The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-10-12
From tie ". Y. Commercial Idpsrfissr.
AN IMPRESSIVE LESSON.
THE WICKED SHALL NOT LIVE OUT HALF Ills
DAYS.

In the Pioneer, or California Monthly
Magazine for July, we find the following
melancholy story, contributed to that peri
odical by The Hon. E Gould Buffum. The
story is true; and we could fill up the
blanks with the real names, IL any good OBJ
jcct was 10 be thereby attained. Mr.. Buf
(um has not even given the true initials oi
the unhappy young mar whose fase he de-
scribes:
Inad been 10 Yves, Point in the Summer
of 1886. engaged in wiring series OF lei
lers for the Morning., with which !
had been connected as reporter for some
two years previous. Upon my return to
the office, found sitting at my desk a
Young man apparently about twenty-five
years OF age, dressed In the most seedy
style imaginable, and indulging in that full.
breasiedness Of coat which usually covers
a shirt bosom Of rather suspicious white
ness. A glimpse at his face, however, re-
moved the unlavorable opinions which his
dress had impaired. His forehead was
high and intellectual, his head unusually
large in proportion 10 the remainder Of his
body, and his whole features cast in tha,
classic mould which gives so much beauty
to the profies Of Michael Angelo. He
struck me at once as remarkable man.
and subsequent acquaintance and events
showed me was not mistaken. He had
been engaged at the office at small sala-
~, and was miserably poor, and upon my
introducing myself TO him as immediate.
y did, he asked me 10 step aside, upon do.
in. which, he cravsd a small loan, to ena.
bic him 10 purchase breakfast. I lei him
have the money, and at nigh, took him
home 10 my third story back room in my
boarding house, where he shared my mar
row cot bed, not quite wide enough for one.
In the close connection into which our du-
ties brought US, we soon became as init.
mately acquainted rs any one could become
with such singular being as he was.
had not known him many days before !
found he was man Of genius rarely ever
met with; and that grailed upon il were
a,,ainmen,s such as are seldom ever seen
in one so young. He had been educated a,
College, where he stood at the head
Of his class, and beside the musiy lore Of
Greek and Latin, he had made himself
thoroughly convesan, with Hebrew, and Of
the modern languages he spoke fluen'ly
French, Spanish, German and Italian. He
sketched and painted, TOO, with an artists
skill, and soon after our acquaintance COM
menced, he one day showed me portfolio
Of paintings in waier-colors Of scenes from
nature; Of wild tropical scenes, where the
towering palm tree casts shadow over the
painted earth, and where gorgeously-color-
ed tropical flowers, and birds Of golden
plumase, filed the picture, and then some
ancient ruins-'he remains, apparently. Of
a race Of which my history reading had
never taught me-ot Incalike palaces, and
temples and tombs; and then scenes upon
the broad ,dssolate ocean-like waving pam.
pas and then, again, pictures Of domestic
beauty and content at doors OF lille hut,
within which the fis-,ree and the cocoa-nu
cas-, their refreshing shadows; and then
sunset scenes, on which his pencil had lefl
the gor geous colors, such as linger on the
billowy clouds OF the tropics, when the
sinking sun is ,inging them with his fare
we'll rays. One Of these sunset scenes he
showed me was fancy sketch, such as on
ly the pencil Of an artist, and notmy pen
can describe. But il was a scene Of quiet
calm, peaceful, and unclouded rest, where
the very stiffness Of the air seemed painted
where the tree leaves stood as mo,onless
as though no breeze had ever rusiled them
and where 4 silver stream was gliding ,hro
a hower.enamcled plain. BY its side, sac
and melancholy, and gazing into its limpid
waters. was a young man. Small though
the picture was, easily recognized hi
own form and portrait. asked him wha
he called the picture, and he said 'twa,
"Lethe."