Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-04-08

year iopnd him the teacher of school for
the improvement IN psaImody of the junior
members y The congregation
There ga tide in ,he aiflirs of men,
soys Sbaks ceare, which taken at the flood
leads on to Ior,une' Byron extends the
remark 10 ~omen. aud observes that there
is also a de- IN their affairs, and doubt
not that he was correct in The observation.
For my own part, have observed. that in
the lives of both sexes, there are periods
when seem marked by events that exercise
controlling influence over their after ex
istencc. The hue and tenor of their lives
are changed; different feelings are aroused.
different cares vex them, new anXletes
arise, and sources Of JOY and sorrow are
opened which ha3 heiot, been closed TO
them. Tbs, IN an especial manner. wa,
the case in the instance of my friend Oscd
The singing school in the city was an
epoch in bis life, from which he could date
changed existence. Let me here remark.
that it very frequently happens, that Incl
dents which at first appear so trivial aud
insignificant as hardly to be worth our at
tenton, are subsequently found 10 have
been the moving causes of the creates,
changes in our character aud Clrcumstan-
ces. The life ofObed Parsons most happI'
ly illustrates this observation. Among the
pupils in his singing school was cherub
looking httle creature, of the name Of
Grace, the only daughter Of one of the
principal deacOns Of the - street church.
Although possessing person OF almost
perfect lovellnesl, her only attraction IN the
eyes Of O5eJ was her voice. 1t vas, indeed,
of the most clear, soft, and biTd-lIke tcne {;
and from the moment it first struck the
ear of her teacher, he was SO enanoured OF
its sweetness, that he al once determined
to employ much o! his time 10 its cuIliva
ion. lie did so. and the hours he devoted
TO the instruction Of Grace, 5000 became
the hapDest Of his existence. His delight
seemed ior some time to DE- without earthly
alloy, aud to consist entirely 10 training to
the more perfect praise of his Maker, o
voice Of such peculiar melody.
1t was rare and singular contrast-,ha;
Of the master and scholar, while engaged
in their exercises: he bending his long i ain,
b1ny form, and gathering up his rambling
llmos. to get his face down 10 hers she
with her pstite figure. aud compact and
delicate proportions, standing by his side -
they looked like willow switch and q
grape vine forming vegetable alliance.
Alter the lapse OF a few months.a change
was Observed to lave taken place in the
character If Obcd. The sel'-cumplaccncv
which mad heretofore been observable in
his every look and motion, particularly
while engaged in the performance Of his
official services, appeared to have given
place to an air Of fret.unesS and unhappI
ness. He would occasionally sing out OF
time, and by leading the congregation
astray, cause the most fearful dlscord IN the
exercises. On one OCCASION, particularly
remember, he named Kingsbrldge' as the
tune we should sing, and Just as the con.
gregalon had commenced Industriously on
that, he himself struck up on : Denr ark.
At length this wandering from his duties
became SO freqnent-his manner so absent
and hlghy. and his mistakes SO ludlcrous,
and occasionally SO annoying that 1t was
found necessary to suspend him from Office.
He was soon allerward taken III, and at la
was confined to his bed, from which he
never arose.
Il was at this period, that my intimacy
with Ubed Parsons commenced. From HI;
peculiar appearance aud manner, together
with the singular traits of character hat
observed in him, he had early become al
object of interest to me. On learning hi.
serious indsposiiion, called to see him
and finding that could be of service !,
hun, continued my visits. They ended on
! " with his life: and have the satisfaction
of knowing that contributed to soften tn,
| last moments Of one Of the most siDgua
and eccentric, and yet the most harmless o
human beings. A few days before he died
he confirmed my suspicious, and acknowl
edged that his unfortunate and unreclp
rocated attachmen, had been the cause c
his unbapplness, and finally OF his DEATH
He informed me that | would find the pro
gress of his feelings detailed in the latte
part Of journal he had kept, and which h
desired to leave in my hands.
TINS journal, which examined after h
death, found to be volumrnous, and for III
most part filled with memoranda relating
his early life. From that portion OF
which was written during bis residence
New York,and more particularly from thos
entries which have reference to his feelin!
for Grace -, | shall as lhey better ilu
trate some Of the peculiar features of h
character, make few extracts. His en-
tions, it will be seen, frequently find We
in sacred verse, slightly amended, at time
E to sui. his peculiar condition His psal
book was his vade -merum. and all his de
of hcaven>born inspiration, in the matter
poetry. We're gathered from It's pages. ~
first passage which shall present from Il
\ friends journal, runs as follows:
\ October 81, 49,. At length my scho
, is established, and am, after long a
weary wandering, fixed, as hope, for Ill
! Il is a most comfortable feeling that pc
y manent settlement produces. Twas fear
that there would never be an end of |
. iourneyIng, and that.
II Like Noah's weary dove,
That som d The earth around,
: But nol a resting place above
u The cherries walels iound,'
a | should travel over the wide world, Il