Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-10-11


and poets buried themselves within the gloo-
nv walls Of monas,aries and in these clolstered
retreats they compiled their msssive volumes,
and these were afterw ards sent forth 10 the
world, for It's instruction and profit. In the
darkness and seclusjOn OF their gloomy re-
treats, their minds burned with the action oi
thought +, theoretic thought, untempered by
intercourse with the world, and utterly ignor-
ant OF the intricacies Of human nature. They
were not the men to move the heart OF hu-
manity, for they knew not its ASPIRATIONS lis
virtues or is vices living, in measnr', alb
.,e,nious lives, unskilled in the dark rankings
ola corrupted world, they dwelt either in an
ideal realm, OF ir the melancholy Of a misan-
,hropc gloom. They were useful, however,
in tn ir day and generation, because 10 them
are we mainly indebted for many rare vol
umes which, but for their paen' and laborious
efforts, would probably never have reached
the Ugh, Of this remote day, but been destroy
ed before ,hc art Of Printing was discovered
For this al least, should we be grateful to
them, and the pscuarities OF temperament
which prompted them to their voluntary ex-
lie 4; but beyond this, We owe them little.
Men, IN order TO become useful, and 10
make themselves Jeh, not on!y in the present.
and by those who nre active and struggling
around them, bit in the distant future also,
and by those who are TO come after US must
themselves Ii, e IN the world, and form par,
oclhe world. They must feel the beating OF
lis great pulse they must trace effect back
TO cause they must read The heart through
the deeds of men, and penetrate even to their
very thoughts, unmasking the mind, al strip
ping from the character The veil that Is thrown
over and around il by the actors in the drama.
Aud IN order to 60 all this Successful y, we
r,nst live an active, constant life ever bold
and vigorous in the turmoil, with an eye that
never sumbers, and mind that never relax
rs into repose This is earnest, real action !;
not the busting, dec'amatory taIker, not the
bnsy and offensive ob,ruder,-but the
strong. calm perfect man, who never moves
without accomplishing something. and wi osc
treasures If know ledge are increased Ivy each
Iassing days even's.
Says an able writer, Glorious indeed is
the world Of God around Us, but more glorl
Gus the world Of God within us. There lies
the land Of song there lies the poets native
anl The river Of life, that flows through
stre, is iLmultuous, bearing along SO many
IA lant hearts so many wrecks Of humanity I;
the many Lomcs and hous holds, each
h,t,c wold in itself, revolving round lis fire.
side, as central sun ; all forms Of human
jov and suffering, brought into that narrow
compass and to be in this and to be part
Of this acting, thinking, rejoicing, sorrowing,
Nth his fellow men ;-such such should be
the poet's lie, il he would describe the
world The mind Of the scholar, also, if you
would have i, largo and liberal, should come
in contact with other minds Ii is better thai
Lis amour should be somewhat bruised even
by rude encounters than hang forever rustlng
IN the wall Nor will his themes be few or
,rivzI, because apparently 81 Ut in betwee
the walls OF houses and having merely the de-
coialions OF street scenery. A ruined charac-
ter is as picturesque as ruined castle. There
are dark abysses and yawring gGlfs in the hu-
man heart, which can be rendered passabIe
only by bridging them over with iron nerves
an sinews, as Cha ley rdged the Savine in
Switzerland, and 1eford ihe sea between An
eelcsea and England, with chain bridges
These are the great themes Of human thought,
no, green grass, and flowers, and moonshne
Besides, the mere external forms Of Nature
we make our own, and carry with US int"
the city, by the power Of memory
Living IN he world, let us truggle with
il, ard be of it, and then our lives will not be
mere vacancy-an illegible mark on the
scroll OF time. The surface, although appar-
antly smooth, is nevertheless pregnant with
fearful events, and unless we learn to dive t.
tie depths OF lh,se with a masters skill, the
angry undercurrent will We, swallow us with
IN i,s vortex. Cautiously study human na-
ture, and it shall relieve you from many a
panc, and preserve you from many disaster.
GFFrench journals thus compare the TWO