Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-01-06

Broadway last evening. engaged il
grave and earnest converse. One o
them was in the prime Of manhood
with free, firm step, full. round tones
and, rs any one could discover a
a glance, an unbroken spirit.
The other was somewhat older il
years, and great deal older in hear
amy one could tell that too.
Just as we passed we caught th,
words, III might have BEEN" TIL,
jar Of wheels drowned the rest: but i
was enough for II song or sermon
that III might have been" Tn,
plaintive utterance haunted us; W,
heard IL in the midst Of merry voices
and blasts Of music; we heard il thro
the signing wind and the rattling rain
il was syllabled in the silent night
and we are writing it this morn
ing.
The schoolmen have invented si,
lenses in grammar; but really there are
only lhree-the sparkling Present. the
hopeful Future, and the melancholy
Pluperfect.
II shall be-" and al might have
beenw The former the music oil
youth, sweet as the sound of bells, fresh
rs
"rhe breezy call OF incense. breathing morn"
The latter the plant ofage, the dirge
OF hope. tia inscription for tomb
The one trembles upon Thin pale lips,
parchcd with "life's itfu fever" the
o.her swells from strong young hearts
TO lips rounded and dewy, with the
sweetness of hope AMI the fullness OF
strens h. The one is timed by heart
that ilutters, intermits, hutlers and
wears out: while that of the other
beats right on the bold stern march OF
life.
IL shall be-" and II might have
beenp' What toll. what trouble. time
and tears, are recorded in those little
woris-the very sienography Of life
How like n bugle-call is that "l shall
be-" from the young soul, strong in
prophecy, IL shall be great, honored,
afllucnt. good"
IL shall be-" whispers the glad girl
to herself, as with one foot upon the
threshold of womanhood, she catches
the breath from the summer fields of
life-"I shall bc-ioved by and byp'
That is her aspiration' for to be loved
is to be happy.
81 shall be-" says the struggling
boy, 81 shall be the possessor OLA little
home OF my own. little wife some
day, and the home shall be 'oars'
and the wife shall be mine, and them
aud then" who can lill out those "tieHf"
who but the painter that has dipped his
pen IN sunsct-who bat the poet whose
lips have been touched with u coal
fresh from the altar OF Inspiration
II shall be-yietorious yet" muir.
murs the man In the middle watch, who
had been battling foes ill night.lall.
and Is praying, like the Greek, for
dawn again, that "he might SEQ 10
fight"
IL shall be-" family breathes the
languishlng upon her couch Of palm
II shall be- better tomorrow, or next
day" aud she lives on, because she
hopes on, aud she grows strong with
the "shall be-" she has uttered.
Aud the strong man armed, who
has "lought the good fight" and has
"kept the faith" when they that sus'
tanned his extended hands through tho
battle, are departing, and no Joshua
TO bid the declining sun "stand still, "
as he looks beyond the rugged hills of
the world, and sees n window opened
in heaven, and wounded hand put
forth in welcome, he lays aside the ar
NOR he has worn so long and well, and
going down into the dark river he ut
Iers, with hope gloriied 10 faith.
I'll shall bo over Jordan tomorrow.
Bclo e the memory has tomb in 1t
before IL becomes the cemetery, the
"Greenwood" oi the soul--"I shall
be" Is beautiful as an old ballad; when
graves are disycd therein, ani willows
are planted. ana hopes are buried. and
no light breaks out of the cloud. then
81 shall be" is rs grandas an old Pean;
when
The hattie Il done. the harp 10 unstrung,
IT. music Wtmbling, dying,
then, 81 shall be" is as sublime rs an
oil prophecy.
Bat there is another tense in this
Grammar Of Life. IL were well TO rem
ember; the sparkling moment that dan
ccs on from the ripening hours. like
gollcn grain beneath the fails Of Time,
rs we write, isgalhered into the garner
OF the Past.
There is an injunction II were well to
remember:
"frusl no Future, how or pleasant
Lot The dead Past bury their dead;
Act, act Va the living Prcsent--
IIeau wilhini and God 0'erhsai!n
a.. -.