The Panola star. ([Panola] Panola County, Miss.) 1856-1857, 1856-08-20
THE JOURNEY OF LIFE.

palaces, just so do we In infancy,
see the things OF this world through
themedium of a frozen atmosphere,
through which we regard the
mountains that cross our path as
smooth and as blue as they appear
in the hazy distance, and the world
itself as innocent as it is smiling.
But as we advance in years, the
sun of knowledge melts away the
ETHEREAL film so false, but so fasci-
mating in the morning of life. For
when the early dream has passed,
we begin to find that to live is to
face the storm which, with slight
intermissions, increases as we ad-
vance. And if the sun frequently
emerges from a cloud, it is often
only to pass under another still
darker, for the clouds both thicken
and darken as we approach the
horizon of the tomb.
Truly we sojouri beneath incle-
ment skies, for though the frma-
ment itself is tranquil. and beauti-
full, and glorious, yet is it too often
eclipsed-too often is the welkin
filled with wailing elements and
fearful portents, whose stunning
artillery rocks the earth beneath
our feet, and nenaces our lives with
its bolts of promethean fire.
There miasn in the falling dews,
malaria in the rolling fogs, and the
marshalling Of the lurid clouds is
but the harbinger of pain, and
every storm the auguTy of the
death of thousands!
Lies thoroughfare has far more
uphill than down, and leads most
ly through a desert where many
an oasis, deserted by the eye of
anticipation, proves Oh a nearer
view, to be but a rough and sterile
tract, smoothed down to an APP
parent garden by enchanting dis
tance and Elusive vision; where
high hopes are heralded, yet sell
dom realized, rich promises made,
yet rarely verified; where the
tree of prosperity sways above our
heads in mockery of our efforts to
reach the golden fruit that dallies
with the sun upon its lofty boughs;
where the rainbow points to buried
treasures, yet moves on ere we
can arrive to secure the prize, or
even identify the auriferous spot,
where the goal of glory looms up
before us, but only in derision Of
our aspirations-an igais tatus
which we follow, yet cannot ap-
proach through a seductive path
way, SO paved with flowers as to
conceal the bogs and sloughs over
which it passes; where beauty
Inres us and then repels US, for
though innocent her heart. yet
hers is a siren voice, enticing are
her graces, beguiling is her smile;
yet when we advance to pay our
devoirs, and invoke her favor
when we approach so near as to
invade the sanctity of her shrine,
then with modest surprise-like
the timid butterfly on the flower,
like the startled songstress on the
bush-she flies from our presence,
and refuses the homage she un-
consciously inspires; where fame,
like beauty, charms us only to
pain us, woos us only to wound us,
invites our approach only to elude
us, beckons us to her arms, vet
vanishes ere we arrive.
Some laurels we win, yet often
dispoiled by the treacherous hand
Of envy; some gems we find on
the strand of time, yet all are not
| Jewels /; some roses we Gull by the
way-side, yet not without thorns;
some sweets we taste, yet not
without dregs some music we
hear, yet not without its plaintive
notes; and all that ministers to
the senses or refreshes the mind,
does but soothe some almost ever
present pain, rather than produce
unalloyed pleasure.
Thus do the trials, disappoint-
ments and illusions of life gradual
ly loosen our hold upon the things
of time and sense, and more and
more reconcile us to our mortal
exit from this mundane scene of
poignant sorrows and Indifferent
joys, of transcient suns and pro-
tracted storms.
Thus does wise Providence
wean us from the world-th.ls In
proportion as i,s iooseI lef af;t. a.'tsT- tr
tions, is death d'saIIneo :. ~ ,:s i:s m Vel