Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-10-22
LADIES' DEPARTMENT..
For the Spirit of the Age.
TO THE SOCIAL CIRCLE.
SABBATH MUSINGS.ANO. 6.

aid OF our W hlgh Wr0ughtappreclaJlons,
would invest mortals with the dignity of a
God, were this the only page to be read
from the book Of his earthly destiny. We
, turn the leaf and the serpent Shiny trail
CLEANS out amid the %meanderings of his
: private life. Ambition oftimes maintains
her reign though herself a rebel to the
soul and reason, beating down remorse-
lessly the way-marks of our Bible faith,
and Offering violence to all the better claims
Of natures self. Fell passion, dark and
hideous, which is in no wise an attribute
of justice, sill claims her station house up
on the bulwark Of life and yields a direful
sceptre. Atheism rises up in boosted
strengths, because it can level its monster
finger at fair virtue in distress, or vice in
triumph. Mammon cringes at the foot of
her own self erected altar, in a million
hearts, where God and his holy claims can
never enter. Deception originates dis
frost, when the hrightAIA smile glaws IN
the lip and the warmest light CLEANS from
the eye. Sour discomfort wages a useless
yet perpetual warfare with its own late
The Aatte rer g passes through a gilded
sieve whatever he would say. Murder
is distorted into chivalry, until the beard
less youth I" walks on brambles till he has
killed his man" Drunkenness strikes its
roots within Qarlanded halls, aud thereby
deems itself detached from its soul-sicken-
ing odor. 3ensuality mars aud debases
the inner life, yet still weaves the flower
wreath to hide the NORWOOD and gall
which she contiuually presses to her vota-
rvs lip. Profanity is born on the reckless
infdeIs tongue aud p%ollutes the air he
breathes. Aud over all this moral chaos,
vice lifts its hideous head and smiles a hor-
rid smile over the fearful wreck it has
made. Or, instead, the high strung chords
of this spiritual instrument may be broken,
and in the place of that intellectual superb
ority we bowed to, rings out the Giscordant
laugh of IL maniac, or flashes the terrific
glare of o maduan.
But man may even escape these. He
may retain the mental majesty which so
deeply won admiration. lie may bear
still in his eyerJ movement, his exquisite
" wrought frame, his complicated economy
OF being, evidences far more startling and
impressive Of the wisdom and abundant
benoyolcuee Of his glorious Maker, thar
the growth of the forest tree-the struc
ture of tue fragrant blossom-or the com
ponent parts Of earth which afford sue
ample scope for the searching enquire
characterizing his species. Man, proceed
ing from aud destined to Immortality, tn
beloved, the peculiar treasure and care
the Eternal, swaying by the secret exter
and power Of genius the ETHEREAL essence
mind in others, may bear no corrosive stat
on virtues brightest links. Not a detrac
ing blot may appear upon the far escutcI
\ con of his private life. Gibbering idioC
or raving madness may not dare to touc
with their foul ginger the citadel ofmmi
powor. But Vhat then ? There
in reserve for MIN far more certain ; g.
minus which noNvirtue can hinder, no SIX
destroy, no science avert. Genius, glor
distinction, wealth-all cringe back wi
palsicd heart at the contemplation of tt
awful chasm, for they have invoked in va
their united grandeur to light up the Dire
~ abyss. The beacon light that h
h1med up so luringly for the emulation
others begins to wane. The mind viii
has glowed and sparkled amid the gloric
corruscations of n thousand new entrance
thoug.ts forgets to impart the HeavC
glow it possessed aud reels surfeited, as
were, with earthly wisdom from its IN;
nifcent empire,
Let US review this change still m
nearly (: We fnd the knocker at his d
munled, or the bell unhung. The frequ
ted ~footways are doubly carpeted. ]
lofty chamber is darkened. Forms
about n~oiseless in their movement Y
ces are subdued and sad. What means
The hush, the darkness, the sadness d.
and unutterable, what does it all porten
Flingback the heavy drapery that obstru
the view, and there, stricken from the V
zenith of his glory to the imbecility of
ond childhood, there is the emaciated n
nant of the 50 lately mighty one.
back the damp hair from his clammy bl
and let the cooling fingers linger about
fevered, ~throbbing temple. No wither
scowl plays upon its lofty surface-no tt
of intellectual power is written there
The lnstrelcss eye sends forth from its
ken socket no CLEAN of zeal, but turns f
side to side with an imploring appeal
pity or relief. The lips from which b
such souLentrancing eloquence are inc
bic Of a~rticulate sound. The bold str
arm drops powerless to his side. And
cooling draught or refreshing cordial WI
may alleviate pain or prolong life, co
tutes his highest earthly cravings.
But even this is not all. The tn
ming cloud but lowers-the thunder
has not yet stricken. Prayers, burs
up from the depths of a heart whic
most stops in its beatings through agol
watchings that know no wearincss-
which, through him invested life wit
brightest hues, avail nothing and
winding sheet aud shroud-the cofir
graye-corruption and worms del
their own. And, great God, if that
Of giant power, moulding here the in
tai faculties Of other beings to his str;
will, shall have neglected the salvati
his soul through Christ, and awake t
the lowly and outcast preferred to hi
Heaven, the poverty-stricken and illit
endowed with its transcendant glory v
he is to 90 away with 6ends forever,
must be the awful tumult of his lost
Have We any authority for the suppo.
that the keenness Of his mental perccI
will be blunted The acuteness {
finer feelings destroyed? Or rathe
not far more probable that, the very I