The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-06-04
WHOLE NO. sa7.
THE LOCOMOTIVE.

There is fearful power in The sIron horse
ofthe Railway "a swift, hard, restless ener-
gy, which is perhaps the best type ofthe
iron age ofpuffing and progress. The steam
monster, SO like living creature, and vet
but ghastly caricature Of life, 10 thus deln-
Gated by Dickens in the last number of Dom
by & Son. Hold fas, by the rattng and read
Away, with shrek, and roar, and rat.
tie, from the town, burrowing among the
dwellings Of man, and making the streets
hum, flashing out into tho medows for mo-
ment, mining through the damp earth, BOOM
ing on in darkness and heavy air, bursting
out again into the sunny day 80 bright and
wide; away, with shrek, and roar and
rattle, through the fields, through the woods,
through the corn, through the chalk, through
the mould, through the clay, through the
rock, among objects close at hand and almost
in the grasp, ever flying from the traveller,
and a decetful distance ever moving slowly
with him; like as the track ofthe remors eIess
monster, Death! "
Through the hollow, on the height, by the
heath. by the orchard, by the park, by the
garden, over the canal, across the river,
where the sheep are feeding, where the mill
is going, where The barge is floating, where
the dead are lying, where the fact ory is smo-
king, where the stream is running, where the
village clusters, where the great cathedral RI
ses, where the bleak moor lies, and the wild
breeze smooths or rufiles it at its inconstant
will; away with shrek, and roar, and rat
tie, and no trace to leave behind but dust
and vapor; like as in the track ofthe remorse-
less monstor, Death!
Bredsting the wind and light, the shower
ind sunshine, away, and still away, it rolls
and roars fierce and rapid, smooth and Ger
tain, and great works and massive bridges
crossing up above, fall like a beam of shadow
an inch broad upon the eye, and then are
lost. Away and still away, onward and on
ward ever, glimses Of cottage homes, ofhous-
es, mansions, rich estates, of husbandry, and
handicaaft, of people of old roads and paths
that looked deserted, small and Insignificant
as they are left behind; and sothey do, and
what else is there but suchasglimpse in the
track Of the indomtable monster death!
Away, with a shrek, and roar, and a
rattle plunging down into the earth again,
and working OFT in such storm Of energy
and perseverance,, that amid the darkness
and the whirlwnd the motion seemed re-
versed, and to tend furiously backward,
until ray of light upon the wet wall shows
its surface, flying past like fierce stream
Away once more into the day, and through
the day with a shrill Of exultaton, roaring,
and rattling, tearing on, spurning everything
with its dark breath, sometimes pausing for
minute where crowd of faces are, that
in minute more are not, sometimes laping
the water greedily, and before the spout at
which it drinks has ceased to drip upon the
ground, shrieking, and roaring, rattling in
the purple distance
Louder and louder yet, il shrieks and
cries as il comes tearing resistlessly towards
the goal; and new its way, still like the way
Of death, is strewn with ashes thickly. Eve
ry thing around is blackensd. There are
dark pools ofwater, muddy lanes, and mis-
cradle habitations far below. There are
jagged walls aud falling houses close a. hand,
and through the battered roofs and broken
windows, wretched rooms are seen, where
want and fever hide themselves IN many
wretched shapes, while smoke and crowded
gables, and distorted chimniss, and de-
formity ofbricks and mortar penning up de-
formity Of mind and body, choke the murky
distance. As Mr.. Dombey lsoks out of his
carriage window, il is never in his thoughts
that the monster who has brought him there
has let the light ofday in on those things; not
made or caused them. il was the journeys
fitting end of everything; it was SO ruuous
and dreary.