Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1851-06-26
THE BROKEN-HEARTED.
BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.

| HAVE seen The infant, sinking down like
a stricken flower 70 the grave, the strong
man fiercely breathing ov, his soul upon the
field of battle; the miserable convict stand
ing upon The scalFold, with deep curse upon
his ips. have viewed death in all lis
forms of darkness and vengeance, with
fearless eye, but never could look on wo'
man-young and lovely woman-iading
away from the earth in beautiful and un-
complaining melancholy. without feeling the
yery fountain of life turned 10 tears and dust
Dea,h is always terrible, bul when form OF
angel-beau,y is passing off to the silent land
of the sieepers, the heart feels that some.
hing lovely is ceasing from existence and
broods with sense OF utter desolalion over
The lonely Thoughts that come up like spec
Tres from the grave 10 haunt our midnight
musings.
A few wears since, took up my residence
for a short time in country village in the
eastern part Of New. England. Soon after
nv arrival, became acquainted with love.
" qirl, apparently about seventeen years oil
AGE. She had lost the idol of heI pure
hearts pures, love, and The shadows ol deep
and hol y memories were resting like the
wink of death upon her brow. hrs. saw
her in the presence Of the mirlhful. She
was indeed creature TO be worshipped; her
brow was garlanded with The young years
sweetest flowers; her young locks were
hanging beautifully and low upon her bosom,
and she moved through the crowd with such
n floating and unearthly grace, that the be-
Wildered gazer almost looked 10 see her iade
owav into the air, like the creation ol some
nIeosan, dream. She seemed cheerful and
and even gay, yeI saw that her gaye'y wa was
bu, the mcckery Of her feelings Sne
smiled, bu, there was something in her smile
which told ina, its mournful beauty was
bu, The bright reflections Of tear, aeu he'
eyelids OF times closed heavily down as
| if struggling TO repress The tide Of agony that
was bursting up from her hearts secret urn
She looked as If she could have left The
scene of leslivity and gone ou. beneath the
oniet s,ars, and laid her forehead down upon
the fresh green earth, and poured out hel
stricken soul, gush aliei gush, ill it mingled
with the eternal fountain Of life and purity
Days and weeks passed on, and that swee
Girl gave me her confidence, and became
10 her brother. She was wasting away D!
disease. The smile upon her lip was lain
Tier, the purple veins upon her cheek gre"
visible, and the cadence Of her voice De
came daily more weak and remulous. VI
ouie, evening in the depth ofJune, ! wan
dered out with her in the open air. Il wa
then ,ha. she first told me the tale OF passion
and Of the blight that had come down liE
miIdew upon her life. Love had been 10
nor,ion Of her existence. It's tendrils ma
been ,wined pround her heart in its earlle'
v ears; and when they were rent away me
, Ie(i a wound which flowed ill all the sPrlng
of her soul were blood.
I 81 am passing away" she said, "and
! should be so The winds have gone owe
, NV life, and the brigh. buds of hope, an
the sweet blossoms Of passion are sca'tere
, down, and lie withering in the DUST or ro
q ling away upon the chill waters of memor.
!. And ye. | canno. go down among the 'omt
f without tear. Ills hard 10 leave the irlenc
who love me; il is very hard TO bid iarewe
a IN these dear scenes, with which have he
communion from childhood; and whic
|. from Gay 10 day, have caught the color
!, nv life, and sympa,hized with its joys ar
!. sorrows. Tha, lille grove, where have
p oGen s,rayed with my buried love, ar
n where a. times, and now, the sweet tones
: his voice seem 10 come stealing around m
l. ,ill the whole air becomes one intense al
,fI mournGul melody-,hat pensive star, whit
/, we used 10 watch in It's early rising, and
e which my fancy still can picture his Tor
n looking down upon me and beckonlng n
/, 10 his own brigh. home-eyery flower, a
of reo, and riwle., on which lhe memory