Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1850-01-10

moment and the sadness Of the hour
press down both soul and body, unless
the clear and hidden springs of good
ness in the heart have been fed and
flied up, day after day, and year after
year, by the sweet and gentle rains and
dews ofheaven
"yes ~ said !, as my thoughts be-
gan insensibly TO speak forth; Eyes,
true it is --R eligion is the pure and un-
dying beacon flame of the soul, that
Can alone guide the mariner over the
waters of life safely t. heaven and to
his God !"
My watch pointed to the hour of
three. Was this strange being in the
room, watching my motions, and pry-
ing into my thoughts Hooked | not to
ascertain, for ! cared not. was as
sured with confidence; but it was
confidence as d,ficrant from that which
l felt before the appearance Of my visi-
ters "a the ray Of the diamond from
that Of an expiring taper. Still his re-
pested mot so fast-not so fast -
thank God, il you will, when you are
rid Of me !" rung like warning note
of alarm in my ears. | proceeded to
look over the Day Book, which opened
at my touch as easily as if it had been
instinct with life and anticipated by my
wishes. As well acquainted as busi-
ness had made me with books for many
years, yet confess there was some
thing ludicrous to me in I he ideaof
making people DEBTORS and CREpr-
Tons Of Time, that my gravity would
frequently relax into q smile. And
then the various items that were put
down in the books were done in so mcr-
camille fashion and yet, withal, sound
ed so oddly to my ears, that began at
first to make Jest of what was in
good truth no very jssting matter
Most ofihe characters were so blurred
and worn, and written in so many
tongues, dead and living, forgotten and
remembered, that it would have reauir-
ed the presence Of a representative of
every age and nation, that ever existed
to have rendered all the contents Of
these folios perfectly ineligible.
had the reputation in my younger days
7oi beng very respectable linguist
but there were thousands of ord. be.
fore me, at reading which | made a
dead stand. In the Day. Book were
put down all the favors that Time had
granted to individuals-each minute,
hour, day, week, and year of their exis-
tance and o what fearful array of
these was written against the names Of
some! The accounts Of those who
were dead were crossed by two large
and full black lines. Noah was made
debtor for being carried in the ark
safely over the waters. There were to
be seen the names Of Socrates. Plato
and Aristotle, made debtors to sUNpRy
OPPORTUNITIES, and credited for WIS.,
DOM; Cleopatra made debtor for BEAUTY
with hardly an item to her credit
There were the names of kings and
their paramours; priests and their wives,
cardinals with their favori,es queens,
m'stress's, and maids, knights, .quires,
and gentleman Of every degree; war
riors, and the historians who recorded
their names on their pages poets,
popes, ana poltroons tavern keepers.
duns, aud lawyers actors. intriauers,
and prime minlsters,-some made debt
ors tor success in pattle some, sue.
cess in love some success in politics
some for health, riches, children, and
so on, from the alpha to the omega of
the book. very hastely ran over the
Day-Book, but remember that | was
struck with the idea, that Fans, was
not the first book maker if he was the
first type-set,er. The contents of the
Ledger were more startling to exam
me for here the creditor and debtor
side were written out together, and
balance struck in most cases either in
favor o. against the name of the indi-
vidual. Here observed that credi,
was gwen 10 great names. which the
world had slandered and abused and
here, too, the balance was struck
against some, who are heroes on the
page Of history. So different, thought
|, is the estimation placed upon them
ny Time and the age in which they
hourished. Few are great who arc not |
objects of this topsy-turvy reputation.
Fame is an idle jade, that will war her