Washington telegraph., 1856-11-19
From the State Gazefte & Democrat
AUTUMN MUSINGS.

am alone beneath the mighty oaks,
And listening 70 the voices which are borne
Upon the faint wings OF the lansuid breeze
Which murmurs past me, and scarce bends the
bloom, --
OF yon sad wild flower. WI tich alone is left.
A pale. sweet memory of the gIories gone:--
| read the solemn lesson which the bard
OF Atalantis hath in music taught.
Here the footprints of decay, whose touch
Crumbles alike the palace and tie cot
And here the August Architect hath raised
Up glorious temples to himself wherein
Man NAV bow down ana worship" and may
How mighty are his works.
Along these paths,
wander dreaming OF the dreamy past
OF those who are no more, OF far away;
OF friends in youth beloved. now changed and
cold;
OF all that made life beautiful of hopes,
Which now are ashes, and of Joys that come
No more forever, and j fain would weep,
But that the fountain of my.tears is sealed.
There is a memory which within my breast,
FO- many years hath slumbered tits of youth
Who in the sPrins-time wooed a maiden, and of
her,
Fair. pure and beautiful. who heard his vow,
With dim moist eyes, and heart that wildly
throbbed
With Loves unfat;iomable rapture; lor a while
Hand linked in hand down summers fowery
slope.
While Hopes sweet music fioated to their souls
Through song ot wild bird and the perfum'd
breeze.
Dreaming they wandered thee when first the
Treulbled, the while the North wind with cold
breath,
Spake hoarse 10 them OF winter-'neath the stars
They smiling calmly on their wretch eduess,
The young girl Observation-Disclosures one
farewell
He turned away. but ah, he could not hide,
The passionate emotion of his soul;
lie dared not trust his voice and with sigh,
How full of anguish, they alone can know,
Who part with loved ones, he was gone from
her
He to the busy world was gone, she to the scenes
Wherein their young hearts first had learned to
love;
She, bending sadly DER some withered flower,
His hand had twined amid her tresses dark,
Or softly chanting some sweet song which they.
At twilight sang together, walked the while,
In happy trance of earnest faith in him.
He to the busy world. where syren songs,
And witching smiles, and slances from bright
eyes,
Ard flash of wine cups. and the merry dance,
Soon won him from the memory of the Past
Thus sped the winter, with the hawthorn buds,
She looked for his return; when DER the lea,
FIOated the twilight, to the dear old tryst,
She beat her constant footsteps and looked out,
Ii hapIy DER the waters she might see,
The wished tor signal; but the white buds
bloomed
And faded ana he came not; and her cheek,
All thro the summer time grew pale, yet still,
She failed not at the hour OF eve to keep.
The promise given with the piighted troth.
Again the west wind. thro' the leahess boughs,
Hymned funeral anthems, and sorrowing train
Followed with mournful steps bier whereon,
Still beautiful in death the maiden lay.
A prayer by grief halt stifed, and the tears,
OF all vino knew her. 10 her memory given;
And all was over: in her dreamIess sleep,
They left her with her Savior and slow turned.
From that sad spot away, and in low tones,
Talked of her virtues and unhappy fate.
He-stil the wine cup quaffed. md in the dance
Held revel with iair maidens; still the song,
And SMILE and glance OF beauty luret him on,
ThrO' the gay scenes. where in her silded nails.
Cay pleasure robs the heart of truth, and dIms
Even the love-light OF our early years.
And never he. In hours of daIliance dreamed
OF her whom once ne worshipped, but when he,
Worn with carousal, wept remorsefuI tears,
The bitter 6regs OF PASSIONS flower wreathed
bowl.
In shame's despite, the memory Of the Past,
Brought to his soul the gleam of her sweet smile.
he sat one night where at the festive boz rd,
With boon companions, many a name was pledg-
"A strange guest spake of his boyhood's home,
And OF her late. her SORROW and her DEATH
Down from a aaeye rless hand wine-cuP dropped,
and murmusing aiL 'tiy some lew words to those,
who GoHde1ed ior :. l. 1oment that his cheek
Should pale at mention of the name OF Death
He LETT them; and scarce knowing what he did
nc wandered thro' the mig 1T time, and by turns
sCanes OF her name and raw. in wild despair.
With uao.noane caImness, an. with weary steps
'O'er many a nile he.wandeIed from that hour
He sought her gave, and there, while bowed IN
grief,
In one wild. gushing flood cane bae to t'Im,
His youths fond dream, her tesaernes and trutf'
To him was given to know, and iniy feel
How deeply he had snned ;-ifem his sad soul
Went up the prayer of .penitence shudd,sr-
ing sense
OF untold agony, his frame convulsed,
one moment, and ne weary sank to earth,
Worn with the weight of sorrow; hut his soul
fingered within Its tenement awhile,
And his dim eye, with fits last glance looked up,
And saw her spirit fIom its holy sphere,
bend Ger him, and his ear still strained to catch
fhe faIntest sound-in tones of music heard,
der voice like angel whisper softly breathed,
Murmur-~thou art forgiven"
TT