The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-07-27

yer the island, enjoying the scahtlness Oh tnoSe
resources which led to the delights OF conlriVLhg
there we sympathised with the poor whale on
whose back Sinbad built his fire; but the diamonds
cngng to the raw flesh, we could never fancy
thew ruined diamonds in our estimation; we have
never looked on those Jewels with half he adj
miration they deserve to command so inveter-
MO * early association. There we disposed OF
boundless wealth: libraries for one parent-buds
and plants for the other; shells and fossils for
one sister-prints and work-boxes for another
bushels Of marbles for our youngest brother, and
dogs and pony for our most worshiplul selves
all melted outin most unrivalled profusion. There
we wished the sparkling wt-the profound learn
ing of muturcr years, while yet child in form,
that we might 'astonish the natives of our own
household, and enjoy in secresy their wonder at
the infant prodigy. There we gazed en- the bril-
liant chandelier which hung in the centre Of our
church, and thought what a delightful swing the
FAIRIES might have, seated snugly within those
glittering festoons; or how gracefully they might
glide along them, as tiny rope-dancers One
Sabbath we had been looking with interest at the
plates in Calmets dictionary of the Bible. The
reader may remember the representation ofhypoc-
rites, with wide mouths, the corners appraised 10
heaven! A similar feature attracted our gaze at
church We shrunk back instinctively, saying
to ourselves, "Oh, there comes hypocrite"
Our first initiation into the mysteries Of geog
raphy;-We understood not North and South as
relative terms. How we pitied the people on the
other side of the globe they would surely fall
of. What if we should tread through and come
in contact? We could not understand that we
were on the outside of the world; we certainly
seemed as snugly within as if we had been encased
in a nutshell The blue sky was subsance-the
skin of the world had we been near it, we could
have taken hold of it, as if it were silk or leather
We have always admired the picturesque fancy of
that youth who thought the planets and stars were
creviccs and tatered places, where Heacen shone
through ;-earnests of future splcndor-glimpses
of Paradise.
How little we understood of the lessons we me-
repeated! While translating Les
Avenures de Telemaque,' we encountered this
phrase, 'se devouer,' which we chose to translate
he devoured himself;' mouthful unique, we
fancy-not, indeed equalling in magnitude that
of student who declared he had eaten noun
monumentum,' &c. While trans
lating, in 'Liber Primus,' this passage, 'Consu-
etudo dat ccleritatcm,' we made the accusative
take precedence of the nominative and under
stood by the assertion that Prompt attendance on
the wants of customers, would be a very proper
means of gaining patronage And the hymns
which childhood prideS itself so much on repeat
ng-how perverted their meaning how changed
heir holy intent -
Folly builds high upon the sand
But lO'cly let my basis be-
Folly was maiden to our childish ,ho't, whoset
dwelling was lofty. We could see its tall form
lowering upon a sandbank. Lowly' was anoth-
err, and O naughty damsel who was much inclined
to purloin articles which did not belong 10 her,
who could not or would not, understand the diff
ference between 'mcum' and 'tuum.' Basis was
vase or fower-p pot, which Lowly' was com
nandcd to let be- or, in another phrase, not to
NEEDLE with.
Our ideas of the Supreme being were, that he
was man, but larger, taller, and mighter than
common men; he had large blue eyes, and was
Covered damasL. We could comprehend his
infinite power but no, his mmateriality. AS we
gained knowledge he lost his human appendages
md we thought he must resemble cloud. Butt
aven then, his omniprcscnce was a mystery. Our
Early impressions of heaven were not at all in its
avor We were told it was place of perfect
est Directly we fancied seat that must nev-
n be vacated, countenance that must never be |
,aried a stiffness that must never be interrupted
state little suied to our active tcmperaments, to
which rest in any form was species Of purga-
orv We well remember the awful sensations
md overwhelming train of thought which seized
is on hearing we should live forever. Oh, the
thrilling prehcnsibilily Of that little phrase,
for ever r-There was no end to forcvert-no
cnd!-no end! We repeated it again and again
We sought to compare it to ought We had ever
nown, thought or felt; but no, it eluded our grasp
it bafled our understanding; we were breath
ess with wonder and awe; Till at last, overcome
With the intensity of our emotions, we wcpt aloud
We conld not join the croaking multitude who
rate of the superior joys of childhood, for we
rmly believe in the doctrine Of compensation,
all ages and conditions but we must ain con-
,ss that the glorious earth lost much of its ex-
eeding brightness with its vanishing mysteries
)h, for those days when the world was one broad
ii ght, fairyl nd, full Of wonderful Ell chantmentS
nd delightful spells! What though some wick
d spirits, in the shape of an unwelcome shower,
'ould ever and anon steal from us an earnestly ;
esired good What though some lrghtfuI Ogre,
the share of an Unreasonable lesson, would I
lrill US with anguish on the threshold of the I
,cation hour? What though some tall giant,
| the shape Of an untmcy headache, would steal
ON oar expeetant palate the delicate viands ?
Till it was one broad, bright airy-land, where t
e were continually Stumbling on hidden trca- J
Tres and never, lest we should be suspected byE
mr. rhansodv of hovinu arrived nj n second child i