Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1840-11-14
HUMAN HAPPINESS.

There is beautiful passage from the
German of Jean Paul Richter, upon
which we have often dwolt with mean.
choly satisfaction God thou canst
aud wilt give us, hereafter, REALITY,
which shall cmbody, aud exceed and sat
isfy, all that is here ldea~
This life IS levercd, thanksgiving
state of existence. and man Is restless
creature. he bis rank, or nation, or cir.
cumstancos what thoy may, 4 matters
not; there remains ever 40 Object unat-
tanned, on which his eye rest7, aud for
which bis heart yearns with Unsuitable
craving. So long as that object IS un-
possessed, lie is an unhappy being; yet,
when gained, how often is 1t flung aside
as the useless toy Of a chiIdl Spendor
aud 0illuence may sprinkle his pathway
with -gratiGed ambition may
fling It's golden halo around his brow
pleasure may envelope vim in her ely.
stun Of seduclions--eyery department
Of nature and Of art may be ransacked
for the elements Of happiness, and then
from all of them he may turn away,
lainiing, weary, sick at soul with unsniis.
fed asprationl
Who has not, in the beautiful day
dreams of excited iancy--when be has
cast loose the rolns Of Imagination, and,
for a brief season, has permitted bis
thoughts and bis feelings unrcstratned to
royel in tho fairy realms OF the ideal
WORLDWIDE, at such an hour, has moi
traced out upon his minds iabIet the out.
lines Of a scheme Of happiness, which
he may never enjoy; aud, in conception
summoned up n paradise Of bliss, Of
which this earth know n0t2 Who IN
fancy has not spread out to bis vision
greener fields than ever. even 10 boy
hoods hour, he has froiieked on--bath
cd his feyered lip ia freshcr fountain.
than ever gushcd from Tho rock, aud ira
ced above him bIuer skies aud richer
sunlight, than ever canopied carihl
Al, could we scan the thoughts Of the
hearts Of this varied multitude, which il
the busting scenes Of ordinary existence
throng around u5-coud We trace out the
untold emotions, which agliate tho On
seen secroces Of their bosoms, how ma
ny wild and bitter thing should w
, there Gud rambling, which the boamy
f eye, and the flushed check aud tho sun
j nv lip, had mover revealed What IN
speakablo longing--what intense soici
! tudol-what leyerish aspira'ionl--wha
melancholy retrospcction VIVA. fearful
forebOding l-- what remorseGul media
i tlon!--whot wild hopes aud wilder wish
/ es should VIC not there behold
! And thus tits: and, as the features {
: the human face are the same in ever
countononce, so arc the features Of lh
human heart 10 every breast Thu
has it ever been; nor, in tho nature {
moral, mental, or spiritual existence, ca
y il everin this unsanctiied world, DO oh
,f erwise. The objects around US are d.
;. signed to crafty the mere demands
r. our physical organization. 10 the wild
! reaching circle Of created things, lheI
q is naughl to quench the feyerish croyin
. Of the soul. The phoutasms Of hope
n the unreal mockery Of anticipated fut'
q rity--ah! how they agilale The unsail
= fed bosom, when conifasiei with q
s. emptiness of reality! There Is with
3. Us a flame, which tho many waters
# this life cannot assuago, Where is
e aspiration Of ths spirit, Ger which Il
r things Of Garth are TOO meon.--a Ton