Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-03-24
~MISANTHROPIC

| sometimes feel as | could blot
All traces of mankind from earth
As if 'twcre wrong to blast them not,
They so degrade, so shame their birth.
To think that earth should be so fair,
50 beautiful and bright a thing
That nature should come forth and wear
Such glorious apparellingj
That sky, sea, air, should live and glow
With light an | love and holiness.
And yet men never feel or know
How much a God of love can bless
How deep their debt of thankGulness.
I've seen the sun 60 down, and light
Like floods of gold poured ON the sky
When every tree and flower was bright,
And every pulse was beating high,
Add the full soul was gushing high,
And longing for its home above
And then, when men would soar, if ever,
To the high homes of thought and soul
When life's degrading ties should sever,
And the free spirit spufn control
Then have | seen, (oh how my cheek
Is burning with the shame l feel,
That truth is in the words | speak,
I've seen my fellow creatures steal
Away to their unhallow'd mirth,
As if the rcvelries Of earth
Were all that they could feel CIR share,
And glorious heavens were scarcely worth
Their passing notice or their care.
I've said | was a worshiper
At woman's shrine-yet even there
found unworthiness of thought,
And when | deem'd l just had caught
The radience of that holy light
Which makes earth beautiful and bright
Whom eyes of fire their flashes sent,
And rosy lips look'd eloquent
Oh, ! have turn'd and wept, to find
Beneath it all Il trifing mind
] was in ore of those high halls,
Where genius breathes in sculptur'd stone,
Where shaded light in %softness falls
On p%encil'd heauty.-They are gone
Whose hearts of fire and hands of skill
Had wrought such power-but they spoke
To nc in every feature still,
And fresh lips breath'd and dark eyes woke
And crimson cheeks flushed glowingly
To life and motion. / had knclt
And wcpt with Mary at the tree
Where Jesus sulierod-I had felt
The warm blood rushing to my brow
AT the stern buffet of the Jew
Had seen the God of glory bow,
And bleed for sins he never knew
And l had wcpt. thought that all
Must feel like me-and when there came
A stranger, bri git and beautiful
With step of grace and eye of flame,
And tone and look most sweetly blent
To make her presence eloquent,
Oh, then | look'd for tears. We stood
Before the scene of Calvary
saw the piercing spear, the blood
The gall-the writhe of agony
saw the piercig spear, the blood
The gall-the writhe of agony
saw his quiyering lips in prayer,
Father forgive them''-all was there.
] turn'd in bitterness of soul
And spoke of Jesus. | had thought
Her feelings would refuse control
For woman's heart, | knew, was fraught
With gushing ~sympathies. She gaz'd
a moment on it carelessly,
And coldly curl'd her lip, and prais'd
TIL high priests garment! Could it be
That look was meant, dear Lord, for thee
oh, what is woman-what her smile.
Her lips Of love-her eyes Of light
What is she, if her lips revile
The lowly Jesus Love may write
His name upon her marble brow,
And lingcr in her curls of jet
The light spring flower may scarcely bow
Beneath hel step, and yet--and yet
Without the meeker grace, she'll be
A lighter thing than vanity.