The Panola star. ([Panola] Panola County, Miss.) 1856-1857, 1856-07-23
For TIE SIR,
WHAT is LIFE?
Mr. EDITOR :

| know not whether the
few crazy thoughts l have penned,
will be deemed by you of sufficient in
terest to occupy a place in your col
umns; buff not, you have an Editors
pri6ilege, l presume, of laying it on,
or under the table.
AS sitby my window gazing out
on the queen Of night, as she sheds her
soft, mild, mellow light upon the earth
with myriads of bright stars twink
ling in the azure vaulted heavens
and the soft gentle zephyrs playing
among the green branches of the trees,
a spirit of sad melancholy comes steal
ING over my mind, creating thoughts,
and calling up recollections of other
days. Some of these thoughts are in
the form of inquiry, and among these
the one which heads this article: What
is Life And in seeking for an answer
to the question, my mind ran back to
childhood's days; and as the memory
of former years came crowding on my
mind, one view Of life was presented
to, and impressed upon, my mind, and
that was its chaneeabkeness. Life is
| fall of ycissitude and mutability.
1t may require some reflection in
order to arrive at an appreciation of
this truth, but tits nevertheless a trsth,
and if observation fails to convince us,
sad experience will, sooner or later
demonstrate 1t.
To-day the young mother presses
her infant to her breast, and smiles at
its innocent prattle---to-m0rrow that
bosom heaveS with anguish, and her
tears water the fresh earth, the little
rnoUGd, the early tomb other idol child.
To-day the Father looks with pride
On the expanding intellect Of his darl-
ing boy, and his heart beats with pleas
ing emoticnS, as ne pictures the bright
future tat awaits his son Tomorrow
his hopes, and bright anticjpatiOns lie
/ crushed beneath the stroke Of death.
lie who was the pride of his fathers
j heart--the idol Of his mothers love,
/ lies cold and stitfin the still, still tomb.
/ To-day the fair young bride stands
/ before the altar, and places her hand
in his, whom she has chosen to be her
companion for life, around whom all
/ her affections entWine, aud in whom all
/ her earthly hopes are centred; and as
she gazcs into the future, she sees
naUght but The flowery path of love-
not a cloud to cast its shadow over the
/ bright sunshine Of ffor young and hope
| full heart; tomorrow She finds a thorn
in every flower; the cup Of nectar
4 is changed to enc OF NORWOOD and
gall, while the furroWsd lines Of care
upon her young brow, Indicate the
truth of my proposition, that life is full
of VicisSitude and disappointment.
/ To-day we are surrounded by parents
and brothers and sisters tomorrow
the ties Of kindred are severed, and we
are cast orphans upon tine rough sea of
/ life, compelled to buffet the adverse
winds of life's rude storms alone, and
unprotected.
Ny own mind is, tonight; busy with
the past. ] am again in the midst of
a happy family circle. Again | hear
a Mothers gentle voice, again I'm
listening to the caroling Of rly sisters
evening hymn, as she sits beneath the
/ protecting branches of the old elm tree.
That same tree still stands, though
/ blasted and scathed by the rude shocks
! Of nature; but where is that once lap
/ Ply group? Let me tell you. The
rays Of the moon that now come,s;rug-
! CLING through my window, and which
is casting her beams across the paper
on which am writing, that same moon
tonight looks down upon eight graves,
the graves Of all that once happy fami-
| ly, save one; and he like that blasted
elm, stands alone---an isolated being
with every earthly tie severed. Such
is life
Happy, thrice happy they, who to-
night can point to some spot on earth,
and call it home and who, amid life S
sad changes, are still possessed ofkind-
red hearts, who can participate in their
joys, and with whom they can share
their sorrows.
Oh! what is life, if love be lost,
Or friendships smile be DER?
A shattered barq&e By terrcsts toss'd,
That sinks to rise no moro.
Yet hope will smile amid the gloom,
On heart by sorrow riyen,
And point to path beyond the tomb,
To brighter scenes in Heaven"
ALPHA.