Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-12-20
MISCELLANY.
THE OLD STORY.


| ness, withdrew from the scoinful gaze
Of their fellow creatures, TO hold COM
| munion with their sorrOws. A river IA
its primitive wilderness, rolled before
their humble haoilation, while behind II
frowned u lofty mountain in all the rug
ged majesty OF naturo.-Thc few who
traversed us mazes, III pursuit OF game,
were as uncou,i, as the bear that dwell
in its caverns; and The struggle between
civilization and II savage state Of mas
terry rendered them, as II were, i'm anom-
ally in the human race. But the strides
Of civilization are gigantic. and not 10
be impeded. A cluster OF rude cabins
already appear on the margin Of the
river; the lofty monarchs Of the forest,
yielding TO the stroke OF the axe, were
girdled and suffered to decay. The
green corn sprang up amid thoir dying
trunks, and the silence Of the wilder.
ness was now broken by the tinkling OF
the bells, that denoted the browning "a
midst the luxuriaDs natural pasture.
But this was to them a sight Of sor-
row, and not OF JOY, for they had felt the
scorn Of their fellow mortais, and were
crushed to the earth by the arbitrary
rules of right and wrong, prescribed by
greybcards and s%choolmen; even the
oak Of the forest, aud the flower that
blooms beneath it, arc crushed by the
thunderbOli, never again TO blossom.
They belield the inroads of civilization
as the traveller along the beach behOlds
the approaching waves from which there
is no escape, gradual, yet fearful to
look upon, for thay NO sooner reach,
than they destroy. Theirs was a com
munIon Of spirit, an intellectual inter-
Course, such as mortaIs cannot partake
o., until the spirit has been bruised, and
the ties OF this world are as powerless
as letters made of the sand Of the sea.
They already understood The language
OF spirits, for it seemed. as ii their in
mos. thoughts were made known with
out the aid Of corporeal senses. They
seldom spoke, words were useless, their
thoughts were common to both, and
every act and every look proved the ex-
tent of mutual devotion.
The first time | met them in their Sc
%clusion was on u delightful morning in
the month ofJune. 1, was in "a grove Of
sugar trees on The bank Of the river,
some distance from their dwelling; the
sun was just rising, and the birds were
singing joyously from every spray. He
was slowly lending a fine horse, upon
which the tall, syIPh-like form of his
companion was seated. She was dress
ed in neat apparel, and yelled, though
there was lille chance Of any other eyes
falling upon her countenance than his
own. True, there was a time when she
would rather have encountered death
than n look OF INN, but that time has
passed by, for now it seemed that his
presence was the very fountain Of her
existence.
She raised her veil to enjoy the pass
ing breeze. Her countenance was Sc
rene aud c%ivinely beautiful, divineIy so,
for there was much more of heavenly
than earthly beauty in it. Her forehead
was high and polished, and bound round
by a plain braid Of hair, as glossy and
as dark as the P'umage Of the raven.
The lrstre OF her large black eyes was
now feeble, and the cheeks that once
We'd with the color If the rose, were
now paliid Il, tho lily, save that u deep
hectic spot interrupted the perfect white
ness, but blended not with it. 1t was
the mark that death had sci upon her,
that he might know his victim.
| had seen her the I~oveliest among
the beautiful; where all eyes were turn
ed upon her in admiration, for she
shone forth as consplcuously in the null
titude as the evening star IN the firma-
ment. But n cloud had passed over
her, and her rays were no longer seen.
And him | also knew when he moved
among the proudest, aud was distinguish
ed wherever he moved. His person
was m~atchless, his spirit lofty. and his
mind highly cultivated, but unfortunate
Iy those things which have received the
highest polish are the most readily sus-
ceptible Of tarnish.
Ho surveyed the surrounding land
scape for some time, and then turning
to his. companion, exclaimed,
'How beautiful is %nalure! While con-
templating a scene LIKE this, the mind
becomes regenerate, and s~tartles at the
sublimity OF its own conception. 1t
bursts as the young eagle from the egg,
and though al first II winks at the resist
less stream of light, nature impeIs it to
soar above on steady wing, and in time
it turLs not, even though the forked
Tightening shivers in its path. More is
to be learnt from the silent musing on
the wonders Of creation, than from all
the wise Jaws that gownsmen, deal from
the pulpit. Even the little flower that
springs at your feet smiles for a time,