The literary echo. (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1851, 1851-05-15

tones Of conscience pierce our ears We !
would fain, it may be, sleep on in false Sc
curity; but knock succeeds knock, and
wretched, oh beyond expression, wretch
ed they who yet bar the door, and ire
mediably sink into the slumbcr of moral
death as the last faint sound Of the mes
senger dies upon the ear.
And ] could tell of knockings yet more
mysterious than even these-aye more
curious than all Rochester could manu-
facture but [ may not reveal these to all,
or bruit them about to crafty that insatia-
bic monster, the public.
Let me whisper them softly in your ear,
There is such thing as maiden's heart.
Curious little sanctum, that containing
things strange, passing strange. Ofitself, it
is little world, and yet this little world
how capricious ! What a living picture-
gallery-what landscapes, and cottages,
and castles, and palaces-what portraits
hung up around its walls-and then what
mighty hopes and fears-what imaginings,
what longings what anxious peerings into
the future, what visionsbrish and radiant
what telescope, what microscopic won-
ders And how this little sensory at times
palpitates, and beats and throbs how
!, it dilates as if to fill all space, and again
shrinks into nothingness Think you 1t
hears no knockings? Think youit never
listens, and fancies that it hears when all
is still Let its history for one short year
be penncd, and what history ofknocking
would 90 there! Mysterious, aye, passing
, strange How the little thing has huttered,
, like frightened robin, and tried in vain
to cease it's futterings, and hush itself into
quiet! Perhaps it would not that those
, knockings would actually cease, nor yet
t does it consci0usly wish their continuance
E It sometimes endeavors to commune with
= itself; but, despite its every effort, some
e disturbing cause is ever present-some
: form constantly intruding. These myste-
" rious knockings may perchance become
= more and more importunate, and it Is GER
tain, though it may be very mysterious
s. that the fastenings Of the door Of this little
G heart, (poor, tremulous thing y too weak
ot to resist, in some unguarded moment, OF
by some strange volition, sometimes yielo
!, and in walks stranger tenant, hencetortf
is to act the master in this little tenement
ls or, after little tarrying, to be thrust ou
o a no longer welcome guest
IN once knew such little heart. 1t un
re fortunately heard the mysterious knockings
RS Curiosity chow strange for Oon'am
ar awoke from its dozings A most perseve
ht RING knocker was this visitant. HI
nc came for "yss" and "no' was no answe
to him early and late, rain or shine;
Id. was knock, knock, at the door of that lit
ne tie heart. There was no use in turning
in deaf ear, for deafness itself could not bu
sss hear such importunate rappings. Unit
ws ring perseverance deserves success. Ths
if little heart began to reproach itself for ii
an discourtesy Sure the door ought to b
nts opened little, a rery little-to be left jul
elk, aiar--a little look into the tenement migl
ust be allowed, and no harm felt; so it wC
= left aiar, but still the intruder knocko
by on, pceriug in the while, and the knocl
his were go gentle, so full of melody-a stran9
out bewitching Kind of melody-so full of ell
trcaty-they spoke so imploringly--ho
out could the door shut again Softly
ra- turned on its hinges, and the knocker W
YER in that little tenement-a snug little hou
TO for the knocking knocker. The door cl
as scd, and the key was in his pocket, al
.om bis spirit dascod to the tune of