Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-10-25
From tho Daily Louisville Times.
RETROSPECT.
yYo. Euars.

Once moro walk, whsro in my boy-hooS days
loved TO stroll beneath the shade Of trees
Whicl spread their massive and generous hsnos
Wide out ABOVE tAe grass md violets
Iuat grew Dclow, and smiled like innocence,
Protected from ahovo.
Here the hillside
there the winding stream, stdl wanderingp n,
Like Is. toward tho great abyss-ard here,
The very spot on which sat 90 OF,
AMI dreamed Of that dare D0t think al now
While yondcr decked In gaudy rooes, with noNFeSsi
FLUSHING aud dewy gariAnding her brow,
beauteous maid the spOilsr had no, wooed
When first saw--Ihe lovely Prairie hes,-
and yet how changed!
J hs hillside slopes not now sogrseefBlly,
be trees have vanished from their ancient realms
I he rirOam IS male 10 labor on the wheel.
With murnuring mauiioid, and signs, and groenf-
The grass aud violets have been plurked up
Deep burrows wrinkle DER its oefe worn brow,
ND fences stAjIsd and DristiDg stand along,
Looking defiance upon either sides
And yOBdoT now, the beauteous maid has grown,
In thessfjw years, granddaIn gray and Old,
pespOiled OF all her beauty
Oh, hOwsa
How mournful 10 the eye Of him, WHO gaIed
With rapture; and a seDse Of JOY inwrought
lpOn the dnest tissues OF his soul
isy Naiare's all pervading harmony,
hus 20 behold tho ruin aud the change,
Which man, though for purpose, here hath me4s,
Perhapsin wisdo n, underneath the CURSE
Here was Youths Eden, Herr the garden z oves--
The wild fruit and the blOom-lho busy birds,
With voices full Of melody and love,
Mingiing their praise with incense OF sweet TOW RS
Ascending through the leafy portals up
To greet the coming Of the glorious morn
Here the Elysan fields, where hope, like bees,
Grew heavy-thighed upon the blissful sweets,
And few away 10 buildits myriad cells
In fancy's airy castlei
Here the lovely bower,
Wherein tho moistlpped AMOR Hrst appeared,
Leading in guso Of day dream her loved,
Bidding nue. kneel and worship, while he threw
And gave me captive to ner gentle hand
Alas alasi that youth was banished, and
Love tOos Is gone.
Yet, while my soul send,
Through mem0ry's wide reach In search o. these
Hero, let me turn my gaZo within awhile,
And mark there, too, the havoc Of those years
That bounded OF aeross the plains of time,
Like untamed coursers DER their native sod,
Unchecked, unfettered by the hands of man,
As G.'d has willed them.
What see there?
All worse than on my native hill the ehangei
The trees Of friendship which in youths warm days,
Budded and ieafed and sheltered my hearG-nowefs,
Have fallenl-withered some-still standing there,
melancholy sign of what once
on S 1S,: 80. bare arms The moody nght-blrd sits
Win sounds OF nockery'
My heart itself then fresh and vigorous
As pure and innocent as nature gayo-
The stream runs through 1t still, but labors now
With murmurs manifold, and signs and groans
'V0i luifv"s t1pr INC passions Tong nave proved,
IN which the seeds OF bitter thoughts sowf--
The grass and yiolets have boon Tucked up,
And fences staked and brstling stand along,
And look defiance upon either side,
Oh, how sad!
How more than mournful forgive the hand
That stripped the hill side, and that held the pow-
That staked the fields about. and pucked the grass
That chained the stream 10 labor on the wheel
But be who wrought these changes In my breast
That plowed my heart, and sOwed IL full OF tares,
Aud left il naked TO the winters cold
That cripI led love, and banshed innocence
Him will | not forgivel say, who did Ii:
Ny soul returning from the mystic realm
or far OF memory, resumes lis clay.
And answers with a voice that startles me-
''Forgirsi iesI thou be HRforgirsnlr
La PORTE, Ind, Sept. 1855.