Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-01-26
D E CE P ITO

BY AVE.
 Live not to live, but live to die, Though not a second death,
 Use life's short span that place to buy, That gives Eternal Rest.
 Where dwells deception not, ah! where Ihis earth hath scenes and many fair, The lovely vale, the quiet dell, Where rivulets chaunt lonely knell, Where fow'rets blossom cen so fair, That angels oft do finger there, To catch the fragrance of the rose, That seeks from man its sweet repose, Or seek quiet in the bower That's freshened by . summer shower, Or seek from toil and care spot, W here man s contention cometh not; Yet even those, so lovely scenes, Ale quite as false fairy dreams. The chilling blast, old Autumn's wind But passes by, and may be seen That which had so many charms So desolate. ....
 See yon bright isle 80 lovely drest. Its lovely shade where quiet rest This earth's own songsters; Natures own, Whose carols reach cen Heavens throne, The towing Oak or leafy Palm Sometimes do wrthe, sometim mes are calm Sometimes do add to Natures joy And seem as free as wanton boy, Their leaves sometimes are tinged with gold When kissed by Sol's first morning ray; Iris fit emblem of the soul That oft doth deeds of charity: The peaceful ripple that to the shore Goes sparkling in the suns bright ray; As if to ask: Hath Earth a love! Goes back upon the deep to play, And when OCT ocean she hath roamed In torrid cline or frigid zone, Or by the tempest's ruthful blast, She to some rock-bound beach is cast, Perchance she stops and turns her moan To sing dirge, so plaintive sad That mortals ought in truth to spurn, That they voice for sadness had.
 She sings! her voice the ocean charms, And Nature lists in sweet alarms And asks from what untarnished goal, Or what can such sweet notes control, Ah 'tis the death song of him who knew
 
 The soul that by deceit was driven To love not earth and ask but heaven. His bark in which he loved to roam, The treacherous winds have forced below And now you ask, where has he gone! The ripple answers, the sea doth know, Her mind she calms; she stops awhile, And thou 'ts of the loved ocean child Fresh to her memory come; She flies away and seeks afar That once loved isle that like star Adorned the ocean's breast. But when in view she sees it rise She stops-she views in some surprise, And then is heard so sad, yet sweet, Deceit, deceit, all is deceit. And this to view this wide world o'er, We find the same in every scene, Our friends of now and those of yore, Are faithless a summer dream. 'Tis true our youth had fancy dreams, And hope vouched they were true But now the vision we have seen, They're like the morning dew; Think but awhile thou canst not find, Amid the ranges of thy mind place, pledge, plighted VOW, That hath existed, or doth now, But you upon t,.tho' obscure Will find it written '' its impure!' That place, that pledge or plighted VOW, Was false at first, is false cen now Would ye then ask, where is the goal! Untarnished by Deception's smile, Can power of man place control, Umixed with her deceitful guile, Hath earth spot, lone and secure, By her not rendered yet impure. The sad response, plaintive, yet low, Replying sadly says no, oh nol Where dwels deceptioa not, ah where? Is there no secret spots The soul heaven born--the child of prayer Replys, in heaven 'ris there, 'tis there. Poeohatan, Ark., Dec. 18th, 1857.