Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-05-30
Xxx AY 49,.
GaNies' Department.
To the "Social Circle"
THE UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE.
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.

have trodden, and think of those who sat {
out on thc journey Of life with US, even if
we be young, we cannot fail to realize by
what a frail tenure we hold our lives. 1t
is sometimes profitable to pause, amid the
whirl Of lifc's varying scenes, and reflect
upon the past. If we do this, we shall re-
alize how truly-"life is uncertain"
To-day we live; hope sings sweetly in
our bosom the rose of health blooms upon
the cheek the eye flashes with the fire of
youth prospects are bright loving friends
circle round US, and life is all a glowing per-
spectivc of Joy and bliss. But tomorrow
comes, and where are We The tomb an
swers the solemn question the marble
tells the story Of our birth and death. The
"pale horse aud his rider" has passed over
us, and we are not" The friends we
love, around whom our hearts best affections
are entwined, are snatched from our en-
brace by the hand of death. Every thing
that is bright aud beautiful must pass away.
Wsgecfke sur is6i M gtUry and parsaer
his u%nerring course through the heavens,
but how soon does he set, perhaps amid
clouds aud gloom. Such isnot ~unfrequently
the life Of man.
To-day he puts forth the terder buds Of hope;
Tomorrow blossoms the third day comes n frost,
A killing FROST
How often have we gazed in the morn
Ing upon a beautiful flower, and returning
ut eventide find its leaves withered and one
by one falling from the stem, l have seen
u beautiful infant reposing on It's mothers
bosom. It's brow was like the leaf OF u lilly,
its check like the first blush Of morn. The
light Of dawuing intellect beamcd IN Its
starry eye, aud from its coral lips came
bursts of childish joy. 1 have sought for
it arain-and 10! it was dead. Like a
tender bud nipped by untimcly %frosts, its
beauty was gone aud on its snowy brow
was the seal Of the relentless destroyer.
Have YOU not sseh Il beautiful maiden
bound lightly out upon the theatre of life !!
Hor- splendid person, intellectual acquire
mefts, her goodness Of heart, high social
position, all conspircd to make her tho very
idA Of all who came within the sphere of
heEiuAuence. Her eye flashed with excite
mcnt-when she spoke or sang, her voice
stole on the ear like the tones of an Holi-
Ia Tyre. Every eye followed her with ad-
miration as she passed, every lip blessed
her. You turn to look for her again, and
10! she is not. They have laid her, the
koung, the beautiful aud gifted one, in the
0hSrrow house she rests beneath the sod
Of the valley.
You have seen man, too, in his strength
\Npud powcy-his lofty form, firm and steady
@read, told of the might and majesty of go
Y Srious manhood. Ga his broad expansiv
brow sits intellect and thought, aud from
his eye burns the fire Of genius. IL
speaks, and words of power and eloquenc
fall upon tic car, and before their melod
proud heads bow and bright eyes weep
We seek for him again and like a might
forest tree struck down by the blast,
lies powerless in the arms of death I!
Md such, dear friends, is life. "Thel
is nothing constant but decay" Not or
object on earth to love, without the tort
ring thought, it will soon be gone. Deaf
enters our homes, and one 10y one the mer
bers of " our Circle arc borne away. A
our dreams of happiness and JOY fade quic
ly away. Fame, with her jeweled fnge
may Irvine the laurols. for our brow, b
they will press like a weight ofcarc upon
and only heighten its throbbings. Ira
sicnt as the pearly dew that glistens in t
bosom of a flower, is earthly happiness.
There is no earthly bliss that is lastir
no auticipations which prove as bright
a%litieg.
"The spider most attcnuatcd thread
Is cord. is cable, to mans slender hold
On earthly bliss. Itbreaks at every breeze"
What though With crushed hearts a
weary heads we wander along the thor
path of life, sad, disappointed and wear
Beyond the rolling stream of Jordan, VIII
Elcn's fields lie smiling in the golden liz
where the tree of life is blooming in vi
ding ~glory-thcre We shall rest from
labors.
Our brows which threb with pain,
be decked with bright garlands such as
gels wear. From our eyes, now steepeC
the dews of grief, the Lamb will wipe
tears away forever. There we shall n
those who have gone before us. Al
that glorious angelic band we shall see
father, whom we laid in the grave while
earth that mother who watched over
infant couch and around whom the Low
our heartsis 50 fondly woven that idol
brother-that gentle sister-that saiI
child.
But above all, we shall sec our SAvIC
Yes, we shall see Him shall cast our Gro
ut Ills feet, aud wake our heavenly |
in hymns of praise.
Then who cannot bear the sorrow
life, sustained by the hope of at least re
ing the shores Of eternal blissfnlpesS
Should we not feel thankful that life
short that it is. but a little while we
to stay in this wilderness world. Oh
we could all realize how much better
to "depart and be with Christ than
ger here amid the cares, and sickness,
death which everywhere surround us
calmly could we hail the grim messel
and %joyfully obey his last IN
Is it not possible, that, engrossed a
are with the cares, and pleasures, an,
joyments of time, we fail to realiz
solemn fact, that overly there is
step between us and DEATH" If we
see our true position, and realize
uncertain is the tenure by which we
. our lives, how differently would we nc
Many an hour, now spent in friyolit
perchance in some sinful amusement, v
be devoted to higher and nobler puri
Then, dear " Circle" let us so liv,
act, that when we put off this mortal
we may ALL meet, an unbroken, updiI