Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-06-17
From tile Journal Commerce.
The NcW-Year's Night of an UmfOr.
.. tunate.

Tranlated for the journal of Commerce from the
German Of Jean Paul.
In the solemn hour of New. ears midnight.
an old man was standing at his lonely window
He raised his sunken eyes 10 mute despair to
the respondent and everlasting beauty If
heaven; then gazing down upon the tranquil
snow-cad carth he felt as if on its wide face
there could be none more unhappy. more hum
bic than himself Joy no more enlivened his
soul,-no longer did sweet sleep grace his
couch with charming pictures. On the brink
of his grave now. neither the trustful reliance
of hallowed age, nor the glorious bloom OF
youth would beautify and arise from his tomb
A fter long journey Of life, on which nature
had lavished so mary choicest gifts. his inccs.
SAINT alterations now had left him without any,
thing except misery and shame, ruined body
tortured mind. and an old age full Of bitter
ness and repentance
The by-gone days Of his happy youth up
rose like fairy scene before him. leading him
back to that momentous hour when kind
and con6dng father placed him on the cross
ing point of the two roads of life. one of which
leads by the sunny path of Virtue to regions Of
eternal bliss, peopled with seraphim proclaim
ing the glory oI the Lord, while the opposite,
after tortuous windings, terminates in the dark
abode of vice, with serpents Kissing out Of
poisonous lakes. And behold, the serpems
coil around his throbbing bosom, the suphury
vapors gather upon his quiverng brow and the
overwhelming conviction of his wrong jour
| ney's fatal end strikes horror into his inmost
soul. Violently agitated with grief and fear,
he sinks upon his knees. fervently imploring
Heaven: o. give me back my youth! o
but once more. dear father, place me upon the
roads of life. that | may choose different now
| from what did. Butthe winds scattered his
fruitless wailings; his father and his younger
days were gone along. long ago. And. as in
agonizing despair he stood staring at the sur
rounding horrors. he saw wills-of-a wrisp
start from the boggy mire. and, after Gtful
fckerng, extinguish in graveyard. These
are the days of my youth spent in folly. he
muttercd to himself. A star shot across the
Heavens, with brilliant light at first. then with
dull glare approaching to and finally expiring
upon the earth. That is myself, he faltered.
He shudderngly felt the keen teeth of an
avenging conscience lacerate his heart. but So
lace did not extend her balmy hand to heal the
deep and bleeding wounds. In his feverish
Imagination he saw gaunt sceptres sweep past
him, yelling revenge into his distracted brains.
and, yonder that shrouded figure whom be
felt he knew, fixed an eye of death upon him.
A neig hboring wind mill threateningy raised
its gigantic arm against him, and in the char
nel-house Of the ad accent church solitary skull
gradually assumed his own features.
In the midst of these racking tortues, me-
lodious swell of sacred music suddenly burst
forth from the near church-steeple and pious
| h.. Oh .,J H., No,r Vo,r,, cootl,
ing feeling overcame him. He stood alone and
almost forgotten in the wide world, and bis
thoughts reverted to the former companions OF
his youth. They were better and happier than
himself-some acting as wise teachers others
as good fathers Of good children, and all OF
them blessed in their varions spheres. Then
bowling his head, his cheeks burning with guilt
he exclaimed: IL too, might have been like
them, had I, beloved parents, but needed your
fond wishes and precepts. l. too might have
enjoyed. like others. the sweetness OF repose
on this first night of the New-Year.
Here anew The frenzy of singing memory
seized him. He fancied the skull in the char
nel-house began to stir; now it took limbs and
body, now it stood up erect. the selfsame
youth, in all the vigor and beauty he once him
self had possessed At this narrowing sigh,
a food of tears gushed from his feverish eyes
hut the tears fell unheeded into the snow
His nerves. already so violently unstrung. now
fsdeI him. he covered his face. and family sob
bing. 20 my youth, return. return again +
he fell senseless to the ground.
| And his youth did come back again He
only had dreamt too fearfnly on New Years
night. His aberrations however, had moi
been dream also. But from t3e depth oi
his soul he thanked God for having still grant
ed him youth. that he might yet retrieve his
wanderings in the wrong path. and turn into
that one which alone conducts to virtue and
happiness. And thou, young reader, tethink
tn, selfin time; turn away, if perchance. thou
shouldst tread the wrong track.--Once. yea
once. this soul-harrowing dream, will be thy
Judgment, But. remember. that if despond
ingIy thou then shouldst mourn and sigh, &C
my youth. come back to me again J" it viii
never more he thine again @-ss
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