Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-06-09
heart, hie Of my being. you shall be mino

--mnc--oaiy--minc .foyercr!"
No wonder such words entrance IN,
gentle rcadcr--no wonder she smiles unon
the glowing pugc. and with girlish a5as-
don clasps the voicclcss messengers Of such
lovoto her bosom, as though TO ems rinc
! them IN so pure templc---no wonder she
kmts them to her lips with rapturous kisses
as though to blend them with her Fragrant
breath, and thus enduc them with life and
voice!
\ And, now, the Opal Ring sparklcs nrl
giows and bushes with the glintine ray
and the fast Increasing rift upon the face u,
\ the gom, clothes i.selfin deceptive lieIt
sie does not yet discern the flaw. or h.
loving heart would have started back vii
alright even now in its undimmcd zen;,A
Of JOY
Iremblc.'remblc,thou ,lioughtlcss lover.
for the priceless jewel thou hast won H..
! Thou hast, perchancc, sought it long, IN
the burden and heat ofliie's toisomc dav,
and hast CROPPED YEARLY for its stor;c,i
treasure, and when thcu had'st deemed
but hbled gem, 10 It hath flashed upo,
thee with its transcendehi glorics,and tho
haat hidden it in the foldings of thy heart
Oh! guard it well-watch it wariiy--tenl
II lovingly Let no shadow blemish II.
iuster-no touucss deile its purity Il
shall bc a guiding star to thee, throughout
Thy pilgrimagc, and its faithful rays shall
burn IN thy pathway, steadily and surely,
even unto the crd But remember nh
remember if thou be rccrcant to thy
trust, God shall avengc it in the day whei,
lie inakeih up his jewels +! He will, then.
require ofthee that radiant gem ,nnd though
thou be at the very gates of Paradise,
and with poised wing Whiting to balho thy
spirit IN the stioamng glories, which make
glad tho blessed. He will Danish thco
irom the golden portals, il there be spot,
or STAN, or blenilsh upon that pearl. which
lie hath committed TO thy keeping -
How them shall he deal with thcc,if thou
recklessly and siniully cast itawayl
Months are gouc, and still absence con
tlnucs, and It's hours grow dimmerand tho
hopes which soothod the weary hcnrt are
waxing fainter aud fiinterl Ale,he is A.
lone agnin--and again,the fair checks urc
wet with tears. but this time, there is no
brightness on those checks, for tie lue
hath changed TO the tintess shade f"mon-
umenta alabaster." The lip SO lalely
dccled with healhfnl, happy colour. q
now pale and trembling In one hand she
holds an open letter, but its lines arc few.
and its pageis bloted with the stains of
weeplng IN the other fair hand, now o,,iv.
cnpg with the agony Of a blighted spirit
us palm, no longer soft and roscatc IA Of
late, but withcrcd and spectral, there
gleain the fragments of the Opal Ring -
Yes the omen is accomplishcdetbe
specchless prophecy ia fulfilled the weird
gem IS shattered There lie the shivcrel
remnants, each still mirroring tho mimic
rainbow, and looking up with mocking
bnliance into the fearful eyes bent down
upon them. As tie broken level hath
escaped from the rich chasing around Il.
and left the bright hUld unadorncd, SO rs
Alethc blowc her head over the fatal let
ter which tells her, in chilling word, and
with cold, courteous phrase, phc ia alone
alone--thc great moral convuls;on which,
hns rent her heart in twain, leaves her i,-
ture existence blank and void-withont
brightncss-without adornmentl But
blessed be God! the "Rne gold'' Is still
thcrc--yes still there, TO be purified and
refined, and chastcncd in the hot cruciblc.
and made precious for the treasury Of
Heaven (! But she cannot, now, believe
It, as she covers. dismaycd, among the
broken images Of her worshippcd hopes
she cannot noD believe it,as she surrendcrs
herself, INTERESTINGLY TO the wild d,wholming
agony, which is turning her to stoi,c---as
che bends, like fragile reed, before the
fierce blast Of the whirlwind. She trcml
bies before the fiery breath Of the light
mng,and shudders at tho voice ofthc crash.
ing thunderbolt 'Tis Tempest to appal
and seattle the stoutcst heart, and cahnot
dcpict il
Thore is a grief whose intensity battles
description and, like the rnasIcr artist,
who veied the anguish lis pencil could not
delineatc so, IN the broad picture Of Hu-
mapiiy, mingling with its chiayo oscuro,
there are dark, sonbrc, fiightful depths.
which We cannot portray, and before
winch, we hang an iihpenctrable cur
tain
Weep on thou fair and guileloss Spirit
Angels shall be thy comiortcrs, and Sc
raphs shall yet make melody around thee.
for God counteih thy pangs and putteth
"thy tears in his bottle" Weep on for
season, but he who arfayeth the ''lilics of
the field" in all their splendor, shall sure
ly raise ihce from the darkness and dust,
thou epotless and dropping Lily, and clotho
thee yet with the robes Of gladncss. The
rainbow horroweth ifsglory from the weep.
ing cloud and ould othavc even its hucs
Of light, but for the tears which arc cyc1
now hanging on its rim!
And shall not man shudder, thus 10 mar
the far destiny with which he has triAed I
Shall he moi trernblc, thus to pollrre tho
pure springs ola peace with which he has
spo td! Shall he not cover beside the
altar, on which he has poured, in sacrilc-
gious libation, the lfc-blood of a loving,
trusting, gentle heartl Though he tri-
umph in the spoils he has won, shall he not
see s.. the staining tears which din them p.
Though he exult in the laure)s he wears.
shall he not perceive the poison and death
which dcfle them 7 All YES there
corncth day-thcrc l.astt meth the hour
when ketr1buiion shall claim her own -
Lake the crowned and classic Hero. who
- ponp and p' gcantry traycrscd the Via
1f'nmfhaf'S, but stil amid thc peals Of
lrulnp,eis' and the shouts Of millions, heard
me whispering slave, who baae him "Re
"ae.,t'er; so. man IN the triumphal path
oil ME, IN the brillianey and tumult OF the,
world, owEeih has murmuring monitor,
conscience, fearless conscience, who, loud
over the clarionblast ofplandit--clcar over
the syren melody Of adulation. whispcreth