The Nevada journal., 1852-06-26

"
and even their very echoes be husfed
in the silence of the one long sleep.
Following tho train of association, 1t
was natural that Ishould recur to the
hour when that same churcll's bell
had chimed my wedding peal. Iseem.
ed to hear their music once again and
other music sweeter still the music
of young VOWS that kept the word Of
promise to the car, and broke it" not
Ito the hope.' Next in succession
came the recollection of my children
| seemed to lose sight of their present
identity, and to he carried away in
thought TO times and scenes far back in
my long departed youth, when they
were growing up around my knees
beautiful forms of all ages. from the
tender nursing of aingle year spring
ing with outstretchcd arms into my
bosom, 10 the somewhat rough but in.
genuous boy Of ten. AS my inner eye
traced their different outlines, and fol
lowed them in their graceful growth
from year to year, my heart was seiz-
| cd with a sudden and irresistible long
ing TO hold fast these beloved but pas.
sing images of the brain. What Joy,
| thought, would it be TO transfix the
maichless beauty which had wrought
itself thus into visions of my old age
to preserve forever, unchansing, every
varied phase of that material but mar
vellous structure which the glorious
human soul had animated and inform
ed through all its progressive stages
from the child TO tho man
Scarcely was the thought framed
when dull. heavy weight seemed to
prcss upon my closed eyelids. Inow
saw more clearly even than before my
children's images in the different sta
ges Of their being. But Z saw those
and those alone, as they stood rooted
to the ground, with stony fixedness
in their eyes: every other object grew
dim before me. The living faces and
full grown forms which until now had
mingled with and played their part a.
mong my younger phantoms, altoge-
ther disappeared. I had no longer
any eyes, any soul, but for this my
new spectre world Life, and the
things of life, had lost their interest !;
and l knew Of nothing, but those still,
inanimate forms from which the infor-
ming soul had long since passed away.
And now that the longing Of my
heart was answered, was satisfied p
For time gazcd, and drew deep
delight from the qualification of my
vain and impious craving. But at
length the still, cold presence of forms
no longer Of this earth began to op>
press me. grew cold and numb be-
meath their moveless aspect and con-
slant gazing upon eyes lighted up by
no varying expression, pressed upon
my tired senses with more than night
marc weight Ifelt sort of dull
stagnation through every limb, which
held me bound where I sat, pulseless
and moveless as the phantoms on
which 1 gazed.
AS Iwrestlcd with the feeling that
oppressed me, striving in vain to break
the bonds Of that strange fascination,
under the pressure of which Isurely
felt that Unjust perish, a soft voice,
proceeding from whence knew not,
broke upon my ear. "You have your
DESIRE" it said, gently: "why, then,
struggle thus? Why writhc under
the magic Of that JOY you have your
self called up? Are they not here be
fore you, the Lost Ages whose beau-
ties and whose grace you would per.
petuate? What would you more? o
mortal!"
But these forms have no life," /
gaspcd -" no pulsaling, breathing
soul y
"No," replied the same still, soft
voice; these forms belong to the
things of the past In Gods good
time they breathcd the breath of life /;
they had then a being and a purpose
on this earth Their day has depart
ed their work is donc.r
So sa5ing, the voice grew still; the
leaden weight which had pressed upon
my eyelids was lifted off: Iawoke.
| Filled with reverics of the past my
eyes closed to every thing without /;
sleep had indeed overtaken me as 1
sat listening TO the old church clock.
But my vision was not all a vision my
dream children came not without their
teaching. Il they had been called up
in folly, yet in their going did they
leave behind lesson Of wisdom.
The morning dawned-the blessed
Christmas morning With it came my
good and dutitnl, my real life children.