Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-08-11

Stay-let me sit on this rude stone
And muse on all around me. Earth has left
Its taint upon me, and my soul is not
Attuned to this deep stiffness. could gaze
For aye on this Ger hanging arch and list
The dying fall of yonder echo sweet
And dream it is the muttering of the spirits
Of this dread palace, but too grand for words
Is the dead silence of this sunless world!
Oh who can tell the utter loneliness
That fingers here forever!-Not sound
Low as the breathing of dying child
Comes up from these far halls to toll our tho'ts
Back from their flight, save the unearthly plash
OF waters driven to their hidden bed
Or fancied echo of some far-off voice
Biddinr us back to worlds more fit for men.
Though thousands here have passed, and left be-
hind
Their names inglorious, we seem the first
Who ever trod these stony corridors,
And scarcely dare to speak lest we should wake
Some grim old monster from his lonely sleep;
And start to hear the whispered sounds roll off
And die away in distance measureless
And yet my Fancy, sole companion now,
Seems when gaze upon the darkness round
TO summon from the dim and shadowy Past
Years long forgotten-Oh, tits an awful thought,
But ages countless ere mankind began
YOn little curl-so fragile and so fair
First grew upon this wall and that white rose
(For such it seems) first oped its delicate
Yet marble petals mid those million gems!
How many blithe young heart that wildly leap'd
With life and hope, has felt the ith'ring hand
OF Time the ptiless, and meath her touch
Has old and older grown, and wasted slow!
IJo,., r,anv aya thot with Iinuid lova
Has lost the bright and lustrOus tenderness
Gifts young girlish glance, and grown as cold
And CLASSY as yon sulleh wave that rolls
Its unsunned waters silently away!
have seen
A young and lovely maiden on whose form
Beauty had set her signet Whose fond heart
Too full of truth and trustful loveliness
Was blighted ere it lost its first fresh bloom
And slowly dropped away-until the Grave
Received her, beautiful as her own thoughts
In its all grasping arms! So when saw
These cold and mournful waters, that fair girl
Stole back to memory for once this stream
Danced o'er the sunny plains, and heard the song
Of warbling birds upon the forest trees,
And looked up to the golden light that fill.d
The atmosphere around-and then it sank
Slowly end sadly, till the dread abode
VI silence here received 1t, and 1t now
No more will look upon the light again!
Yes! MOnaTctS-nations have bowed down their
head
And yielded up their places-Empres sprang
TO life and died to nothiugness, since first
This cold wave flowed beneath this low -browed
arch.
But here there is no Time. His deadly hand
Comes not anear this spot. The Pyramids,
Those children of forgot en- ages, are
But things of yesterday to this frail leaf
Which seems outcarved of Everlasting snow!
Yet marble petals mid those million gems!
How many blithe young heart That wildly
leaped
With life and hope, has felt the with'ring hand,
Yes, it is so-Sut will take with me
Into my tomb this mocker of old Time,
That it, with its sweet purity may be
My spirits type when shsll be enrolled
Among the dwellers in eternity.