The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1851-01-30

thtows GAIA mamie over Inc ioturf, 0ut
| forbear on tins subject
Philosophers tell US, that af,cr youth and
manhood are past, We necessarily drag out a
premature old age withou, energy Of body or
mind. and wifhom enjoyment. Experience
how ever, confutrs such state ments
ayes. within us warmth rs glowing,
Till the room is chill d by death,
And HE streams are ever flowing,
Newly changed at every breath.
There seems to be an appointed limit 10
the duration OF the pleasant and desirable
scenes Of mortal life. The grave, deaths
great orchousc, seems vacant, though thou.
sands are daily deposited in its recesses, still
there is room, and the cry ~, more victims =
all that il made must be dissolved, all that Is
born mus, die ! Youth have enjoyed with
its short lived pleasures and amuscments,
manhood too, with its pleasing anicipa,lons
and PROMISED joys never realized: and can
say with Byron, "Hope, thou hast told me
lies these seventy years But youth and
manhood have their appointed limits, and
find myself late in the evening Of life age
steals almost mperccp,by upon me, I'M
strings the nerves, and inaaes the force Of ma
turc TO languish into nflrmity and ftebleness
and myself moving shadow. Those noble
powers OF human life, gay imog nation and
capacIous memory, they too are subject 10
| the same laws Of decay and death. In VAIN
we attempt in age 10 call up the powers of
mind, that IN youth were so ready at home
on all occasions, they are gone, are fled be
yond all recovery. The God ofnature has pro-
nounced an impossible period upon the pow.
ers aud pleasures of the mortal state, and ,nay
never be left to make any of them my
boas, of happiness.
At the present advanced period Of exist.
tcnce i am seriously reminded Of the extend
ed length Of time that has been allotted me
since | became an lnhabtant Of earth; and
on the return of this anniversary ! am scnsi-
bly, called upon 10 realize how large portion
OF lie has flown from me, and how many
more returns may reasonably expec, to en-
JOY ON earth.
May not then with propric,y enquire, in
what state of mind does tins cichtieth date
of my existence find me Should | in ret
rospection 60 back five or ten years, do dis
cover any encouraging progress in the divine
life lnpurity of mind and establishment in
the great doctrines of the gospel, OF that
have lost nothing good or gained nothing in
wisdom, virtue or piety, shall not seriously
enquire what is my present attitude at this
late hour Of HE, as moral accountable be {.
ing, towards God and my fellow man, 10 ii
such rs 10 cause joy when mcdhatmg on a
sudden departure. What a melancholy con-
sderation, when INDUCING in birth day s
n,ed,ta,ions to be compelled to recognize in
himself declenson, moral defeat, unsettled
and unsatisfactory aims ana positions as a
rational creature, but rather to have the plea
surable satisfaction to feel that we are adj.
vancing in a good moral life, and no reason
10 change general objects, or radically TO
change general principles or practice.
These are weighty considerations which all
ought TO ponder carefully and seriously at
all times, and especially in age. Birth days
spent in eyamination, give rise 10 enlarg-
ed views of ourselves, our standing, our
hopes, and on what our dependence for time
or eternity.
The man who devotes these seasons to o
serious and critical review OF past and present
life, cannot fail TO find that to see and ack-
ho e =, Al, |,
r step TO reformation, and that reformation, and
v that repentance aud the forsakins Of every
. immoral habit will lead to a renewal of the
4 heart and reader life pleasant and worth pos
sesslng. This righteth anniversary, IS to
the writer day of peculiar interest, of So
n Der reflection, on the transltory scenes OF
mortal life
d "IIow many joys, and hopes, and fears
i Have vanished with the lapse OF years
e Yes, how many scenes Of NTH and iestlvity
5 Of joyous anticipation Of lnvtiag prospects
t Then anon,,he many scenes Of darkness anc
!, gl"omIness IN perspective, and the mind left
= TO sombrous reflections, that like an ncubus
pressed heavily on the spirit with all the dari
), images of imaginary evils, lifting before thu
/. mind eye, that for a season rendered life al.
n most nnsupportable.
J. Those days and seasons, long past and gon'
d now pass in pleasing review while pennin!
n this elghrleth anniversary of checkered life
d Long ago, however, have | learned lesson
ii Of submission to the ruling haad of DjvIn
IT and unerrng Providence, and have Learned
e an important lesson Of useful instruction, tina
y 10 be constantly medItating on the future il
n gloomy presclence Of evil, or Of pleas n!
h hopes and prospects, is fatal bar to socia
,; happiness.
- The vicisstudes Of human life are brough
:, more vIvIdIy TO view in age, than in youthful
seasons Three score anu ten years Of acliv
life, has been a school IN the science of hu
man nature, where lessons are taught, tina
can only be learned by experience and obse T
vation,
=. As now st writing those birth day renec
-, tons, thinking Of my waning age, | am al
most ssionshed that have been pcriiltte
TO have an existence on this earth, TO wIinrs
the great events Of the day, aud the wonder
=, full and Astonishing progress in SC encc an
art during one comparatively short life, and
often ask myself is It possible that the ne,