Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-06-24
For THE AMERICAN.

tsTheres no contenment In a world IKE this,
save in forgetting the immortal dream;
We may not gaze upon the stars Of bliss
That through the cloud rif,s radiani'y s're'"'
Brd.,ike the prisoned soul will lift Its eye
And ,,ipe til Il IL hooded from the sky"
Beautiful, joyous childhood Mnem 1,n;on ;no
soul fresh from heaven holds c1ln 'a.
with the spirits of its native ,.t,n Ill.
When cherub faces gather rou"u ,,l ,.,' .ne .iaoN
of the babe, and as sleep lSi,s nHe uew
non ~ ;ts eyelids, whispers OF undying foun-
to;ns' 4 fadeiess flowers, and spirit music.
What glowing visions throng the young
heart, bounding like glad creatures through
its bright chambers, with garlands around
them their fairy-feet beating time to the
Lutte and viol oftheir own happiness.
The future is like a rainbow tinted
dream, where angels are ever ascending
and descending, and the child throws back
his clustering hair and with dimpled lips a.
part and eyes wide open listens entranced
to hopes syren song, and without fear
darts along the shining treacherous path of
life.
But blight soon falls upon the spirit,
the false vision soon dissolvts, and like the
mirage of the desert cheering the heart of
the traveller with deceitful views of cool
lakes, with the domcs and minarets of the
far distant city mirrored upon its bosom, he
sees instead the waste alone spreading a.
round, and sinks faint and disparing in the
midst.
Phantoms crowd his pathway tempting
his untried spirit. Love with timid glance,
and cheeks glowing as the heart of wild
rose, her sunny curls falling in a golden
cloud around her, steals across his footsteps.
He clasps to hisheart the beautiful delusion,
and for the time rainbow spans the earth,
soft spirit melody plays through his heart
strings, "But as charm by charm unwinds
that robed his idol" it fades as the light of
day, or the gorgeous pageantry of sunset.
Or if the spell continue, death parts the
curls from the brow of his young wife,
looks into her smilink eyes, and soon he
weeps in anguish over his early dead
Pleasure lays her caressing hand upon his
forehead, and with her basalsh eyes burn
ing into his very soul whispers of forbidden
Joys, he crouches amidst the votarics at her
feet, follows her mad footsteps, until the
Mother who pressed kisses upon his pure
baby brow, or murmured her low lullaby
over his cradle, scarce recognizes in the
wreck he has become, the fair pearl that
slept upon her bosom.
Or the spirit of unrest flaps her broad
pinions over him, and like Noah's dove he
goes forth upon the wide ocean, Or roams in
foreign lands, bearing in his heart the
SOLVE branch' of home memories, and
home affections. The noblest monuments
of art are around him. Proud palaces,
with cool deep gardens with fountains in
the midst-sparkling in the sunlight like
gems thrown in sport by naad hands. lie
wanderS down the dim aisles of old cathc-
dralS, while the mystic light streaming
through stained windows, lights up his
face with spiritual beauty-and
"The bilowy music of the organ sweeps
Like the vast anthem of uplifting decps--"
But he turns wearily away, and the
scene of his childhood steals like music
at night time, back on his memory. He
looks again upon the low white cottage
half covered with clinging ivy-the old
trees shading it, with sunbeams hid like
bars of gold among their dark leaves--the
broad lawn wherewith hoops and ball he
passed the s'lawn footed hours" The mur-
murlng of the little brook falls pleasantly
upon Ills ear, and he stretches forth his
hand careSsingy, as if his noble hound bent
his neck beneath it. He feels the hand of
his Father laid in silent blessing upon his
brow, and, looks up into his Mothers face
Steals to the rose drapined window and
looks lovingly in upon his fair young sis
ters while their low laugh and song thrill
upon his heartstrings. The shadows deep
en-, and the twilight falls around, and still
he muses. with pleasant smile playing
round his lips. But the spell dissolves and
he starts up with wild yearning in bis
heart to gaze upon familiar faces, and min
gle with the loved household group.
Glory with majestic mien and laurel
wreathed brow, points to the battle field.
The youth rushes to the conflict, and, soon
his sword is bright with the blood of one
who never injured him, one for whom per-
chance in far land wife watches and
weeps for his coming, or a dying Mother
pines for last look upon the face of her
brave boy The applause Of the multitude
ialls as incense around the hero, but in the
still midnight, alone with his rebukinc
angel, his ''custcring honours," press pale
like upon his spirit and he weeps for the
innocence of his guilecss childhood. Am
bltion turns the heart to ashes-s.Friend-
ship is but slow-awaking dream.
Troubled at best-''each gaud and tri-
umPh Of earth fails to satisfy the immortal
spirit. 1t still retains a sweet memory of
holler home, and ''longs to gather its wings
and like a rushing thought, stretch on
ward, star by star up into heaven" We
make gods of clay, place them upon the
heart shrine and summon the dwellers of
the inner temple to fall down and worship,
when angels are beckoning them to the
alters of the celestial city. Pale spectres
glide around us and with noiseless wings
sweep away our cherished hopes, and gar
ment memories, and ''happiness falls cold
and dead upon its own threshold"
But Faith gathers her white mantle a.
round us, and with her meek, earnest ewes