The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-02-06
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In field fruitful in its varied products, there grew
Flower Of exquisite loneliness and beauty. Fault
less in all its charms, charming without fault, it
grew and flourished. Before it had fully blossomed
stranger passing by behold it attracted by its
surprising loneliness, s. as lie viewed with increased
admiration and delight the new, and more perfect
beauties which its opening petals from hour to hour
and day to day revealed he resolved, when it should
reach maturity to pluck that Flower from its parent
stem and clasp it TO his bosom. But, alas for hui
man hopes Before it had ripened into maturity, and
all its richly clustering virtues had been developed;
before that sweet bud was fully blossomed, rough
wind swept by, dropped its chilling influence upon
that fair Flower and it dropped and languished, and
died
So it was with SOPHIA c. WEST. Nurured in
the lap Of kindly Mothers with spht eminently
etherealized and pure, she had nearly reached The
age of Eighteen years of her blameess life. In nat
ural dignity and grace, and in all the intellectual
qualities she much superior to her years. In
her manners revealing all the simplicity Of nature,
and graceful beyond fault; with taste eXqusitely
refined and nice, she combined sense of proprety
highly exalted and pure, that governed all her &C
TONS and directed all her thoughts. In the ntellec-
tual and literary attainments TO be acquired by pa
tient, perseverng study and effort, she very much
exceIed; and in all the delicate paths Of science
md the arts, peculiarly sensitive and refined were
her mind and taste, that that which required labori
Gus effort from the many to attain, seemed but the
mere impulse of nature to her.
Though by her intellectual attainments; the eic-
gance finer manners; the refinement Of her taste;
and her personal neatness, she extorted the admra-
ton Of all; yet the qualities Of her heart were the
browning virtues that adorned her most There
the shrine before which virtue paid homage, and vice
approached with Not ascetic, not cold, formal,
and forbidding; but instead, bland cheerful, and
happy in her intercourse with others, yet there
conscious dignity in her virtue which impaired
buke to the first approach Of improperly. In her
temper she mild and af1able, keeping over it a
constant guard; in her disposition cheerful, happy,
and very kind; and in all the thoughts of her heart
she pure and unsullied. OF her Affections
those rich rubies Of her heart, she was cautious
when, where, and what objects she bestowed
them, but when she had found an attachment she was
steady, trustful, and true. And like the sun from
its dawn to its meridian, her heart impaired to the
happy object of its attachment, steady, and con-
stantly increasing warmth; yet unlike the in its
declination that constant heart ceased to i'm
even one Of its cheerful and envenng rays.
But they not earthly objects alone that she
loved. In her heart there was an altar from which
continually a flame Of grateful incense and love
that Being who has at last taken her to Himself
In her expiring moments, with composure which
none but such feel conscious of sins forgiven and
the efficacy Of atoning mercy could evince she ad-
monished those who were near and dear to her to be
she was, ready.
What variety there is in human kind There
various grades of the bad and good, but o, how
few the very good, and how much fewer still,
like her OF her it may be truly said, ''none knew
her but to love her,none named her but to praise -
So pure, exalted, ethereal was she in all her
thoughts, and words, and ways, that, rcverenty be
it spoken, it would almost that God, by more
scrutnzing glance deserted her perfect loneliness
and regarding her too pure for earth, took her
Himself to add another ornament to Heaven. What
ever may have been his motive il is unknown TO us
But believing He does all things well, we are bound
to yield passive, though painful obedience.
There is power in the lightning to rive the gnarl-
ed and stubborn oak that fills the mind with wonder
and awe; but, Oh how much more mighty is the
power in Gods arm to rend the human heart and
when all its affections convergng to a point, or
woven around sing lie object OF its love, at blow
to sever all those cords, and leave that heart bleed
ing, mangled, and torn what power How fear
full How unapproachable even in its contemplation
There is a majesty, solitary grandeur in the lone
ly and rugged oak; but, how much more majestic
and perfect does that ak appear when the tender
ivy twines around its trunk, and cngs to it for sup
port through storm, and tempest, and wintry blast
When its branches are Topped off one by one, and
the ivy draws away from it and dies, what a mean
choy and painful spectacle does the shorn oak ap-
pear So it is with man. And who can tell the
sorrow Of the human heart when its fountains are
broken up as mighty food and through all its chan
nels flow only bitter, very bitter waters How lit
tie do they know of human sorrow whose heart new
ryearned over the lost object of its affections
whose straining eyes never looked into the far off
vista Of futurity to catch glimpse of her whose
spirit had taken its flight to another and better
ld,-whose affections never cried ssCome hack 4,