Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1857-04-09
New Series Vol. ii, No. "a.
communications.
For the Lewistown Gazette.
PROSE POEMS.
A SERIES OF DAY DREAMS
BY L. j. STINE.
No. III.


grandeur the Plain Of Beauty. A river,
broad and beautiful, passed slowly and
maJestlcally through the fowery groves
and lawns, between its green banks beau.
tiful with trees and shrubs and flowers
and tender vines and MOSES, which shad-
owed, and STOPPING, kissed the waters,
trembling in the last lingering reflection of
the setting sun.
A motley crowd was gathered there
A huge black altar stood in the midst of
the multitude, from which ascended a
smoky blaze. livid and uninviting, vet as
If prepared for victim. The setting sun
had wasted her last ray upon the tops of
the hill far off in the East, and cloud of
darkness was gathering over the Plain of
Beauty. The restlessness of the multi
tude, the busy hum, and the whispers of
fearfulness seemed to betray diabolical
purpose, the intention of deed of dark
ness; and the altar, with its cracking fire,
Its llVid blaze and its murky smoke, asked
a victim.
Darkness had settled completely Ger
the land. The crowd was more eager.-
Among the multitude noticed some by
whose "robes" and bearing | at once rec
ognized as priests, and knew that they
were TO officlate at the approaching sacri-
fees. Some OF them betrayed the eager
ness which characterised the crowd; others
appeared timld and pale, looking wistfully
ever and anon around and above them: and
thought that | perceived in the eyes Of
two or three OF them the glittering Of
standing tears. | perceived also, hover
ing above their heads in the smoke, and
whispering betimes in the ears of the
priests, certain dark figures with wings,
who seemed to delight in the flames as
born of them, and whose eyes sparkled as
Goals from the "burning lake" Far up,
also, above the reach Of the smoke saw
beautiful white robed one towering.
knew II was an 'angel of light | beheld;
for crown of light beautiful and soft en-
cIrcled her brow, disclosing the fairest fea-
lures, yet of such mildness as only TO fix
and not to dazzle my eyes. Sadness cov-
cred her countenance, yeta smile wreathed
round her lips. Was she there TO bear the
history of that transaction 10 The court of
Heaven?
turned again towards the burning altar,
wondering what all that meant, and who
were the priests! Suddenly, amid cries of
sit is the time, ,'-"Ho! priest, the sscri-
hce"'-"Bring forth the Book, the old
imposture"-an old gray haired priest ad-
vanced, and to him was handed by
trembling hand the Bible. He took it in
his right hand; but it trembled so that he
could not hold the book in that hand; and
so he took it in his left hand, and raised
his right hand TO pronounce curse upon
| the Book. The multitude were now too
eager for words TO describe. Amid their
shouts and cries only one did hear dis
tinclly-''away with it, away with it!''
While the almost deafening shouts of the
| blinded multitude arose amid the flames
of smoke, making night hideous," one
| approached from behind the crowd. He
was youth. The carriage of man was
in his step, marble frmness in his brow.
and poets fire in his eye. He seemed
about TO speak in behalf Of the book, but
ere he could utter a syllable, strong bony
hand was laid upon his mouth ,-and the
fiendish shouts of the multitude grew loud
er; the dark winged ones dipped their
wings in the flames, triumphing, and the
''beautiful white robed ene'' turned away
her face and dropped a tear, which fell as
a glistening dew drop ON the green earth
at my feet; and methought heard, as the
voice of one afar of, in deep hollow
tone, the simple sound, "Beware"
1t seemed that the old priest heard that
sound too; for he listened, and trembed,
as he held the Book over the flames of the
black altar, and stammered out curse
1--WE are here" said he TO the priests at
| his side, ." as the successors OF the leader
Of the Neec Philosophy of the nineteenth
century, whose duty it is to burn this
Book and renew society through its ashes"