The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-08-29
A Flower in the Desert.
Anew WORDS ron PEACE.

PEW WORDS FOR PEACE.
Here is a beautiful incident related by an
officer mt Matamoras, in Il letter TO IL friend in
Providence, which reminds us that
In the desert there still is fountain,
In the wide waste there still is tree,
Anda bird in the solitude singing!
Our army were marching into MatOinoras,
and the officer writes
There was little incident occurred which
coutrasted so forcibly with what was going on
around me, that could not bur be struck by it,
Under a tree just on the river bank, and ut
the point where the hustle and ihrong ofthc
passage was greatest, family of Mexicans
had taken shelter, who had re-crossed TO our
side the day before, and had not had time to
move to their homes. There were some six
or eight children of various ages; one of these
n beautiful black eyed graceful little creature
of five or six years. l saw her while turnlllt
and turmoil ofaI descriptions rang around,
while arms were flashing, cannon roaring,
men hurrying 10 and fro, horses duShing at
wild speed, the ar filed with shouts and OBthS
and all was us ifquiet and peace were Danish
ed from the earth, half sitting, halfying upon
a grassy knoll, her head resting upon white
pet dove. and one little arm thrown around
the bird as if to protect it from all harm.
What a lesson is taught here! What pic
ture for the Painter and the Poet! See Inno-
cence personifed in that sweet child!--SCc
Peace represented i'll that beautiful dove!
How they stand out, the bright, the glorious
figures III that scene, where War with its ar
ry of banners and marshalled men, and gau-
Oily dressed officers on caparisoned horses
fresh from the battle field, their hearts filed
with the swelling thought of the victory they
have won, and all glowing with the ambitious
desire that become the heroes. they have
H., II
sweet child and dove, shine with the light that
is from heaven, in that scene, where war fills
up and darkens all the back ground? .r
| Who, that is a man, can look upon this pic
turc, and turning from that which represents
war; all glorious as it is said 10 be, to the calm,
quiet, the joyous aud happy contrast, and not
find his heart moved 81 the longings for Peace
increased upon him. p.l ..
Here he has before him the pomp of war.
Here he sees heroes of his own country and
kin, flushed with triumph, marching to take
possession of that city which their vaIor had
won. He hears the fife and drum; and in the
distance ''the diapason of tho cannonade" an
nounces that the banner Oft the Union floats
from the stall of the government house ofthis
so lately hostile town! 1t is an exh;larating
sight? 1t moves the hearts ofthose who look
upon 1t; and it warns up To Il glow, the pride
that every man feels in his country aud his
name, 1t is the American arms that have Il
cheved this vctory--thcse are American SOL.
diers who have done this glorious deed.
F., We turn our eyes from this and the glory
all fades away. We look upon the battle field,
where the wounded, and the dying, and the
dead are heaped up together. We see here
nothing but the murderous assaults, the dea,t-
ly charge, the work ofthe sword, and the can
non, and the gun, and the bayonet! Here is a
poor fellow with his head shot off;-thcre is
another with his arm gone--what terrible
cash has the sabre of n dragoon made in the
head ofthat soldier, who now reels to the earth
Here are two men lying together dead--they
killed each other--the bayOnet oftbe one has