Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-10-16
miscellaneous.
For the Bugle.
AN IDLE REVERIE.


Summer is gonel How brief, how very brief
It's smile. A few weeks ago, and earth assumed
her richest garniture Of green, and all was Joy,
R'adnese and life. Now as | gaze abroad, the
landscape is changed. Grass and grain no longer
wave in the sunlight, but fields all shaven and bare
are fading into a dingy brown. and here and there
the touch of decay may be seen in the gold and
crimson that family tinges the robe of the forests.
The spring blossoms--the pale hepa:ica, the trail
ing arbutus and the meek eyed violet have fed
before the scorching rays of the midsummer sun,
like the bright hopes that we cherished in youth,
hopes that wither beneath the sultry heat of life's
summer. But all along the failing water courses,
the meadow eyo-bright, the richest of autumnal
blossoms, stands sentry over the tomb Of the invis.
ible vioiets ood the golden rod in it's gay robe Of
woven sunbeams, seems to rejoice in its wealth of
beauty. and everywhere Dame Nature has given a
brighter, gayer tint to her ever bsauteous drapery,
and wears the glory of her mature charms right
royalty.
The sun is setting, indeed tho red, round sun is
hid ffom view, but ire farewell smilo CLEANS faint.
~ through The dusky bars of the west, and its
cheering radiance seems full! of pensive feeling.
How like life are the changing seasons Some.
times, and tonight, long to look beyond the mar.
row bounds of this little life to see the illimitable
future that awaits us. Will the dust of earth
cling TO our spirit robes and sully their purity p
Shall We carry with us the joys and sorrows, the
hopes and Tears that have cast sunlight and shadow
upon our earth life, still to chequer our pathway
with long hours Of gloom and sadness, or brighten
it with the brilliancy of ideal bliss Or will new
scenes, new aspira tions, new hopes and new loves.
claim our attention, and the Lethean wave bury
in oblivion alt that is noW cur life? Who shall
fa.bom this mystery Who shall lift the mystic
veil and let the longing spirit catch one glimpse of
its own destiny?
remember when | was a very little child, 1 liv-
ed in a fairy world of my own creation, and
thought "the visual horizon that girt me round,
"the worlds extent. Oh what glorious dreams
were then mine, dreams that had a brightness and
a beauty that can never come again. With a
strange wonder. a feeling Of holy awe and a heart
thrilling with unutterable reverence for the Unseen
and Unknown, did l gaze upon the mystic world
before me. And as | saw the glorious canopy
above, supported. as l thought, on the emerald
pillars Of tho grand old woods; and saw the sun
coming forth from the gorgeous chambers of the
east, or sinking to repose in solemn grandeur be-
hind the many'tinted folds of his cloud curtained
couch, a feeling of wonder took possession of me,
and longed with all the intense earnestness OF my
childish nature, to follow the retiring day-god and
pierce, with my weak vision, the mysteries of the
universe. Daily and hourly did l ponder over
these strange themes, till my longing to know
what was beyond the bounds of earth became
almosti nsupportable. Around me the green wall
OF the forest rose on every side to meet and EN-.
brace the sky, and away toward the rising and set.
ting sun, a single path wound up, and up, till its
bright portal seemed like the golden gateway to
the skies. How | longed to tread that bright path.
way to its utmost verge, to unlock that pearly gate,
and feast upon the glory and magnifcence that
lay beyond. And l talked TO myself of the won
ders that would meet my gaze, eff l could only 60
to the end of the world and look Off, as in my
solitary ~coloquies l termed it, and often have |
stood and gazed npon the setting san while my
spirit was vainly striving to burst the letters of ig.
norance that bound it,and my body was writing in
q strange feeling of torture to follow the shining
pathway, and feast my spirit upon tho dazzling
glories of the Unseen. Many, very many we're the
mental resolutions then formed that when / should
be big enough to do as l was a mind to, "that my
first act should be to explore the unfathomable
space beyond this world that l would reach the ut.
most verge of this earth, and sit me down upon it's
remotest projection, and gaze till l was weary upon
the mysteries that lay beyond.
Now this same feeling is struggling Within
True its object is different, but the wild longing of
the soul after light is still the same. l would look
beyond-not the narrow bounds of this little ball,
that we 30 proudly call the Universe-but
beyond the "bounds of life and know the spirits
destiny! l would have at least one glimpse of.
that land which "eye hath not seen" would hear a
faint echo of that melody which "ear hath not
heard" and would know the truths of which
mortal imagination has had no conception.
a But how vague and unsatisfactory are all the
notions we acquire in reference to the souls des.
tiny and yet perhaps we know all that is necessary
for US to know now, and when the new duties of
'the hereafter" engage our energies, new light
will flow in upon US like a bright efiuence from
the Deity. Patiently must we perform the task of
to-day, and learn the lesson of the present hour
and pure and lofty aspirations shall breed wings
for the spirit, that shall bear US up, up into an at.
mosphere of peace and joy; where our vision eball
be free from the mists aud clouds that now dark
en- our earnest gaze, and when the hour of transi.
ton comes, we shall still find a work to do, for
which the discipline of our earth-life has fitted us
and learn the truth of that sweet prophecy Of the
poet.
I'VE are not Knocked 1T was not in derision
God made our spirits free
Our brightest hopes are but The dim precision
Of blessings get 10 be!
Only one sad thought arises to mar this sweet
promise. that if the tendency of the spirit is not
upward here, if it is crippled and dwarfed in IFS
earth life, it pW bear lie Lhght .Eo,ereri That it
will never attain to that state of perfection and
happiness which itmight otherwise enjoy. Yer
lily to live Isl fearful, yet a blessed thing! Life
will be to US, whdt ue make ia rich boon, or a
fearful curse. and the snnl,a destinu will hn hri oh,