Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-19
POETRY
"nucu VET REMAINS uSsrSG."
Z From the Denotrdtic Rsrlt,o far February
THE OLD MANS COUNSEL.


NY wM.
Among our hills and valleys, have known
Wise and grave men, who, while their dlllseht hanus
Tended or gathered in the fruits Of earth,
Were reverent learners in the solemn school
or Nature. Not vain 10 them were sent
Seed.tiine and harvest, or the vernai shower
That darkened the brown tlth, or snow that oeat
On the white winter hills. Each brought, in turn,
Some truth; same lesson on The lItG oi man.
or recognition Of the Eternal Mind
Who wells his glory with the elements.
One such knew long SINCE white. haired man.
Pithy of speech, and merry Wheh lie Wouia;
genial optmist, who day drew 49,
E,om what he his quaint moraities
Kindly he held communion, though so OLD,
Win me dreaming boy, and taught me much
That books tell not, and shall meier forget
The sun OF May was bright in middle heaven,
And steeped the sproutng forests, the green hlls
And emerald wheat fields, in his yellow light.
I'pon the apple tree, where rosy buds
Stood clustered, ready 10 burst forth in bloom,
The robin warhled forth his full clear nete
For hours, and wearcd not Within the woods
Whose young and halttransparen leaves scarce cast
A shade, gay circles of anemoncs
nanced on their stalks the shad hush, white with flowers
Frightened the sieis the new leayed butternut
And quiverins poplar to the rowing ,S breeze Ts,d.
Gave n balsamc fragrance. In the heids
On the Young grass. Ny hear, touched with Joy
Al so much beauty, flushing every hour
Into fuller beauty hut my friend,
The thoughtful ancient standing Nny side,
Gaxcd ON mildly sad. | asked him why.
swell may'st thou Join in sladness,' he replied,
"Wlh the glad EARTH her springng plants and flowers
And this soft wind, the herald OF the green
Luxuriant summer. Thou art young like them.
And well may thou rejoice. But while the flight
OF seasons fills and kns Thy spreading frame,
II yjthers mine, and thins my hair and dns
These eyes, whose fading light shall soon be quenched
In utter darkness. Nearest thou that hir'l?''
listened, and from midst the depth of woods
Heard the l"ye-sisna of the grouse, that wears
A sable ruff around his notified neck;
Partridge they call him BY our Northern streams,
And Pheasant by the Delaware. lie beat
Gaipst his barred Sides his speckled wings, and made
sound like distant thunder; slow the strokes
Al iirst, then fast and faSter I'LL at length
They passed into murmur and were sun.
..There hast thou' said my friend 'a fitting type
OF human life. 'Ts old truth, Know,
But images like these will freshen truth
SLOW pass our days in childhood, every day
Seems like century; rapidly they siiue
In manhood, and In LIES decline they NY
Will DAYS and seasons Hi before the mind
As hit the snow flakes in a winter storm,
Seen rather than distinguished. All | seem
Asif I sat within helpless bark,
By swiftly running waters hurried on
To shoot some mighty cliff Along Tic banks
Grove after grove, rock lter troN n;c rock,
Bare sands and pleasant homes, and flmery hooks,
And isles and wh,Tlpoos In the stream, appear
Each after each, but the devoted skill
Darts BY so swiftly that their images
Dwell not upon the mind, or oaly dwell
In dim comiusion; faster yet sweep
By other banks and the great gulf is near.
s'wisey, my son, while yCt Thy days ale long,
And this fair change Of seasons passes slow,
Gather and treasure up the good they yield
All that they teach Of virtue, of pure thoughts
And kind affections, reverence for thy God
And for thy bretlren when thou shalt come
Into these barren years, thou mays not bring
A mind unfUrnishcd and wlthered heart"
Long since that whte haired ancient slept-but still,
When the red flower buds crowd the orchard bough
And the ruifed grouse is drumming far within
The woods his venerable form pgain
Is a, my side, his voice Is IN my ear