Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-01-07
For the Register.
THOUGHTS DURING A MOONLIGHT
BY ALADY.

1t was chilly evening in October, that
1 set out, accompanied by two friends, for
a moonlight ran1ble. The chilly winds
of autumn already forcibly reminded us
that stern winter was approaching.
The frost had already stripped many
of the trees of their foliage; others were
oxidized, and changed from green to yell
low or brown. No flowers decked our
path save few wild Asters that had with
stood the withering blasts. Every thing
presented scene ofgrandeur, yet decay.
And how like man are the flowers of the
field !; to day they arc in full bloom, and
tomorrow they are withcred and gone
So man is heap of decay, to-day he is in
the prime of life, with bright hopes for
the future tomorrow he is cut down like
the grass of the field. Tomorrow (said
distinguished man) ! shall make my
fortune, and be above the cares and frowns
of the world. The morrow came, and
with it, the funeral knell of that man.
But though his body be dead, his immor-
tai spirit still lives, and is receiving the
Just reward of his deeds. And as wan
dered on, / viewed the moon and stars
that have rcvolved in their orbits for ages
past without any irregularity in their
movements over the wide cxpansc of the
heavens, the handy work of an all-wisc
Creator. And viewing these things, who
can attempt to deny the existence of a
God, when his works arc so manifest in
every thing around us. Yet man, crea-
ted in his own image, with intellect un-
derstanding, and an immortal soul, will
attempt to prove the non-cxistcncc of a
God-that all things came by chance
that the bible is gross imposition-and
death, an eternal sleep. A belief which
the arch fend himself would not embrace,
could he leave his dark abode of misery
and wo, for this sunny cline. But sin,
from the unhappy moment it first entered
4 the bosom of our first mother Eve, and
blasted Eden, bringing death into the
world, has been the ruling principle
And how often is one wrong act the
cause of the downfall of empires? So one
wrong thought may be the means of de-
stroying the human soul. The wrctched
inebriate, expiring in rags and wretched-
ness at the shrine of his alteration, will
acknowledge that for the qualification Of
some friend at the social board, he first
began to tread the road to certain destruc-
ton. The communicated apostate will
tell you that his first ideas of skcpticism
were suggested by the Perusal Of some
work without any intentions of being led
astray. Truly that man only is safe,
who abstains from all appearance OF
evil"
/ WEALTH AND ITS TEMPTATIoxs.-The
temptations with which wealth strews the
pathway of mankind are almost immune
rable. God has created man for haPpi-
ness, and placed objects within his reach
from which he may derive it. He has
also created him free agent, has given
him the power to make a proper or i'm
properuse of the things placed before him;
he may use his time talent and OPpOrtu-
nifty in acquiring wealth or any other de-
sired object, and thereby increase his
happiness, provided he makes proper
use of them. But owing to the wicked
ness of the world, many of the sources OF
happiness have bssa perverted and be-
come sources Of misery. Wealth, not
withstanding the many advantages. which
might be derived from it, Is perhaps as
great an eyilas the world can furnish
Il has atendency to lead men TO crafty
every selfish rassicn-los.efs haughtiacss