Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-12-04
Moral Tcachings.
The Sun and The Icicle,

LoTAN was Jew, living in captivity. lii:
nation was scattered abroad to the four winds Of
heaven, and he aud his family were exiIed from
their sunny home on the banks Of Jordan, to the
cold SHOWS Of the North, Poverty and persecu-
ton pursued them still Man as well as nature
was unkind.
Lotan mourned as one without hope. Love
soitened, but could not unrivet his shackles.-
Day by day the iron entered his heart deeper and
deeper.
On bright morning in November Totan sal
in sadness and grief by his friends. The heav'
ems were 'fretted with the golden fire. of the ri.
sing sun. And the icy forests flashed and quiv.
cred with a thousand remulous rays of silver
light A bird, begulled by the ponp and tran.
guilty of the morning, sat in the garden hedge
and swelled her little throat with hymn to the
Almighty, aud walked the echoes ofnaure's soil
tude and filled the chambers of the human bo
som with glad harmony But Lotan brooded o.
yer his exile and was exceeding sorrowfl The
spIendqr aud glorious majesty Of the rising king
of day communicated no delight The silent
sympathy Of AdIh, his wife, and the h'ppy prlt
Of his children, soOthed not his oh fed spirit
lie thought Of his home in the holy land. lie
remembered the cave in the hill side where his
father and mother slept with their f,thers. Oh
bitter, bitter exile from those dear scenes Of hi.
youthful love!
I.otan repined, AMI fmgot his blessings enjoy
ed and preserved, in the recollection Of his bles
sings lost. An uuholy wish struggled i'll the
depths of his heart, and came into beinG, like
bubble shooting up from the dark sea, lie brea
thea silent curse against his enemies, and his
ccuntenance darkened with the mingling lines
Of wrath and grief
But his eye caught slender cicle pendant
from the lower roof, and clustering pure and
keenIy in the sunbeam. An image of happy
home in the far East, unused the exile; SO bright
were the joyful hopes that clustered around our
little circle, so pure was cur love, so calm were
the heavens of that blessed home My God
my God, why hast thou fcFsaken me-"
The day advanced, aud the sun poured forth
an atmosphere Of light, and warmth, and love-
| When suddenly the ccle was loosened from its
iraiI hold, and was dashed in pieces on the icy
pavement beneath the window.
A tear started to Lotans eye, and his wild
thoughts were stiled. will mourn no more
said he The little icce telches me wisdom
Submissions 1t has perishcd but net without
cause. The universal sun, that fills the world
with beauty and gladness, has destroyed it
What carries life to millions, causes death to
one. will weep no more. My home is over
whemed in the commissions of the world, and we
are cast on this desolate coast, shipwrecked in
the world-storm. But the Judge of all the earth
does right. His winds aud lghtnings wreck the
lone vessel but they give fresh life and elasticity
to the aII-surrounding air. The dark world will
be enlightened by the children of God, banished
from their holy home, and wandering in exile
The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, let
the multitude of isles thereof be glad"
And I.otan bowed himself in prayer, and when
he arose the wrath and the sorrow had departed
and his eye was calm, and he looked on his wife
and little ones, and his heart yearned towards
them.