Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-08-13
For the In,e!liseueer
scribbliugs from the Shed behind the Wall.

! TWAS grand room, ina grand house, in grand
street, in grand city. Beautiful women and ma
iestic men moved like fairy things to the rapturous
music of tue dance. Splendid mirrors hanging by
giled clasps from the ceilings frescoed heights,
| aud RESTING their heavy, massive frames upon the
polished floor beneath, served but to add increased
briIIiancy to the festive scene.
Young and happy hearts told their tales of Joy
in sparkling orbs of liquid light. Every souI seem
ed full CT bliss, and hope, and happiness No
thought Of care, dream OF after woe, no dark
cloud of coming sorrow seemed to find an en-
trance there. And yet not spirit in that bril-
liant throng could live through the shortest life
without drinking from the cup of woe. Tie
brightest eyes in some other hour would shed the
bittereSt tears; the lghteSt hearts would feel The
deepest pangs, the most queenly forms would
bend beneath the weight of sorrow ctoul.
Who has not stood apart from the brilliant
thEOng of some ballroom at the solemn hour CT
midnight and looked with a throbbrug heart upon
the spIendots, display, aud dszzling beauty of the
| festive scene! VITO has not singled from the be.
wiIdering dance some one of noted charms, and
traced her pathway through flowers of Joy, and
thOrns of Woe, down to an early grave! All! we
are all human; and though at tunes we may cheat
ourselves of real things in the maze OF dreamy
dances, and forget every in the gaiey songs
and laughter,-Still there are moments when the
skeleton hand OF death steals from the velvet COW
ering of his dreaded form, and points witt. bony
| foger to the grave.
The gravel the grave, the GRAVE. AT the
mention of that dreaded word, the Young mother
clasps with convuIsive arms the little babe upon
her frightened breast. A father bends with ITEM
ulous hands over the tear.damp pillow OF his dying
boy. AT that doIelu sound, little child from
her toys looks up to her mothers tell tale eyes;
and the gray headed man lifts up his bended fern,
and leaning less heavily on MS faithful cane seeks
with trembling steps his quiet home. The young
gil whose heart Is just beginning TO blossom into
love, hears toling hell, and bending down with
upl[led hands, and pure, uhtaintst soul, breathes
prayer for him she loves
All! We may be brave as warriors; light as the
morning air; gay as the matin songs of early BIRDS
and as full Of Joy the widest dream,-au yet at
the mention Of that word our hearts beat slower
our souls grow sadder, and we turn from the bIaze
of the gIarag world 10 the silent chambers of our
NOuLu uS puIeI but Inc 0ElIlIanCY OF
fashionable life is more attractive than she solitude
of earnest thought, and The dread of after woe
forgotten in the ioyOusness OF the present hour.
And so the dance went en-. Music and flowers
blended their sweets, and threw halo found the
fairy Thong. In every face can be read the varied
lights of joy that sprang from their illumiued
hearts. "Eat, drink and be merry'' was the motto
on every lip. and wine that flowed like wafer,
Ieapt from the FURNISHED glssses held in tiny
hands TO the blushing cheeks and sparkling eyeso
the midnight jewellers.
Anil above them all, he with the bony arm, aud
crooked blade, and skeleton form, stood looking
down with sunken ewes, and feshesS cheeks, and
hooking lips. FIOm another bail room had this
unweIcome guest come forth, aud not an hour be-
fore. ballroom no larger than grave, with
flowers made from polished bones, and none ether
jewellers than shiny woms.
And while we look, grim death from his thrcne
comes down, and twIning his bony arm sEound the
fairest of that Brilliant througs values with her
into the river Of death.
Aud this is the end Of earth
Wheeling. august 10Th, ,65.