The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-07-30
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE DEATH OF MOSES.

IHE III VI MOSES-
Upon the mountains brow the prophet stood
Looking his first and last upon the scene, and
drinking in
Its loneliness like a refreshing draught,
Borne TO a thirsty lip-The soft winds played
In gentle dalliance with the cd mans locks,
And waved his flowing robe. His glance was
firm,
His spirit still unwavering, though he knew
That on this beauty he might never look again.
Yet calm, resigned, though sorrowful he bowed
In meek submission, and the bitter drausht-
The punishment prepared for him was mingled
now
With the sweet consciousness that sin might be
forgiven.
Again he looked upon the glorious scene;
The plains far spreading and the distant sea
Whose blue expanse CLEANED out afar
Beyond the waving Palm-trees, and a shadow
came
Upon his lofty brow, and the bright eye
Which age had dimmed not, though it shed no
tear,
Betrayed the strong mans agony. Though had
gone back
To other wears. He dreamed O Egypt's palaces
In splendor till the knowledge of his peoples
wrongs
Reused an avenging Spirit. Then the shepherds
life,
The image ofh wife and and child arose
With vividness. He thought him OF the hour
When by the burning bush he first communed
In intercourse familiar withhis God, and learned
His OWL exalted destiny. TIL many plaques
Sent by avenging Heaven on the oppressors were
before
His mental yi.ion. He r%etreced the wonderouS
power
Which, sleplys,ep, had brought his people from
iiat land,
Parlinsihe walcrs for their paihway-and their
guide
The cloudy pillar, or atnight the cleaning fire;
And then the thought came DER him of the hour
When nj l,'Ith, thnader's roaring and the Tighten
ing's flash
And quaking earth, the voice of God arose
And gave his laws. The buried past arose to
light
% bIiSil Wa uiCAApi1 ; HNt -N
One cankercd thought hadentered, painful dark
II was the sad remembrance of his sin
When in the pride ofpowcr he stern rebuked
The people of his charge and, as he smote the
rock
That God might give the cooling drauSht,
Ascribcd no glory to The Highest. Such is
man
Proud in The majesty of feeble might
He soon forgels his worthlessncSs, and stretches
forth
His hand to grasp eX;chdedsway; yetnot content
With earth, his sacrilcgions thought would fain
Dispense the gifts of heaven, or claim them as
hisown.
The prophet s1zed
On the bright scene before him ill his laring eye
Grew din with shades ofdeaih, he upward raised
His glance to Heaven, as if to catch 4 CLEAN
or thatf far world, and murmcred hi last words
"Fathcri the spirits chords may culver,
The mortalc yc may fade indaIkest gloom,
When standing by deaths lone and silentriver,
Or sadly gazing in the yawning tomb;
But yeti see beyond a vision glorious
A farier land than this of endless light
a ihrong of bright ones, over all victorious,
Itro's the sPoiler ofhis boasting might.
Father! to thee Iyield my passing spirit
In prayer, that my dark sin mayle forgiven:
That | may yet the glorious gift inherit
A crown ofjoy laid up for me in heaven"
As softly died these trusting words in air,
His life departed, gently as the flower
Yields up ii fragrance, and his grave was made
In the lone valley yet no man may tell
The spot where he reposes. EMMA.