Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-05-12
THE UNDERTAKEN.
AS PUBLISHED IN THE KNIcKERBocEER.
Ii was my frs Snndau In liz a.... u

suS'eu SuHiH1onS. love the sound oil
Church bells;heir tones are associated with
the pleasant days of my boy hood; 70. be i,
known have reached that period of life
when the mind. no longer led by the brigh,
hopes that have been so often frustrated
iondly wanders back 10 the fairy times oil
J ouih; LIKE one who in the midst of a lone
and toilsome journey has reached some
rugged and dragged eminence, from whose
desolated height he gazes down with sad
feeling Of regret on the fair and verdanl
valley from amid whose sun touched flow
ers he first set forth.
Wei! the church bells rang cheerfully;
the jewels, laces, silks, fea hers and fin
cry in the shop-windows wore their week
day faces behind their wooden iron.bound
and eyeless masks; the awning posts were
dlsmantleu Of their drapery, the pavements
looked as if every individual brick had
been secured with motherly affection un.
til it was as bright and rosy as the cheek S
of German maiden, even the linden-trees
by the way side, with their ever trembling
leaves. seemed to have been clipped into
a wonderful neatness, while the very wat
ers tina; an down the kennel were "clear
as the fount Of the Iielicon," so scrupul.
ously clean are the good people of that
cleanest of all clearly cities. Not brass
knob, knocker or bell pull but brightly re-
flected its neighbor on the opposite side OF
the way; not single plate Of glass in the
windows but would have mirrored the tolls
OF any adventurous fly who was rash O.
nough TO approach it. Ia short every
thing upon which the eye rested, whether
OF art or nature, was as completely endim-
ancher as the most fashionable woman
IuXuriousIy drawn to church by her two
pampered greys. Troops Of we'll condi.
toned citizens were vending their way to-
wards their respective places of worship;
their long and varega'ed lines presenting
all the gorgeous hues of poppy bed; while
the rumberless parasols bobbing a5ou, look
ed not unlike huge green leaves out-sprcad
10 shield their bright heads from the sun,
Here demure little creature, with her
sweet healthful face peeping like a half o.
pened rose bud from The modest recess of
her cottage bonnet, and bearing in her hand
her folded handkerchief and richly bound
prayer book, walked quietly onward, with
her soft b'ue eyes studying the graceful
curves of her shoe lie, and now glancing
furitiveIy at the tanalizing folds Of a new
satin cardinal that would come before her.
Then sailed along, in an abundant allow
ance oflaces and costly drapery land some
what pondcrous person of the rich
merchants wife, who hucbly permitted
the world TO observe that, although the pos
SCISSOR of more than one carriage, she with
true christian humility always made point
of walking on Sunday, even in the most
unreasonable weather. Here the sprucely
a,tired tradesman, with his bright buttons.
glossy hat, neatly trimmed whskers, and
somewha proud countenance, expressive
only of very earnest perseverance with
which he was calculating his weekly gains
slowly pursued the uncertain steps Of the
feeble limbed white haired octogena: an
whose thoughts, no longer fetered by the
pleasures or cares Of this world, were doubt
less wandering in many a curious specula-
ton on tina; fathomless Future, of whose
mighty MYSTERIES he was himself so soon to
form a part. To be brief, there were
yves and widows, and maidens fair; the
proud, the humble, the rich, the poor; all
the ingred en,s that Usually compose pot
peurrl of human beings, for whatever pur.
pose assembled. Among the many gath
cred in the streets that day, how few Their
were whose thoughts were towards ser
Gus consi Iteration of the solemn purpose
for which they gathered together! low
few were filled with feelings Of gratitude
for the countless blessings they had beer
permitted to enjoy! We are too prone ,t
forge: the Almighty Creator Of our ? cas-
ures, in the hour Of happiness: we only re
member him when stung by the spar o
misfortune.
AS approached the beautiful little
church Of 81. -, whose cold and pure
architecture rises from amid the noble tree
whch surround it, chaste emblem OF th'
lovely precepts taught beneath It's root, th'
full and glorious tones of the majestic or
gan suddenly rose upon the air with mourn
'ul yet swelling grandeur. Surely, surel.
there is no other instrument so well cal
cuated 10 awaken feelings of sublime de
votion Those splend volumes of soun
those dying falls, those radiant bursts
harmony, seem 10 bear away the soul i
an extacy of divine enthusiasm. ha
heard much of the eloquence of the reveI
end gentleman who in this beautiful llt,l
sane cary presided over the spiritual We
fare of his hume rous flock, and was pre-
pairing my mind by previous meditatio
for a fine moral discourse, when that mag
nicent outporing of almost celestial melc
dy so completely took possession OF m
faculties, that found myself rooted to tn
spot while my less absorbed companio
gided silently by me into the body OF tn
, church. At length those splendid tone
! were heard no more; the pew doors ha
ceased TO swing and creak; full deep tol
ed voice rose to the vaulted roof; and
! found myself alone in the vestibule. GI
ing myself the rousing shake, and reluc
.. autjy Withdrawing my eyes from the v
o lutte OF an opposite column, on which the
s had been unconsciously fastened. was
!. bout to apply to the friendly offices Of II
IF sexton, when that cadaverous looking fun
: tionary gently approached. and laying h
! hand upon nv arm with all the gravity
: his peculiar position in society, obser
ed:
Il say, sir, you wasn't thinking much
bou the place you were IN. guess, w
you!" ;.
'' IL bad indeed almost forgotten myself
| -aDi5pd. ..hnt will Won show me 10