Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-06-23

some lime since, IN leuei " -. r,,,sr
a faithful accoun, oil a scene winch oe.uil
while party of y"uns engineers were e"ss
in baking preliminary survey ID one VI
sr,sns;ve ,oresls Of The South. They were mel
Iv desipned for the partial eye OF friend; al
now. al the instance OF This TREND, lneY arc
The frs, time presented for publication. A.
Very truly, yours, NJ
THE BURNING OF SOLITAIRE.
In vernal charms the earth was gay,
The sun sbone forth with cloudless ray,
The birds with warblings filled each spray,
And Nature smiled
Upon the face Of parting day,
Her lovely child.
Amid these scenes stranger wends
His lonely way, afar from friends,
And each endearing tie that blends,
With thoughts Of home.
The heart that we'll its treasure tends
Can never roam.
He rambled on through forests wild,
Enjoying beeZes cen TOO mild
To break the rest OF slumb'Ting child:
But lol a beam
Across The path his thoughts besuileo,
Like lighning's gleam'
The winds aroused, their might proclaim,
And l,nob The strength OF man TO shame;
The healing thunder speaks its name,
Mid echoes round,
While now fierce, destroying fame,
Devours the ground.
The birds no shelter there can find,
Nor cen a moment stay behind,
Whilst deer in speed oulslrip the wind.
The danger near
Arrests the stranger, and his mind
Is reused by fear.
Though winds their utmost power expenu,
And raging flames their fury lend,
Towards his cot his footsteps tend,
To rescue one
In sickness bound, cherished friend,
Now left alone.
"Escape!" he said, "it more you wd see
The friends who else may weep for thee:-
Your utmost strength, sustained by me,
Your lite may save;
Or soon, with thine, my fate shall be
A fiery grave"
His cottage, frail, no shelter lends:-
The stranger there moment spends,
To save the gifts OF absent friends.
The mantling vine
Awhile from flames the cot defends,
Where tendrils twine.
Then, like lion from his lair,
The flames came bounding through the air,
And filled each mind with dire despair.
The gifts were found,
But soon resigned, they wasted there,
Upon The ground.
Where ,empesis loss the flaming brands,
Like torches thrown by giant hands,
One narrow path the forest spans:
Awaiting there
His fainting friend, the stranger stands,
Or bends in prayer
Then were The winds 10 fury lashed
The trees uprooled loudly crashed,
The thunder rolled, the lightning flashed,
And with the flames,
As down the path the stranger dashed,
lis victim claims.
Then every nerve with strength was strung,
Then every thought on flight was flung,
And hope on God along was hung.
His mercy saves!
And 10 that mercy then they chung,
Mid fiery waves.
Though lhunderbolls in peals resound,
And lempesls rock the solid ground,
The stranger there rescue found;
Where flames enlold,
And raging clemens around
His path are rolled.
The thought oil friends and former days
Across bis mind more wildly slrays;
In vivid and enduring rays,
Though swift OF flight,
His memory now these scenes porlrays,
Like dreams OF night.
ESCAPED from danger, he confessed
The gratitude that filed his breast.
Such deep emotion eel the blessed
Around the throne
OF grace divine; but ne'er expressed
BY words alone.
While yet the flames have scarcely passed,
Borne onward by the raging blast,
He seeks the gifts where they were cast
A plainlive bird,
As though lis warnings were its last,
Alone was heard.
The scene is changed, the race is run
To all the flames their worst have done,
Except one prize-the priceless one
The holy Book
His tender mother gave her son
With parting look.
This volume, now before his eyes,
Escaped The names-uninjured lies
To him dear, cherished prize.
"Read this my son
Be this thy guide 10 reach the skies,
The only one"
This Book, the son, when parting, said,
Ii naush, prevented, should be read:
And now it speaks mid lerrors dread,
Nor speaks in vain:-
lis word can rescue cen the dead,
And flames restrain. M.