The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-09-22
From the Philadelphia Daily Register.
WORLD. MAKING
BY ELIZA l.. sPRoAT.

WORLD MAKING
BY ELIZA l.. sPRoAT.
l.
will make world, said a poet to his
brothers; here in this black, bitter depth of
winter, | will have world of spring. No
storms shall enter it, nor hurricanes nor frost
blights, nor drowning deadness Of rain
Twill bring the far hills together TO surround
it; it shall be only large enough for the beauti-
full Of the earth, and for their poets all of ugly
and uncongenial will put outside the hills
And will sprinkle the ground with vioets,
that children, pcrusing the brook side, may
never fail to meet the little blue faces peeping
from out the reeds.
And will star the woods with forest flow
ers, and the fields with daisies and all dark,
hidden lakes will lamp with silver lilies but
in the glow outside the sunshine will grow
alive, and bloom into roses, splicing all the sum.
mer air.
An all the little, merry, living things shall
know and love me; will lie in the woods and
sing back challenges to the saucy birds, watch
ing the pretty sideway slyness of their eyes );
the bees will follow me, teasing for my gather
ed roses; a handful of woodbine will coax the
coy quick humming-bird to my side will
come unaware upon the water. snake, and he
will dart for the eddies; the dragon.h will sit
on my finger and flash the green gold from his
royal wings; will take the cosy field mouse in
my hand unfrightened, and the quaint blind,
soft little mole
And will study sounds 80 close and rever-
emily that simple brock talk will become artic.
ulate, and shall understand the meanings and
strivings OF the poor, imprisoned sea.
And | will light and color my world with
sunset and | will warm and quicken it with
June; and will freshen it with ali the glori-
business of water, the strengthened, the life-giv-
ing-whether eager in cataracts, or tender in
sun haze or dainty sweet in fragrant, dropping
showers
And will people my world, beside ourselves
with nymphs, and dryads and fairies, till every
seeming solitary place be populous with care
free taste-free, happy halfhumanity.
80 oil our lives shall be spent in keeping our
selves unspotted from the world without US,
holding as ever in hsrmaay wiShethe beautiful,
suffering NO discordant issues Of life to vex our
quiet, putting oil Of ugliness or pain, or COM
mon, coarse life drudgery, far outside the hills
And the keeper Of this care-free world il
Poesy, to whom be reverence for evermore.
II.
will make world! said a brother poet
here, amid the sullen sourness of the bgot's
life of gloom, will have sphere Of pleasure
No stormy changes shall enter it. nor frost
blights Of custom, nor deadening dullness OF
convention and restraint.
1t shall be only large enough for the Joyous
Of the earth, and for their poets all of age.
and grief and weakness and daily coarse life.
drsdgery, will put outside the hills.
Scatter thy violets sparsely by the brook
side, oh, brother, pleased with little but will
carpet the earth go thick that our feet shall be
lost in living fragrance; tend with painful care
thy few frail roses, but ! will cast mine down
and heap them for couches--heap them, large
and red, all alive, with the haughtiness of new
beauty yet about them-what care we for their
queenliness Let them die Of their too much
life today, for already the sun is busy with the
buildings, filing and bursting their red dark
thine ear with brook music and the sound OF
larks, but harp and flute and woman's voice
transcend them. Suffice thy thirst in water, il
freshness alone suffice thee but only the wine-
cup concentrates life into day.
Hear will raise thy scattered violets, and
freshen them against the fair brows of beauty
will glorify thy roses to enxone tho swaying
of a yet more naughty gracefulDess will
drown thy talking brook in loud songs of mirth
and revel; will redden thy silver lilies in
wine.
And so our lives shall lapse in light and mu-
sic pain, and toll, and too much thought, and
the bigots morbid conscience, shall be put out.
side the hills forever
And the master Of this care-free world is
Pleasure, to whom be all the praise for ever
more.
| will make world, said yet another ;
nay but See it, even now, around US; Ii is
in the haunts, and homes, and hearts, Of our
brother men. IL is q place Of toll, and pain,
and trial--worse than all, Of doubt see one
soul among the many, bewildered, almost over
wearied in his search for the Truth Of life. On
he gropes, with central faith still glimmeripg
through the darkness OF his heart feeling pain
fully, one by one, the forest maze Of errors that
check his progress rising surely, step by step,
into clearer country, aud higher ground OF
knowledge and love.
And ever, from his latest stand point the
chaos moro and more resolves into order the
horizon widens, the heavens grow vaster liie's
common words are quick with meaning; while,
close involved in his being, as child with mother,
lfes one purpose greateus in his soul
To grow better
Dream at thine ease n the quiet oh gentle
indolent; pratte thy harmless rhymes 10 the
few left in the valley bat from the mountain
top see tho people in progress Humanity is
awakening the fountains of the great deep Of
selfshness are broken, and mighty issues Of
right and wrong disturb the earth TO its cen-
ire; wrongs are being righted, SORROWS are
being healed Slavery trembles despousms are
The angels OF progress
are busy between earth and heaven. Dream
on, poor deluded, thoA hast sold thy birthright;
thou hast exchanged thy world awakening
clarion for reed Thou has Jagged on the
journey, and 10! the universe Is moving on with
out thee
To grow better
Bury thee in roses, oh sensual, degraded OF
thine awful Immortality; even now the pain
and weakness and loathing discomfort no hills
can bar, arc cIsmorous about thee, poor, pur.
poseless immortal! thou hast wasted thy qniv-
or; thou hast sttuned 10 utter ssl6shness the
harp that was sent by thee with message to
the world InOu nasI encarnaiIAsu Si'y 6v1U0Ouj
thou hast lost the path, and 10 tho universe IL
moving on without thee.
To grow better
For this the true soul coils and struggles,
welcoming the joys Of life, and Drawing the
pains. Nor needs an earnest man TO put aside
one JOY which the Father has thrown in his
pathway: he must enjoy; for W him who
strives, comes strength to him who tolls, comes