Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-09-21
fFor the 1ntelligencsrl
HIidnIght Musings of nm Aged NAN
NO IL
"scattered and broken on lies desert vide, II.
The souls best gems, tts grlgiitest az
And memories Of Joy and love and pride,

And
Tho n;ubt wears on. and still am alone!-
i Jer rive is lust beyond the hill. But little
while ago, stood by the grassy mound, ana
rested nv fevered head upon the marble stone
/ that marks the silent slcepcr's couch
She rms 20 young to d'e-and yel inc a H'I jS,.
of death strove in vain to cast from OIL her
neck. poor Marion's arms. She had walked IN
( quiet beauty, the cold, icy pavement OF life un-
I til her pure soul sickened with the Heeung shows
of earth.
But she died, as the flowers die; the perfume
of her womanly soul waited IFS own lie away,
and can no more return, save in the golden days
/ of nemory's summer time.
I There was one who loved even more than =
one, whose noble heart was filed with the mu-
sic of her voice and tlepnrc, untroub!ed stream
of her gentle life-one, whose eyes mad seen
farther into the depths of her unbOunded soul,
and drank deeper from the limpid waters there,
than all the world beside And yet he was not
happy. -,
life. When lie smiled, it was the deep, sad and
lonely smile that wreathcs the dying warriors
| lips: when he talked, there was mourntuI ca
dence in his every Tone like unto the signing OF
summer winds through y0nder mountain pines
when he sang, his heart seemed lifted up on spirit
wings to another cline, while the Silly crowd
in rapture hung upon his lightcSt song, and
through THEIR NilIIIIISN anu hSSPthAS ~
not his spirits snOthcred agonies
And MariOn-she was us bright and happy
rs the birds uIon their swinging bouShS Tier
whole nature seemed formed of pleasures court,
and the melody of her voice was attended ny
the gladdcst lays She walked crowded room
in all the elegance OF queen, IN all Tue sl'li--
plicity of n child. When she milcd, 1t was as
If heavens gates had opened wide tolc the sun
light come bounding forth. When she spoke,
ali ears were entranced with the witchery of
voice, whose Iightest tones were music, poetry
and love combined.
And yet, poor Marian declined the world
Within her fair bosom was nestled the viper OF
disease. Around her pure heart was clIng'ng
close and lixedly, the poisonous serpent OF de,
cav. She tcQs bit a soul IN motion. How could
the blind and unfceling world know of thIS!-
They who met her in the glare, noise and con-
fusion of ball room life, never paused to wonder
if she were ought else than what she seemed
Many cnvied her; many loved her; but none
ever thought to pity her
Alas! the world is full of such as she-full OF
hearts that are breaking hour by hour, while
their faces wear the brightness of midday
sun. There be many souls like unto flowers
that bloom the freshest when worm is at the
hcart,-but he who cullS such stricken plants
will find them crumble to nothingncss, i'll his
embrace.
Ana vcr, VINO could blame poor Marion Tor
this? Who could chide so sweet girl, when
the beautiful light from her trembling eyes, was
but the reflection from burning, ievered soul?
They were married. She loved him with all
her woman's heart, and he was to her the soul
and essence of sacred truth. When they stood
before the pure and hallowed altar of their sa-
cred village church. an hundred prayers went
up privately, that God would bless them gracl-
onsiy, while the summer winds came laughing
through the window shades, freightcd with
fine trppS
around, from out their magic throats, chased
great floods of rejoicing melody.
look back through the vista of many years
and see them standing still before the affairs
front She pale and beautiful as the roses on
her brownie as erect and happy as the hcart
could wish. hear the last tones of the minis
ter's voice and listen to the dyiGg organs swell,
and catch the hurried tread of many feet hasten
ing to whisper dearest words of hope, ans then
come back again to the gloom and lonell-
ness of this silent room. strive IN vain to
cast from out my memory's call the vision OF
that happy scene; strive in vain to cast from
off the wasted tree of life the many vines that
have clustered there
The summer and autumn and winter went by
in their journey to eternity, while the spring
came forth from the close folds of her icy bud in
Ill the freshness of winning beauty. But Ma
Ran grew palcr day by day, and the light of her
leap eyes came from some land beyond the
darkness of this gloomy earth. She was as
good and beautiful as before Her pure soul
grew purer day by day as she walked closer to
the gates of Heaven; and talked in soul whispers
with the blessed spirits there.
But Clarence knew it not, He never dreamed
that the dark cloud which had been gathering
Ger him for many years, was about to burst and
deluge his soul ina flood of perpetual woe lie
had worshiped Marian for her soul alone, and
noticed not the wasting walls of the home IN
,,l;cL ,,ur,. Tenant 1welt- She could not
break his poor heart, while he seemed so happy,
nor bid his unsuspccting spirit make ready for
the +" Bridegroom Death" And so he walked
the pathway of the world in all the calm dlgnl-
ty OF an unhumbled soul, while the stall on
which his spirit leaned was crumbling beneath
him. @
II broke at last, and suddenly. She had been
talking to him of death-not her death, butthe
death of ALL Clarence listened with seeming
wonder, and babe her speak of what had been
in his dreams for many days, though he had
feared to tell her so And then poor Marian
talked till the tears almost hid her beautiful
eyes and chOked her utterance. She wondered
what her beloved one would do if she should
die? Could he be happy in a world whose sun
would lie forever dim.ned, whose flowers would
have lost their queen, whose music would never
soothe without her magic voce2 Poor Clar-
cnce! he tremblcd So She could but rntice
his gloom away and trust to Heaven.
But in the stiffness of the night he felt her
kisses on his lips mingled with tears and pray.
erS; and when he pressed her to bis heart and
begged to know why she wept, Marian whisper
ed only something Of fear and dreams and love,
and prayed him sleep ngain. Ind lOhiIe he
slumbercd, she glile9 softly a,ray to hedeen.
Alas how fieeting are all the hopes of earth.
We build for ourselves great temples Of love
and happiness, and people them with dreams
more beautiful than angels visions, only to see
them fall and crush us amid their ruin.
We take into the garden of our hearts some
beautiful flower of affection, and when we have
watered it with our tears, and warmed it with
our snnnlest smiles, and sheltered it beneath
the tirelcss pinions of our trusting souls, tsud
denly witherS and dies, and forever darkens
would have sacrificed a world OF joy, and hope,