our even-
ning hymn now, and separate for the night."
  Then, joining their voices together, they sang that
beautiful hymn, " Though far away from friends and
home." At the second line, however, - "A lonely
wanderer I may roam," - the little folks fairly broke
downs; their hearts rising into their throats from very
grief, and choking their voices: but, with all the
ease of a professed singing-master, Uncle Juvinell,
though his heart was full too, glided at once from
the lowest bass to the highest treble, which he car-
ried alone, until some of the children, getting the
better of their feelings, chimed in with him, when
he softly dropped to the very bottom of his bass
again.



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