The Gonzales inquirer. [volume] (Gonzales, Tex.) 1853-current, 1854-03-25
The Rest of the Soul.
"RrruRs UNTO rnr REST, o NY SOUL" /"

| . .
There arc times when the soul of every one
! is oppressed with the teedriness of livins-
What profit hath man of all his labor which
he takcth under the sum- Living, to most
who live earnestly, is rowing boat hard up
| stream; II is full Of excitement and stimulous
to the vigorous arm and determined eye
There is joy in strife, and pride in overcoming.
But still, there are hours when the oar slack.
ems and the arm is listlcss. One does not want
| forever to contend with the mad race OF wa
| tcrs, and longs to put out Of the current into
| some quiet cove where sunbeams glitter in
| golden rings, md overhnnging trees make
green shadows and soft whispcrings--it longs
| for rest
There arc such eternal sheltered hooks and
shadowy dclls, breezy and fragrant with rest
| ful images in almost every soul--some place TO
retreat into for quiet thoughts. Is II not 80,
my friend? You are mother, perhaps, with
more than Martha's care, numbered with much
serving. The arranging and harmonizing offs
family, the meeting and conflicting claims, the
endless work of compromising and peace max.
ing among young and vigorous wills, the g,.;d-
ing inexperienced servants, and entertaining
guests, md "wiithal, the heavy anxiety to train
Alright that which never dies these OF neces-
sity Oft bring weariness, and there nrc times
when you are sick Of all together Bnt per-
| haps sleeping in the cradle is joyous, bcauti.
| ful creature, over whom, AZ yet, sin or sorrow
has no power, ever sweet and good, gay and
loving, and when every thing else is wenrisomc
your thoughts repose there; your heart, like
the dove that found nosrest for the sole Of her
loot, folds its wings and is at peace in that
cradle. "t.
Walter Scott has n beautiful passage in
Keniworth, where he describes the ambitious
| Leicester disgusted and weary with the game
Of ambition, turning palld md sick from all
his schemes, and twining around his finger
| fair tress of his Young wifi,'s golden hair re-
proaching himself that no had 80 srriven for
things Of no value, when in the lovc of one
confding heart he had something so much
purer, moro satisfying, sweetcr, and more beau
| tiful.
So, too the world of art, Of poetry, painting,
music, open q rest to the man who has long
striven with the actualities Of life, and made
abundantly good by his experience the truth,
that which is crooked cannot be made
straight" and "that which is wanting cannot
bc numbered" Then is he Tired Of this un-
reasonable world, tired Of ,nen az they are,
tired of hypocrisy, tired of pride, tired alike
OF conservatism aud reform, and il is a rest to
go with Shskspear into the ideal world Of men
and women, or with Mozart into the dream.
land of sound, or with Rubens into the ideal
ity Of color, or with tho old Greeks into the
labyrinth of beautiful forms, till his soul is
rested.
In America, our prosaic work a.day coun-
try, this rest can refresh but few; but as "he
who hath no oblation chooseth tree, so even
here, nature furnishes ready and benignant
provision. Sometimes one single flower tend.
ed and watered from day to day, in the dwell
| ing Of sickness and poverty, Is rest from care
and bears healing under its leaves. Happy
they who live in the country; there is rest for
them in the springing leaves, in the green,
sharp blades Of grass, in the glorious sweep OF
the elm, and the pointing fingers Of the spruce,
in the flush Of the autumn maple, and the gilt
tor of winter SHOWS, eI .s
| Many worn heart has been rested by these
| things, that never knew where rest came from.
But there come times when all these fhil--
the lock of hair---the cradle; hide them away;
they speak only of death and despair; the
dream-land Of sound has tones Ia it that are
wringiDg; painting has lost its color, and
natures bloom and beauty, hor serene ineffh-
| bic sweetness and composure main us like the
indifference of friend. Now for tho souls
resti Where h it3 Has the AlmighsS Fa-
-ther sent us here so orphaned that when all
else is gone we cannot find all in HimS and
say, Return unto thy rest, o my souif"
! But there is q meaning in that word yesura
| Wo cannot return TO place we have never
been to. This word return speaks Of a famil.
iari.y and long experiences; the dove came back
to the ark; she had not tho ark to seek for the
first time There is this SAVIOR Of familiarity
and long tried friendship, this constant allu-
sion TO an estab lished intimacy between the
{ poet and his heavenly friend that gives a
charm to the Psalms, He is not seeking rest
unknown he Il returhing 10 one we'll known
and long tr,ssl
Among tho green, breezy hcllcws of the
pasture-land at Besheisn. in early youth, this
invisible One, all beauty, all loves;nsss. had un-
/ veiled himself before his soul BE isaa como
TO him, not - iieeting, poetic vision, but ~
sober certainty Of waking bliss lie had ,sc.
eosne teacher, comforter and guide. lie had
4 sittsctrd 60 himself Al the flores Of ths poets
inner iife,se that he could say, aAll my springs
/ are in Thee" Thcnccfcsth BIS life became Slc.
riaed, and al its events pscspescuS or adverse.
iail Of ,iIyihe significance, and bearing hesl-
iag power.
The rsalas are fsail Of laslmaisoas Of This
inssfios friendship. They speak of sakeliiI
hours os scsnsaenica IN she nsssss4ceaxen, when
sll sses Is hssshsd and sssli. fissy spesk of a
glad palssssoa cf tsse and joy each snssniag.
tseh ~ bFsSsssens the lnsAnss eyss. VIXEN "
Awakes, sa f:nd hsa ueasher's ssasis. T" isAea
seeks sss stsn ssstA gaeer Trey esssk q.
wsRssssings and Ee,esniag@. ~ ussswl<s lssxsv
ga, ef inssrscssca lssrsrsesl. ef doihss allAyss
ssa snqassles ss.suesvsi
/ IN she fssi~. sAe pess IA sy<sksag a. oss:
who bss ieff spsas wasas sss3 kiss3sy kasne n.
sesae ancesssia ard F.ssssoas vcnsarv tie he,
he~n est sass ts,e haSsls shA s.ssA wsansisd. -
he hss kc2n iaso tie Nsre sspd Il weasy ssssl
siss assss. ao& hilnssea ~ he aasa. fEe 4
krzzx zicA wexsy, soaely. @sselsses bat sssl, \.
kTs&s whsee % se. he says
! ~Bssvas vxse ya4 ksss. q nv sars !"