Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-08-12
POETRY.
NIGHT CoNTEAlpI.ATIoN,


Spoken by JAMES MILLER Of PHILADELPHIA.
= tke exhibition of Mount ST Mary's COL
lese, Emniisburg, June 3Olh, 1880.
Al that lone hour, when each vespar s,ar
Displays rvs trembling lamp ard shines afar;
When moonlight sleeps upon The siivery plain,
And silSnee holds her SOLITARY reign;
Whist kindred feelings does lie scene impart.
How hushed he passions & how caln The hear,
Then from its nano~ tene@e't OF clay,
The imprisoned spirit longs to soar away,
20 wander through the bOuBdless tracts OF air.
VISIT bright worlds thst float unnumber4l there
And see and question n us rapid q ght
Each distant orb Of ioveiiness aud light.
Ye starry host that sentinel The sky,
IA RlorJ bsaniaS as y''u move os bigb,
Tel mc what arm ip,siole susts,us
Aad rolls goa on&@td lhro' to e,tierih plsipsi
What voice a"ekes you hid tire rights d-s.
SHADE
And lt5s your fires Al mornings dawn. TO fa,.,
b, whom yoar orbits have been trscsd ia lea
ven,
BY whom your being form and lustre eiyenp
10. each shining sphcre his awiai name
Written IN characters OF hight aud a4s.e:
The sun procialms his majesty ht Day.
thousand suns BY night has power DISPLAY:
10 him W Joyous isrmony have Sung
The morning stars, while nature ye, was yo,ng:
He torms, impells. enhyens and CONTROLS.
And Btows respicudeut IN each orb that rolls:-
lis he, the mighty monarcb oil the world.
Whose Starry banner o'er US is uniurisel.
Majestic hresl whose splendid dawn began.
in Nature's prime and at the Firth OF man.
Was not your bright tiugence dimme d aw hile
when death res -led and Heaven " stadrew is
smilei
Saw you not spirits on that dismal morn,
E,FS A. tafa
NcS, weeping angels bore the news star,
lie kersk OF wo as heard from star TO star.
had Darkness veied your beauty for a space.
Hhle Mercy sorrowed DER fallen race.
Bright stars whose shining is so soft add fsir,
lie seem like seraPhs in the upper AIR.
Gum has not been amid your radiant host.
Nor Death, nor blasted hope, nor glory lost.
And, if, as sages dream and love 10 tell,
some happier race OF beings there may dwell,
No srec,ered tetrors right their Tranquil souls,
No voice OF anger through the weikin rolls,
No !lash Of vengeance en- the vision CLEANS,
Nor wild despair is heard in piercing screams;
Famine and van disea, c sud pining care,
Heau.broken grief and slavery are not there;
Nor murder shakes has CORY steel, nor vac
Through i=lds OF Carnage frantic drives bis car:
But bsest and bright with Heavens perpctuAt
smile,
Unmingled joys their winged hours beguile,
while peace serene and hope and sefaph love
Here seen and sighed for. there familiar move;
ln siness bloom aud bisssedness they dwell,
Like man ere Eden heard his sad fare we'll
Celestial spheres. What though to mortal eye.
We seeal like twinkiing points ofiigi,t on hgl!
Science removes ,he mist that robes The sight
Asd ye are worlds of majesty AID might.
Oppressed aad dazzea 10y the blsznsst,de.
we snS TO nothng and repounee our p 'ide
l. lee fa. ftsf th ,,ll
Like thunder sounds along the awe s,tuek soul.
Aad yet snblmer knowledge shslioe given,
And man sball Walk amidst the stars Of ileas 20 !,
Yes the frail chl5 of dust and doomed, to die.
Shall rise again and seek % high:
The sighs % Immortality shaH wreaihe
The form majestic which has conquered death,
And he, while beauty and with glory yet
shail shine when y>vsry star in endless night
has set.