Southern standard., 1852-12-04
nd troubled, at least, are SO wen acouainted.

and troubled, at least are so well acquainted It
is the well known and frequent effect of this state
of partial consciousness, to give mysterious and
preternatural Importance to every thing that at
tracts the notice of the wandering senses. Now
and then, an evening traveller passed by; but that
was not the simple character with which my i'm
agination invested him. He was fierce rider
from the battle feld-and as he rushed by upon
the sounding mountain pavement, he seemed to
bear upon his tread the fate of empires. Then
sound of laughter and shouts of revelry reached
me from neighboring alehouse, and it appeared
like the discordant mockery of fends over the
wreck of kingdoms. And ever and anon, the
passing breeze shook the easement of my window,
and the sound in my ear, seemed stern as the voice
of destiny, and struck me with that inexplicable
awe that attends the slightest jar of an earth
quake.
At length, sunk into deep slecp but still
the confused images of my half conscious state,
mingled with the deeper reveries of my dream
dreamed, as often do when awake, of men,
and life, and the crowded world The procession
of human generations passed before me. The
wandering Tartar few by me in his sledge over
the frozen solitudes of the North. The turbaned
Turk moved slowly on, by the many shores of his
rich and glorious domains. The polite bustling
by European passed over the theatre of my Wis
ion, and it was theatre of merchandise. And
then, again, the wilds of the New World were
opened to me, and saw the stealthy Indian re-
tring from thicket to thicket, and the white man
pressed hard upon his retreating steps. Then the
palaces and courts of royalty rose before me, and
l saw the gay and gorgeous train that thronged
them, and heard from many recess and by path
the sighs of disappointed ambition. Anon, the
camp, with its mingled order and confusion, came
upon the wayward fancies of my dream; and the
fearful tread of host drew near, and music from
unnumbered instruments burst FORTH and sweled
gloriously up to heaven. And then suddenly the
scene changed, and thought it was music for the
gay assembly and the dance; and multitude in
Vulnerable wandered through boundless plains in
pursuit of pleasure. But immediately--either in
the strange vagaries of my dream or according to
the broken memory of tit appeared to be no
longer multitude, but mighty city of immeasu-
rable extent;-and then the countless habitations
of far distant countries came within the range Of
my vision, and the scenes of domestic abode and
all the may struggles of human life, were be-
meath my eye. | saw the embrace of love; l heard
the song of gladness; and then the waiings of in.
fancy were in my ears and stern voices seemed tc
hush them. In another quarter the throng O
pleasure and the pail of death passed on, and
went different ways, as it seemed but in shocking
vicinity to each other, and in strangely minglec
|
and wo, and of this worlds great fortunes, and O
the mystery of this life, and of Gods wisdom, til
it seemed to me that my heart would break with
its longing for further knowledge, and my pillow
was wet with the tears of my dream.
AS my head was bowed down in meditation ant
in sorrow, it suddenly appeared to me that an un
usual and unearthly light was breaking arount
me. instantly lifted my eyes, for a thrilling anC
awful expectation came upon me. l thought 0
the Judgment and almost expected to behold tn,
Son of Man in the clouds of Heaven 1 mmedi
ately perceived that the vision was to me alone
for the light did not spread far, and proceeded
from only one luminous cloud AS gazed upo1
it, features of more than mortal oveliness becam
visible, though the form partly veiled from mi
in the glorious brightness that surrounded it.
imagined that | perceived a resemblance to tn
countenance of one that l had known and loved OF
earth and'I girded up the powers of my mind
as have often thought | should do, in my wa
king hours, to meet spirit from the other world
But the first words that fell upon my ear, nstea
of inspiring me with the expected terror, spread
sacred tranquility through my faculties. 'Mor
! tai ''-the voice said-"once a fellow-mo !!
, and no earthly tongue can express the soothin
sweetness and tenderness that flowed into thos
words-"be patient,'' it said, ''be strong fea
not; be not troubled. If thou couldst know !
but I may not tell thee--else would not thy fait
be perfected be yet patient; trust in God
: trust in him and be happy p" The bright clou
a was borne as by the gentlest breath of air ava
: from me the features slowly faded, but with sue
smile of inefable benignity and love lingerin
upon the countenance, that in the ecstacy of m
emotions | awoke.
i awoke the songs of the morning were aroun
{ me; the sun was high in heaven; the earth seen
T ed to me clothed with new beauty. l went fort
: with frmer step, and more cheerful brow, rt
8 solving to be patient and happy till also ''shou
u see as am seen, and know even as am known.
Happiness.
1t would form, perhaps, one of the most anu
!. ing, if not the most instructive chapter in poet
:, history to compare the various opinions expresse
Y hu the insnired raSnectinr hanninesS. He wi