Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-11-29
TableauX from Life.
BY PAUL GoRDoN.

"Look here upon this picture, and then os this
A dark and stormy night in tie depth ol
winter; tho lights gleam forth from the
curtained windows Of magnificent man.
sion in the heart Of pepulous city. 1oua
and beauty, patriciah birth and Pafrena
nobility lhronged into the richly tnrnishet
apartments. Let US enter with the crowd
"On with the dancer' fla! ha! who
says there is misery and dessolation on the
earth2 Ills false. All is shoppiness-r-
The ieweled hand the filleted brow, the un
exceptional tournure of the highoorn beau
ty, the sparkling wit Of the orator, the wis
dom ofthe philosopher, the morality suited
to the occasion of the divine. the wealth OF
the banker, the exquisite nothing OF the
mansion Of fashion-all, all are here with
their dazzling display, to give the canting
hypocrite, who talks to US OF the deSolate
and dying, the lie. Let US laugh and be
happy. 'On with the dance!'
Round ard round in the voIuptuous waltz
glide one of the fairest Of Gods creatures
clasped by the arms and itching fingers o
the roue-his hot breath DIETER the breatt
of the lazarhouse) upon her cheek. Moth
ers are nod,iing approval; statesman are
planning dark schemes among themselves
in corner; in another q suitor is pouring
his tale in:o u giddy ,thoughtless wife, whose
husband is perhaps up on similar duty ir
another spot. There'll be tale to tell
soon-but wha, Of that! Con with the
dance"
The scheming Of ambition; the dark
lox1, oT "a n
beauty, listening to tale love; the flash.
ing hate Of rival lovers; the peallng music;
the glitterng lights; the periumed flowers;
the gra,6ed look of the fair hostess; the
heart sickening attempts at geiety OF the
host, who knows that sin is upon him. The
fate of Nobe 10 him were mercy. Trans
fix him into marble, and spare him, shame,
guilt, suicide. Ha! ha! A rare tableaux!
Wildly sweep the fierce wild blasts
through the silent streets, reveIling in its
Notwithstanding through the nigh,
with chorus of laughing fends, keeping
their Walpergis festival-biindng the sol
itary waylarer, who ye, bears up resolute-
| ly. |. disputes fercely with him, step by
step his onward way. "Stand." fig
ure wild and wan-half: clothed-bnre
| headed-ihe personifc alton of despair,
stands before him. A step, his hand is on
the wafarcr's throat.
"Money!" moment, and tho heart
is the victim if poverty fails him; his better
angel shields him with her wing; he falls
on his knee.
Hark the voice is not loud but deep; the
storm is strong, and higher and higher
| sounds the demon revel-but the voice ot
agony forces passage to the travellers
heart, terribly distinct, Mercy! food! My
wifN my child-they are psrishing with
cold and hunger" Ha! ha! "On with the
dance" A rare tabeauX.
A narrow. almost unfinished room, in q
mean house in a mean alley; straw pal
let in the corner, on it woman; her eyes
are closed, her features sharp and pinched
with cold and hunger, her lips move con-
vulsively, but no sound. Hark! her fail
ing senses can yet Distinguish, through the
pauses Of the storm the rich mans revelry.
A wretched, weak, pining infant lies asleep,
his head pilowed on her heart-the living
on the dying, its flesh livid with cold, the
bones almost protruding through the skin.
yet there is life within it, and it sleeps the
boon alike of all The storm howls loud
er and louder through the open crevices; it
comes full upon the scantilv clothed beings
of want; but the child sleeps on; the lips Of
the mother still twi;ch in dying agony
son with the dancep' There is no misc
ry! The door opens; man springs to
the side of the dying woman; the wayfnrer
is also there; the eyes of the wife open
fsebly, and slowly close again as if un-
willing to shut out forever tho sight of the
loved one-a faint struggle. The man
gazes vacantly into the face of the stran-
ger, who has taken her hand He reads
the bitter truth. Oh! that face Of speech
less agony, looking for CLEAN OF hope
None! none! The dead the dying, the
half crazed, the good Samaritan. son with
the danceP' Ha! ha! Oh! most rare tab
leaux.