Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-09-30
MAHIN & CLEMENS.
ORIGINAL.

BY ANsELMo.


By ANsELMo. ~
'Tis cool evening--the breczes Of au-
tumn sound mournfuliy among the trees
the leaves are just beginning to fade and
fall to the earth--the birds of summer are
winging their fight to a SUMMER cline, and
sad premonitions of decay greet us on every
hand. How emblcmatic of human life are
the seasons! The spring, SO like the golden
hours of youth-tho summer, of proud
manhood's prime, and autamn of his droop-
ing and decay, while winter finds him Gov
cred with the ffosts of time, ready to sink
into forgetfulness and death.
Thus fades lifes ftful gcam,
Its shortlived, airy dream.
Still we hope on, and jostle our way
through the crowded avenues of life, often
careless and unheeding, as If death and the
grave were too far off to fill our minds with
any serious reflections. But if We turn to
tbe past, what bitter lessons greet us on
every hand 1t is too often history of
blighted hopes and humbled ambitions
And the future who can penetrate the veil
that shuts from our view its momento2s
concerns? A friend Of mine wholeft home
and the scenes.of youth to seek wealth in
the far-off climes of the Eldorado, thus
writes, as he bids adieu to familiar scenes:
"And now the future, dim and undefnable,
stands out before us, with its store of joys
or sorrows, for each and every mortal
What has it for you andI? He who ruleth
among the armies OF heaven alone knoweth,
and he is good. Whatever shall come, be
it grief or joy; be it bright as the morning
sun, or dark as the lowering cloud when
the storm-king is on his throne, it is dis
pensed by the hand of Ininite Goodness,
and designed for our lasting benefit. Let
this reflection be our consolation and com
fort, our refuge anu defence; let it cheer
us in our journey and cause us to wear the
smiles of hops, though the worll be shroud-
cd in darkness AMI gloom. And when we
meet again, 0, may the same warm
hearts gather around us, and the same
smiles beam upon US that gladden. us now.
And when we mingc once more in the FAM
ilv circle, may there be no vacant chair to
tell that loved one his departed to the
spirit land may the music oi no gentle
voice be wanting to complete our happi-
ness--may no puivciing tear start to the
eye us we repeat in faltering tones the
name of one who loved us and died. And
when tha spring time comes with its bird
minstrelsy and its wayin1 green, may We
have no grave to deck with the forget-lne-
not and early rose; no sad, yet touchin
duties like these TO perform, but all be
bright, happy and joyous as uow." .th,
vain hope! where is he now? lie who start
ei forth in the prile Of youth and manli-
ncss,to seek tie ickle goddess, Fortune? The
winds of autumn hymn solemn iequiem
DER his grave: the wild flower and bramble
wave over it, and there are none to visit
and linsor fondly near the spot, for he died
among strangers, and his last words were,
..home' and s'mother." With what fondness
he would recur to the past, and the friends
he loved SO we'll, may be gathered from the
following lines enclosed in letter from him
short time before his dea.h
'Con,e back, ye absent spirits, come
This heart is cherries now;
Dim shadows & lther Der my soll,
And gloom Is on my BROS.
Come back friends OF happier days
With oil your soothing lower;
Come cheer me with beaInl-t smile,
Bcguile one weary hour.
..Come with the tender song love:
o, breathe its plaintive strain
Twill lulI each dark and troubled tloasht,
And make me blcst again.
Come with the kind and gentle words
listened to OF yore;
Their misc fingers me STILL
But oh. the dream is DER,
Friends Of the past, come back! come b,ck.
For oh, this heart Is lone;
And mourns the light of other days.
Now sadly dimned and gone. s1tg8
".Ah, why should friends thus ever part!
Why should the ties be riven--- tthe
That bind together kindred hearts,
And make OF earth heaven Y 5I
AS my eye wanders over one and another
of these remote relics Of the past, at last
it is fixed upon mutilated manuscript con-
tanning some reflections of beloved friend
upon religion. We once attended d Friends
meeting together, and before wo entered
the church, he proposed that we should each
select some passage Of Scripture and make
it the subject of reflection agreed, and
he selected these words, "God is loye.''
He afterwards reduced his thoughts to wri-
ting, and gave them to me they form the
MS. before alluded to, and read as follows !:
"sGod is loyc.' Sweet, thoughtful words !!
what a food of light and consolation they
bring to the sorrowing and troubled heart
When those we love are separated from US
by distance, or it may be the grave; when We
have seen their bodies confined to the dust,
and have turned, with lonely sensation, to
seek some quiet spot to weep and give vent
to our surcharged hearts, oh, then how like
soothing balm those words have come to
the anguished spirit. God is love. He
will never forsake, though loved ones die,
and pass away, yet his spirit is ever near to
guide and console us, and to give us joy
and peace. And when friends prove ealse;
whom they desert US, and enemies assail,
and the poisoned shafts of malice and SLAM
der are directed against us, O, 'tis sweet
to think we have one kind friend above who
will never forsako us; though we oftimes