The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-12-12


And let a flOOd 81 grsfin.
Friend tell tl.ee,
did once lose a daughter!"
Beaumont and Fletcher.
1--WE Too manne hyue to anc land Of bliss
To ane land ofholy silentnesse.''
.Mador Qrhe Moor.
was stranger in strange land. mol
heart IN !hnt populous city lay close TO mine,
and weary OF contemplating the restless flow
ota llie IN whose pulsati9ns | felt no interest.
had turned aside into a sanctuary of the
dead. have passion for a graveyard. In!-
ways enter, for love TO commune solidarity
with the sad,vngIe thoughts that well TN from
my very hearts depth as | stroll along the
aisles ofthe silent congregation. Oh, the
grave! the grave! Why should il ever be an
object of lOathiig to the human race? Is il
not the peaceful home of the sorrowiul. the
tried, the sin-sick? Is il not that blessed
land of promise, where "the wicked cease
from troubling, and the weary are at rest?''-
Humankind. go thither and mediate. If
the world for you has lost its brightness-if
the rainbow spans not the cloud-if your love
or your hope has perished--ifyour hate even
hath lain down with corruption, go for you
are an heir TO the same inheritance-you too
must 60 down alone into the dark house
you must rhingle with the little handfuls of
earth which you have loved or hated, "dust
TO dust, '-ny. more, your white shadow-lip,
must breathe its silent "all-hal" 10 the nIys-
ferrous company that dwell beyond the broth
erhood oFpassionless and unessential ghosts
TO think Oft, and the ghost in your own bos-
om viii suggest suitable preparation for that
strange, lone greeting.
Their, is much To be learned in grave
yard There are streams running back from
such spot directly TO the heart ofthe living.
There are a thousand little evidences ofa feel
ing heart in the simple and touching decoru-
tons of the ''place of graves" Cold and
sense.led NEST be that soul which will suffer
the tombs of bis kindred TO be trampled over
J by the brutes that perish. There is no test
oflo1e but remembrance, and gifts are its TO-
kens, The true heart will offer something
t. The memory ofthose il loved-if will rot at
least suffer the finger of DETACHMENT TO blur
all tnat is left TO IL ofwhnt once was lovely /
would not wish To he so invidious as TO point
out neglected graves, though they I've almost
wrthin stones throw. only add. that the
broken railing, the topping heads,one, the
uihdorned sod, must beget in any sensitive
heart feelings ofaversion towards commu-
NIFTY IN which they are found, and ofufter re-
pugnance to final resting place in their
midst. Oh, death! death! death! though thou
art very dreadful-thougb thou changest the
D
disrobe thee of half thy terrors-we mock
thee at the very foot ofthy throne, when we
steal into thy dark dominion-twiue the anl-
aranth where thou hast trailed the ivy-re-
move the moss from ont the quantity carved
letters, and make the prisOn-house where
thou watchest our companions, look bright
and pleasant. II Is then we fall, as il were
in love with thy gloomy sceptre, and almost
in sight of those thou hast already snit,en,
grasp the hem ofthy receding garment, and
cry TO thee, spectre lead on"
| said had turned aside into cemetery
IL was curious one-such an one as | had
never seen before. The repositories for the
dead were built above the ground and on tie
Theoretically sealed tablets in front were
sculptured the names and ages ofthe deems
ed. They were all solid, and looked as ii
they might stand for ages-aIl but one. j
ventured TO look into that, but saw nothing.
The iphabitant had fled. There was no ef.
fort at show-all was simple, neat and touch |
ing. Flowers, some fresh, some faded, were |
placed in rude receptacIes, on n projection
before most of the vaults, and over some
vines twined gracefully, and delicate buds |
hung with hearts iui OF perfume, close a.
galnst the sculptured names Of the departed. |
learned II is custom Tor the friends of the |
sleepe-s 10 assemble annually, and renew |
th'~'S NodCuliS SltnplG ftcillOflels. Holy, |
holy are such heart felt duties. What If |
those friends are beyond the reach of sym
pathies? Will this check the flow of our
grief, or mitigate The pain of our anguish?-- |
Senseless paradox And as there is nothing |
humanity in sorrow for the dead so there can |
he no afiectaton in lavishing our heaIt-store
upon their ashes. True, too often, the pomp, |
the circumstance, fhe emblazonry of the bur |
lal and of the tomb, SAVIOR more Of pride, than |
OF regret, anu there is little genuineness in
the "cold conceits ofscnlptured marble;" yet
all this IL easily distinguished from that sim
LSTe ana See..sif'll sorrow which leads the |
mourncr to lavish the tendcreS, gifa. ..pOga the |
resting place ofthe being he loved, aud ~ (
decorate IL unostentatiousy with tho SIMPLE \
and delicate offerings OF flowers. Nor does 4
II make any matter as 10 these duties, whnt Il
we may belive in regard to their unseen mode /
of Observation-Disclosures they yet linger in the /
sunlight and ar,or whether the land in which !
they dwell lieth very far off. All of It's have /
our beliefon this subject, but venture to as
sert the sorrow ofal partakes of but this one /
feeling: they are gone! gone to us-they are
not visible by onr side-the hand is cold, and /
cannot return our grasp--the heart is STILL
and can no longer beat against our own, as it |
was erewhie wont--we remember only that
they were lovely and pleasant in their lives
that we have spoken harsh words-have
negectediopportunites for kindness, that can
never, never be again offered, and now we
needs must pour our sympathes, and our re-
grets over their slumbering dust--we needs
must yield our offerings and lavish our tears,
only the more freely and bitterly, because,
$50 far as we can know from the replies sent
back to us) those offerings are unheeded, and
those tears Vlnavailinn