New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-01
A DECEMBER VISION.

From Dlckenss Household Words.
l saw mighty Spiut travefsin5 tho world
without any rest or pause. IL was omnlpresent
it was all powerful, it bad no conjunction, no
pity no reenting sense that any appeal from any
of the race OF men could reach. liz was invisible
to every creature born upon the earth, save once
TO each IL turned It's shaded face on whatsoever
living thing, one time; and straight the end OF
that thing was come. IL passed through the for
est and the vigorous tree it looked on shrunk
away through the garden, and the leaves per-
ished and the flowers withered; through the air,
and the eagles tagged upon the wing and dropped
through the sea, and the monsters OF the deep
hoated, great wrecks, upon the waters 1t met
the ewes Of lions in their lairs and they were
dust its shadow darkened the faces OF yonng
children lying asleep and they awoke no more.
IL had It's work appointed 1t lneXOrabiy ala
what was appointed 20 it TO do and neither sped
nor sackeued. Called to, it went on uumoyed,
and did not come. BesOught, BY some who iot
that it drawing near, to change it's course. It
turned its shaded face upon them, even while
they cried, and they were dunno II passed lRtO
the midst Of palace chambers, where there were
lights and music, pictures, diamonds, gold and sill
yer; crossed the wTiLkled and the grey regard.
less of them looked into the eyes OF bright
bride; and vanished. IL revealed Itself to the
baby on the old crones knee, and left the old
crone waiting by the fire. But, whether the be-
holder OF its face were, now a King, or now a la
borer now Queen, or now a seamstress; let
the hand il palsed be on the scepter, the p.0R
or yet TOO small and neueless 70 grasp anything;
the Spirit never paused in It's appointed work.
and sooner or later, turnedits impartial face on all
! saw a Minister OF State, sitting in bis Closet
and, round about him, rising from the country
which he governed, up 10 the Eternal Heavens
was low dull howl OF Ignorance. 1t was a wild,
inexplicabe mutter cont used, but fall Of threaten
ing and il made ell hearers hearts TO quake with
in them. Bot, few heard. Ia the single city
where this Minister Of State was seated, / saw
Thirty Thousand children, hunted, logged, i'm
prisOned bat not taught-who might have been
nurtured by the wolf or bear, 50 little Of humanity
bad they, within them or without-all joining ia
this doleful cry. And ever among them, az
among all ranks and grades Of mortals, in all parts
of the globe, the Spirit went; and ever by thou
sands. In their british state. with all the gifts of
God perverted in their breasts or trampled out,
they died.
The Minister Of State, whose heart was pierced
by even the little be could hear Of these terrible
voices, day and night rising to Heaven, went
among the Priests and Teachers Of all denomina-
tons, and family said.
"Harken to this dreadful cry What shall we
do to stay it
One body of respondents answered, Teach
thisw
Another said, Teach neither this nor that, but
totherl'
Another quareed with all the three twenty
others quarrelied with all the four and quRrreed
no less bitterly among themselves. The voices,
not STAYED by this, cried out day and night; and
still. among those many thousands, as among all
mankind, went the SplTit who never rested from
its labor and STILL ia british sort, they died.
Then, q whisper murmured to the Minister Of
State
Correct this for myself Be bold Silence
these voices or vrtu0usly lose thy power in the
~ do Thou onuz't nr.t Co.v n grain If
good seed ia vain. Thou knOWest il we'll Be
bold, and DO thy duty"
The Minister shrugged his shoulders, and re-
piled IL IL a great wTong-BUT IT WILL LAST AY
TINE And 50 be put It from him.
Then, the whisper went among the Priests and
Teachers, say ing 10 each, an Toy soul thou know
est il is truth, o man. that there are good things
to be taught, and stay this cry"
To which each answered ia like Manner " II is
a great WrOug--BUT IT WILL LAST 2Y Tine
And so he put II from him
saw a poisoned air Ia which life dropped. |
saw Diseaae arrayed In al its sore Of hldeo1s
aspects and appalling shapes, triun 2hant IN every
alley, by way, couTt, back street, and poor abode,
IL every place where human beings cOngregated
in the proudest and most boast;Ol places, most
Of all saw innumerable hosts fore doomed 70
darkness, dirt, pestllence, obScenity, misery aud
early death. saw, wheresOever looked, cum
ming preparations made for defacing the Creators
Image, from the moment Of its appearance here
on earth, and stamping over it the image of the
Devil. saw, from those reekiDg and pernicious
stevs, the avenging consequences Of such Sin is
suing forth, and penetrating TO the highest places.
saw the rich struck down in their strength, their
darling children weakened aud WiIhered, their
manageable sons and daughters perish in their
prime. | saw that not one miserable wretch
breathed out bis poisoned life ia the deepest eel
lef Of the NEST neglected towo, bar, from the sur
rounding atmosp here. some PARTICLES Of his mice
tion were borne away. charged with heavy retrt-
button on the general guilt
There were many attentive and alarmed per-