The Litchfield County post., 1826-12-19

And one starts up at the noise of sparrow,
And all the daughters Of song are hushed:
5 Also, that which is high is feared,
And terrors are in the way,
Yea, the almond is lOathed,
The locust becomes disgusting,
And stimulants to appetite are Intellectual;
For man is going to bis eternal home,
And the nourners are passing in procession
through the streets;
6 Before the silver chain is severed,
And the golden cup dashed in pieces;
The bucket at the fountain is crushed,
And the wheel at the cistern is broken;
2 For the d1stis returning to the earth as it was,
And the spirit to God who gave it.
The object of the sacred writer, in the pas
sage which have just recited, is to enforce
upon the young the importance of an early
remembrance of their Creator, by conside-
ration of the evils incident to old age. The
gloom, and feebleness, and dependency of
this period of life, are arraycd before the
mind in series of images, of remarkable ele-
gance and expressiveness.
The first image is that of long continued
storm. Thick rain-clOuds obscure the heay-
ems, excluding the light of the sun by day, g.
that of the moon and stars b. night. AS Of
ten as short cessation of the storm, and
momentary cleaning through Of light excite
hope of fair weather, so often is hope disap-
pointed the clouds again condense and gath
er blackness; which is the meaning of the
phrase "the clouds return after rain."-At
such season, how does every thing wear the
appearance of gloom; how do the spirits sink,
and how does all energy Of action cease
Thus gloomy thus Responding is old age. The
sun light of anticipation and hope is depar-
ted and the buoyaucy of youthful spirit is de-
pressed.
The next image is that of besieged for
tress.--Many of its defenders have been slain.
The enemy without threatens. All is ankle
~ and alarm. The keepers tremble. The
strong men are reduced by watching, and
hunger, and are bowed down with anxiety &
fear. The grinders cease from their labour
because shey are few. 1t is well known that
in Palestine, and in the east generally, the
grinding of corn is domestic manual opera
ton, performed in preparing every meal
How vivid conception of the gloomy state
OF the fortress is excited at once in our minds
by this simple, but picturesque allusion! So
reduced is the number of it's defenders. such |
terror has seized upon the survivors, that the |
most necessary occupations are suspended:
even the grinders cease from their labour in |
preparing food. Other circumstances follow |
in the description, if possible, still more ex-
pressive. From fear of the enemy, they close |
the doors and darken the windows. Silence
and terror reign. The noise of the grinding. |
that once denoted plenty, is now low the
melody Of all the daughters of song is hushed. |
and now the notes of the harmless sparrow
causes them to start with trepidation No cir
cumstaDces could have been selected. better
adapted to produce in the mind lively con-
ception of the gloom and heIplessness of
citadel thus deprived of its defenders, ex-
hausted Of its resources, and filed with con-
sternation. The description is characterized
throughout by most expressive speciality
there Is nothing general. nothing unnecessary.
But this whole description, elegant and forci-
bic as it is, has been not unfreqnently degra-
ded by interpreters, in their attempts to force
its several parts into symbols of some portion
OF the human body, or Of some special feature
of old age. How perfectly dignifed and nat
ural does it appear, when we regard il in a
general view; considering. the gloom, and
helplessness, and exhaustion of advanced
years
Inc writer now proceeds to literal emu
meration Of some ofthe characteristics Of the
aged. That which is high is feared, and fer
rors are 10 the way; that is, their feebleness
causes them to shrink back from their effort: To
walk, especially to ascend an eminence, seems
to them an arduous task. II remember the
time" said one who attained the great age of
l38 years, .when those high mountains see
med but mole hills" Their appetite for food
has also forsahen them. The almond, once
30 highly esteemed, is now loathsome. The
locust species Of which is considered deli
cious food by the oriental nations, has become
disgusting. And those condiments, which
once had power to sharpen the appetite. are
now Intellectual. Surely old age, without the
favour Of God, is a day Of evil. in which, one
mast say, there Is no pleasure.
TO complete this highly wrought picture.
striking images are introduced alludine 10 the
1 near approach of death. The parting of the
silver chain or cord, by which, at oriental
feasts the chandeliers were suspended from the
ceiling, with the consequent destruction Of the
golden oil vessel; and the breaking az tho
wheel and the bucket, by which water was
drawn from their fountains or cisterns, repre-
sent the destruction of life and the dissolution
Of the body; by afgure similar to that which
modern writers use, when they say s.tht
lamp of life is extinguished.'
Youth, then, says the sacred writer, is the
iittest season to enter into the service of God
and secure his favour, when all is light and
cheerful, and every power is in full vigour,
Delay not till old age approaches with its com.
pIicated evils; then is all dark and gloomy,