The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1846-11-12
VOL. vi. SO.
THE SACRED MOUNTAINS.

Z. y . ~
What strange contrasts this earth Of ours
nbrosonts.l It seems 10 be the middle spol
obstween heaven and hell, and to partake o.
Tho character Of both. Beings from both
are constantly occurring uponit, The glory
from one and lbc midnight shades from the
cother meet along It's bosom, aud the song Of
angels and the shrek Of fieids go up from
the same spot MONDAY and midnight are
moi more opposite than the scenes that are
constantly passing before our eyes. The
temple Of God stands beside q brothei, and
the place Of prayor Is separated only BY q
single dwelling from the + hell" Of the
gambler, Truth and falsehood walk side by
side through our streets, and vice and virtue
meet and pass every hour Of the day. The
hut OF the starving stands in the shadow oi
the palace OF the wealthy, and the carriage
of Dives every day throws the dust Of Its
,glittsripg wheels over the taitcred garments
Of Lazarus. Health and sickness lie down in
the samo apartment; JOY and agony look out
of the same window; and hope and despair
dwell under the same iook The cry OF the
newborn infant a id the groan ofstke dying
rise together from the same dwelling; the
funeral procession treads close on the heels
Of the bridal party, and the tones Of the
lute and viol have scarcely died away before
the requiem ior The dead comes swelling
afler. O! the beautiful and deiormed, the
pure and corrupt, JOY and sorrow, ecslaclesl
and agonies, life and death, are strangely
blent on thisSesilass planet Of ours!
But The past and future present as strange
contrasts as lhe present. What different
events have transpired an the same spot
Where the smoke Of the Indian's wlgwam
arose, and the stealthy tread Of the wolf
and panther was heard over the autumn
leaves at twilight, the population Of New
York now surges along. Where once Tyre,
The queen of the sea, stood, fishermen are
spreading their nets on the desolate rocks,
and the bright waves are rolling over It's
marble columns. In the empty apartments
Of Edom the fox makes its den, and the dust
of the desert is sitting over the forsaken
ruins Of Palmyra The owl hoots in the an
cent halls of kings, and The wind of the
summer night makes sad music through the
rents Of once gorgeous palaces. The Arab
spurs his steed along the streets Of ancient
Jerusalem, or scornfully stands on Mount
Zion, and curls his lip at the pilgrim press
ing weafly TO the sepulchre Of the Savior.
The Muezzin's voice rings over the bones OF
tie prophets, and the desert wind heaps the
dust above tho foundations Of the seven
churches of Asia. Q, how good and evil,
LIGHT and darkness, chase each other over
the world
Bit itmay be asked, what this fit of mu-
sinp has 10 do with Mount Tabor. 1t came
upon me unawares, and was suggested by
Two different scenes my Imagination drew
upon lhat mountain.
Forty seven years ago, this month, form
was seen standing on Mount Tabor, with
which the world has since become familiar.
Ii was a bright clear morning, and as, he sat
on his steed in the clear sunlight, bis eye
rested on a ascenc ii the vale below, which
was sublime andappallng enoughtoquicken
she spuisations Of the calmest heart. That
form was Napoleon Bonaparte, and the scene
before him the fierce and terrible /" Battle Of
Mount Tabor.' From Nazareth, where the
Savior once trod, Kleber had marched forth
With three thousand French soldiers into the
nlain. where, at the foot Of Mount Tabor,
he saw the whole Turkish army drawn up
II order Of battle Fifteen thousand infantry
and twelve thousand splendid cavalry moved
down in majestic strength on this band o.
,hree thousand French Kleberhad scarce
il time 10 throw his handful Of men into
squares, with the cannon at the angles, be-
fore those twelve thousand horse, making
the earth smoke and thunder as they came,
burst into headlong gallop upon them.
But round those stea y squares rolled q
fierce dsvouring fire, empiyng the saddles
Of those wild horsemen with frightful rapid-
II, and strewing the earth with the bodies of
riders and steed together Again and again
did those splendid squqAgons wheel, reform,
and charge with deafen,ng shouts, while