Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-11-07
A DAuuuLOn,s PLEA.

A BAOHELOn's PLEA.
They call me an Old Bachelor, and
] am one but not as the world defines
tho word. Its definition Of a bachelor
isathis--a manswho never was married,
and therefore it is inferred, as part
Of the definition, that as he had no
spot in his heart where cupid's dart
could make an impression, his heart is
harder even than Pharaoh's. Or,
which is still more common, they be-
Love that bachelors have 10 hearts
that the part Of the human anatomy
usually occupied by that organ is void,
Or is occupied by piece Of flint or
steel Of the form Of heart which is
impervious to all attacks. And we
bachelors do not often undeceive them.
We do not frequently lay bare our bo-
SONS to their inspection, or raise the
curtain of silence and obscurity which
surrounds ourselves, and expose to
view the CORY wounds and the arrows
ranking in them, which many a bache-
lor's smooth face and pleasant smile
conccals.
Nor do we often disclose to them the
treasured images of times and scenes,
long, long gone by, and forms, and
faces, and hearts, dearer to us than all
else the world ever produced, which are
there enshrined, and before which the
lamp Of love burns brighter and brighter
. and our exterior forms grow older and
older, and as we draw nearer and nearer
to that place where our lamps of love
shall kindle to q light divine.
We do not often, | say, lay open
those secret recesses Of our nature to
the common eye. But sometimes there
are those found, who, like myself, are
wiling to do Sc, that the rest Of man.
kind may learn a lesson. ! have said
I am a bachelor. Incvor took the hand
Of one I loved best on earth in mine
and called her wife. / never lad her
kind and anxious face bent over my
pillow, and her gentle hand smooth
away the wrinkles Of rain from my
]. brow or battle my aching head, lowering
around me like spirit Of light when !
was laid upon couch Of sickness.
never felt fathers joy when his first
born was brought to him to train up in
the world, or when his children gathered
around his knee and amused him with
their innocent prattls. never had the
uphol ling hand Of . strong and noble
son to support my now weary footsteps,
orxaJlaughter to cheer ne with words
IT lose and deeds Of affection.
! Noneof these have ever fallen 20 my
lot Yes / ain bachelor!
And / am an cid bachelor, too
Tho frosts Of seventy winters have fal.
lon on my head, and give it their hue.
The suns Of seventy summers have
shone upon my face and left their tinge.
Tho hands OF threc-score years AMI ten
are already upon Ire, and are fast bur-
rying me tc the cold grave. And l
feel that tho next year will be casting
the cold clods on my coffin, and every
succeeding one will be celebrating
even the namo from my tomb. stone,
AID not many more will come ere all
trace Of the "Old Bachelor Grant" will
have passed away. Well, let it be SO.
There are but few in the wide world
whose. love even now would covet, and
what docs it matter to me whether man
kind remember me or not when I am
gone?
But in this old withered hulk, so re-
pulsive to view-as sometimes in the
toughest shell there is pearl, or in an
ugly stone o diamond, so in this old
worn out body there is priceless jewel =,
which all the struggles Of the world
have not 5een able to take away or dim
its lustre. Yes! have heart within
this breast-a heart softer to tho calls
Of pity or affection than you may be-
lievc.
And In this heart there are images
treasured, as fresh and palpable to my
mental vision, as ever the originals,
which have long since passed from us,
were to my actual eyes.
Deep down in corner, whittier
memory often wanders, is the image Of
her who gave me birth, who brought
me through tho trials Of infancy, whose
love first opened the fountains Of my
affection, which every since flowed freely
forth at her bidding; whose prayers
constantly assembled to heaven for her
darling boy, and who taught me, too,
to form the words Of devotion, and
told me that they should come from
the heart. And who, as I grew older,
sent me forth with her blessing to bat
tie in the arena Of life, and then sank
peacefully to her rest.
Yes, my Mother! thy image is still
fresh GU my heart, and the thought Of
sShee and thy instructions still keeps me
IL the right path. And, Mother, when
soon this weary soul is allied to leave
this world, thy voice and thy hand will
be frst among the seraph choir to well
come me TO my nome.
And side by side with her image
stands my Fathers, the upright, manly
Dne, whose counsel and advice have
Kept me from many o snare. Rigid
IA . Puritan, gentle as a girl, firm
md lowing as he was, the light Of
and lovo and righteousness which he
shed abroad when living, has not,
I thank God, gone out in my heart
yet, and ! hops never may
The images, too, Of brother and
sister aro there-thc one noble and
s8ectionats, the very type Of noble
manhood; the pride Of his family,
who has filed afeld Of usefulness in
this world and now resting from his
labus With his Master. The other