Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-09-28


ing jewels-spreading a golden veil over
the setting sun, or white gauze around the
midnight moon; sporting in the cataract !;
sleeping in the glacier; dancing in the hail
shower folding its bright snow-curtains
softly about the wintry world; and weav-
ing the many colored iris, that seraph's
zone of the sky, whose harp is the rain
drop of earth, whose roof is the sunbeam
of heaven, all checkered o'er with celestial
flowers, by the mystic hand of refraction.
Still always it is heautiful-that blessed
life-water No poison bubbles on its brink,
its foam brings not madness and murder !;
no blood stains its liquid glass f; pale wild
ows and starving orphans weep not burn
ing tears in its clear depths; no drunkard' S
shrieking ghost from the grave curses it
in words Of eternal despair! Speak out,
my friends, would you exchange it for the
demons drink, alcoholic
A shout like the roar of the tempest an
swered-" No p
Critics need never tell me again that
backwoodsmen are deaf to the divine voice
Of eloquence for I saw, at that moment
the missionary held the hearts Of the mul
titude, as it were in the hollow of his hand
and the popular feeling ran in current Sc
irresistible, that even the duelist, Watt
Foeman, dared not venture another inter
ruption during the meeting.
have just reviewed my report of thai
singular speech in the foregoing sketch
but alas I discover that [ have utterly
failed to convey the impression as my rea
son and imagination received it. The Ian
guage, to be sure, is there-that never
could forget-but it lacks the spirit; the
tones of unuterable pathos, the cadence
of mournful music. alternating with crash
es of terrible power; it lacks the gestiua Ia
ton, now graceful as the play Of COLDER
willow in the wind, and anon, violent a
the motion of a mountain pine in ther hur
ricane; it lacks that pale face, wrapped il
its dream of the spirit-land, and those un
fathomable eyes, flashing light such a
never beamed from sun or stars; and NOR
than all, it lacks the magnetism Of the might,
soul that seemed to diffuse itself among tn
hearers as viewless stream of electricity
penetrating the brain, like some secret fir
melting all hearts, and mastering every vo
lition.
The Camp-meeting continued, and re
vival attended it, such as never before, O
since, was witnessed in the forests of Tex
as. But unfortunately on the last day c
the exercises, news arrived on the groun
that neighboring farmer had been mul
dered, and his wife and children carried {
way prisoners by the Indians.
1ne young InlssIUuary 1PreUrls5
pulpit, and proposed the immediate orgs
nization of a company to pursue the say;
ges. The suggestion being adopted, th
mover himself was elected to head the pa
, ty. After several days Of hard riding the
overlook the barharous enemy in the gran
prairie. The missionary charged foremo
of his troop, and having performed prod
gies of bravery, fell-not by the hand
the Indians-but by a shot from one Of b
f own horsemen
Such is the only fragment from the bi
graphy of a wonderful genius the SO
twinkling ray Of a dazzling luminary, tn
rose and set in the wilderness, torn lie
, from Paul Denton's book of life Pea
D be with his ashes. He sleeps we'll in th
2 lone ilse of evergreens, surrounded by t
: evergreen sea Of the great prairie N
lures beloved son inherits her costlie
5 tomb-that last possession, the inalienat
f fee-simpleEOf all time.-Great West.