1. I'm thinking now of childhood's dreams
   And while I think, to me it seems
   That I am once again a child
   For I recall each loved one's face,
   While gathered round the old fireplace;
   And Oh! My thoughts are running wild.

2. Now, those were happy days to me
   For I could then fair nature see,
   And went where e'er I felt inclined
   To gather flowers that I loved best,
   And seek the birdlings in their nest,
   And do the work to me assigned.
   

3. In memory's hall I now can see
   Each well know path, each favorite tree,
   The creek, the branch with many spring,
   The cattle and the noisy fowls,
   The dreaded hawks and the lonesome owls,
   And the wild geese, too, while on the wing.

4. Those things I saw as time went by,
   But not the cloud that dimmed my sky.
   Soon the sickness seized my childish frame,
   For days loved ones watched o'er my bed,
   For life and health for me they plead.
   Their prayers were heard; the answer came.

5. Yes, perfect health to me was given;
   The sun, the moon, the stars of heaven
   Still gave to earth their cheering light
   Revealed to me no loved one's face,
   Nor familiar forms of the old place,
   For noontide was to me as night.

6. In darkness thus I had to dwell;
   With shame, I own, I did rebel
   'Gainst God, whose mercy knows no bound
   But He who doth the storms control
   Can calm a tempest in the soul.
   I craved the light-God's light I found.

7. In this pure Light I felt resigned
   To yield to Him my heart, my mind;
   And for a while I was at rest
   My nature was a restless one,
   With books and schools I thought I'd done,
   And this to me proved one great test.

8. None knew the anguish of my heart
   When playmates all to school would start,
   And I be left at home all day,
   No books to cheer the lonely hours,
   No wandering out to gather flowers,
   But in the house I had to stay.

9. But, oh, one day 'twas told to me
   How I might educated be.
   Then I was filled with new delight
   The thoughts of going to school once more
   And studying as I'd done before-
   It seemed a marvel of the night.

10. The way that this all came about,
    A Bible agent found me out.
    I love him yet, he was so kind.
    "You'd go to school to me," he said,
    Showing a book like blind ones read.
    "this school is made just for the blind."

11. Then Louisville was far away,
    But this to me was no dismay;
    But father and my mother dear,
    Now their heart-aches I did not know,
    And they declined to let me go
    Away from their parental care.

12. Thus days, weeks, months and, even years,
    Passed, dotted with my prayers and tears;
    But, at last, there came to me a day.
    Other friends came to my aid,
    Put in a plea I had not made.
    Yes, I could go one term to stay.

13. Thus mother said, as we taled it o'er,
    "you must want to go no more,."
    Then, I answered in willful haste,
    "Why, mother, if I go one term,
    I will then just begin to learn;
    You'd have me quit with just a taste."

14. "Oh, let me go the allotted years;
    Put aside your undue fears,
    For surely our people love the poor
    To make a school for us unlucky
    Children of our State, Kentucky;
    And I can go to school once more."

15. No more objections then were raised;
    I went to school, oh, happy days,
    Bright golden pages of my life.
    With two delights then combined,
    I oft forgot that I was blind,
    Though each day had its care and strife.

16. I prize the merit and the worth
    That gave such institutions birth.
    I oft think of my attitude
    If I had never gone to school
    And learned to love that higher rule
    That cheers me now in solitude.

17. E'en when I think of the days long fled
    And of the tears my mother shed
    Over a helpless, willful child,
    My heart with grief seems near bursting;
    Oh, Thou, who yet I am trusting,
    Make me like Thee, gentle and mild.

18. Now those dear ones who loved me best
    Are gathered to their haven of rest,
    And when this weary life is O'er
    And my work on earth is done,
    May I with joy greet every one
    Of those dear ones who have gone before.

I love to clasp his tender feet,
And bathe them with my tears,
And listen to his words so sweet-
They calm my greatest fears.
And as I linger near his side,
I tell him how I live,
And while I view the crimson tide
I know he will forgive.

I love the power that draws me where
My savior smiles on me;
'Tis there he answers silent prayer
And lets me fell I'm free.
I lean upon his loving arms;
They gently draw me near;
Though earth is rocked by raging storms,
In him I have no fear.

Oh, blest communion of the soul,
Sweet privilege of my own,
O'er which no human has control;
'Tis God's and mine alone.
Though earth be wrapped in dread and gloom,
And troubles o'er my roll,
I see the rose and lily bloom,
Sweet fragrance fills my soul.

Our dear old meeting house is gone,
Where oft we've met together
To humbly bow before the throne
With Christ our elder brother.
The sweet influence of His love,
The only gift on earth
That we can take with us above;
We there shall learn its worth.

Perhaps we feel a little sore
Beneath the chastening sting;
Perhaps we love the old house more
Then the glory of our King.
And if our strings do yet still smart,
Let's come closer to our Lord
With willing hands and trusting heart,
And wait the great reward.

The old house has withstood the storms
For more than three score years;
She welcomed all with outstretched arms
And shared our smiles and tears.
For have we not sometimes seen there
A sea of happy faces--
Men brave and true and women fair,
Possessing Christian graces?

And there we've seen another crowd-
A thoughtful, serious one-
Men and women too, once so proud,
Bowed humbly at the throne.
The Christian servants of that throng
Who labored for the King'
They preached and prayed and joined the song,
That new-born souls could sing.

Then came the day when to the stream
They sought their watery graves,
Their souls enrapt with newborn theme,
Praises to Him who saves.
And now there comes another scene-
So solemn and so slow-
We move along the church-yard green,
And in the church-house go.

We look around the spacious room,
Some loved ones are not there;
They are at rest within the tomb
Close to the house so dear.
Thus one by one our loved ones go,
Our hearts are filled with pain.
And yet we feel, through Christ we know,
We all shall meet again.

Now when we think of all those days
Spent in the light-house hall-
'Twas there we learned of pleasant ways-
Our tears are bound to fall.
Within the silent hours of night,
The old house stood alone,
Wrapped in the flames of radiant light,
Which claimed her for its own.

The next day shoed the charred remains
Of what we loved so much;
Our pride which held us each with claims-
The Nolynn Baptist Church.
Oh let another church-house rise
Just where the old one stood,
The silent city to you cries;
"Here place the house of God."

The children of Isaac LaRue, Sr., and Phebe Carman, his wife, were ten-