The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-02-05
Vol, II. No, 80. Whole No, $40.

push WIN Her Inuluen manu. .'uc' must sll
farther oh,on that other stone, with the spring
between us. What would the sisters say, II
thee were TO sit so close to mep
But we are of the worlds people now,Mir-
lam, answered Josiah.
The girl persisted in her prudery, nor did
the youth, IN fact, seem, altogether free from
n similar sort Of slyness; so they sat apart
from each other gazing up tho ldll, where
the moonlight discovered The tops ola group
Of buildings. Whie their attention wns thus
occupicd,a party of travellers who had come
YEARLY up tho long ascent, made IL halt to re.
fresh themselves nj the spring. There were
three men, n woman, and lille girl and hoy.
Their attire was mean, covered with the dust
Of the summers day,nnd damp with the night
dew; they all looked woe BECOME, as il the
cares aud sorrows Of the world had made
their steps heavier MS they climbed the Hill;
even the TWO lItlo children appeared Older
in evil days, than the young man and maiden
who had first approached the spring
Good evening 10 you young folks was
the sulutatiou oftho travellers; aud Good
evening, friends, replied the yoalland dam
sci.
ais That white building the Shaker meet
ing house," asked one OF The strangers. "Aud
are those the red roofs ofthe Shaker viagci"
"lricnd, il is the shaker village, answer
er Josiah, after some hesitation.
The travellers, who, from the first had
looked suspciouslya ut the gnrb olthese young
people, now toXed them with an intention,
which all the circumstances, indeed, render
ed too obvious 10 be mistaken.
SIT is true, friends" replied the young man,
summoning up his courage. "Mirium ana
have II gift TO love each otleraud we uro go
ing among tho worlds people TO live after
their fashion. Aud We know that we DO not
transgrcss the law oflhe lund;nnd neither We,
nor the elders themselves, haze right to
hinder US"
"Yct you think it cxpcdent 10 depart with
out leave taking remarked one Of the tray.
oilers.
"Yca, yea" said Josiah reluctantly, "be-
cause father Job is very awful man to speak
with, and being aged himself, he has but it,
tie charity for what hc calls the iniquities of
the ncsh.'
"Well," said the stranger, "wc will neither
use force TO bring you back to the village,uor
will we bCtray you to the elders. But sit you
here awhile, and when You have heard what
we shall tell you oft the world which we have
left, and into which you nro going, perhaps
you will turn back with MS Of your own nc
cord What say you2' added he, turning
TO bis companions. I'VE have travelled thus
far without becoming known TO each other.
Shall we tell our stories, here by this pleas
| ant spring, for Our own pastlme, and the ben
eft ofthesc misguided young LOVERS"
In accordance with this proposal the whole
party stationed themselves round the stone
cistcrn, the two children being very weary,
fell asleep upon the damp earth,and the pref
| " Shaker girl, whose feelings were those Of
a nun or "A Turkish lady, crept as close MS
possible TO the female traveller and as far ms
she well could from the unknown men. The
same person who had hitherto been the chief
spokesman, now stood up, waving his hat in
his hand, and suffered The moonlight to fall
full upon his front.
ain me-" said he, with certain majesty
Of uterance, ain me you behold a poet"
Though photographic print ofthis gentle
man is eXlaut, it may he well to notice, that
he was now nearly forty IA thin and STOPPING
figure. in black coat, out at elbows; rot
wthsianding the i'll condition of his attire,
there were about him several tokens of pc
culiar sort of toppery unworthy OF u ma
ture man, particularly in arrangement Of his
hair, which was so disposed as TO give all
possible holiness and breadth to his forehead.
However, he had an intelligent eye, and on
the whole, marked countenance.
"a poet" repeated the young Shaker,a lit !
tic puzzled how TO understand such desig-
nation, seldom heard in the utiltarian com
munily where he had spent his life. ooh,
ay, Miriam, he means a Vurse maker, thee |
must know"
This remark Jared upon the susceptible |
nerves of the poet;nor could lac help wonder |
ing what strange fatality lad put into this
young muu's mouth an epithet, which i'll ma
tured people had affirmed to be more proper
TO mis- merit than the one assumed 10y himself.
"Irue, atm Il verse MAKER" lie resumed ,
"Lut my verse is no more than the material
body into which breathe The celestial soul
Of thought. Alas! how many q pang has it |
cost me,this same inScpsibiltv to the ETHEREAL |
essence OF poetry, with which you have here
tortured me again, ut the moment when |
am 10 relinquish my profession forever! Oh. |
Fate! why hast thou warred with Nature, |
turning all her higher and more perfect gifts |
to the ruin OF me their possessor? What is |
the voice of song, when the world lacks the |
ear of taste? How can rejoice in my strength !
and delcacy Of feeling, when they have but
made great sorrows out Of lille ones? Have |
| dreaded scorn like death, and yearned for
fame as others pant for air, only to find !
myself in Il middle state between Obscuriy |
and intany? But l have my revenge! /
could have given existence to thousand |
bright creations. crush them into my heart
and there let them purify! l shake off the
dust of my feet against my counTymen! But
posterity, tracing my footsteps up this weary
bill, will cry shame upon the unworthy age
that drove one of the fathers of American
song to end his days in Shaker villagew
During this harangue,the speaker gesticu-
lated with great energy, and, rs poetry is tho
natural language Of passion, there appeared
reason TO apprehend his final explosion into
an ole eX:ampore. The reader must under
stand, thai for al these bitter words, he was
a kind, rentle. ,.armess poor fellow enough,
whom Nature. ,ossi,iS, her ingredients togeth-
err without looking Mt he recipe, lad sent
hn