Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-09-02
From the Atlantic Monthly
The sunlight of Truth.

rom Tue AAiAIlit -IoAtuiN
The sunlight Of Truth.
Did YOU never. in walking in the
fields. come across 6 fiat stcne which
had lain. nobody knows how long.
just where YOU found il. with the grass
forming a little hedge. as 1t were.
around it. close 10 It's edge--and have
YOU not. in obedience to kind Of feel
ing that told you it had been lying
there long enough. insinuated your
stick. or your foot, or ycur fingers un-
der Its edge and turned it over as
housewife turns a cake, when she saws
to herself. ut is done brown enough
by this time" What an odd revela-
ton, AMI what an unforeseen and un-
pleasant surprise 70 small communi-
ty, the very existence of which you
had not suspected. until the sudden
dismay and scattering among its mem
bers produced by your tarning the old
stone overl Blades Of grass hattened
down, colorless, matted together as II
they had been bleached and ironed.
hideous crawling creatures. turtle.
bugs, one wants to call them; some Of
them soft, but cunningly spread out
and compressed like Iepine Watches;
mature never loses crack or crevice.
mind you. or joint in tavern bed
stead. but she always has one Of her
llat-pattern live tiine-ksepers TO slide
into IT'D black. glossy, crickets. with
their long filaments sticking out, like
the whips of four-hOrse stage-coaches;
motionless. slug-like creatures. larv~.
perhaps more horrible in their pulpy
Stiffness. than even in the wriggle of
maturity? But no sooner is the stone
turned and the wholesome light Of day
let upon this compressed and blinded
community Of creeping things, than
all Of them enjoy the luxury Of legs
and some Of them have a good many
rush round wildly, butting each other
and every thing in their way, and end
in general stampede for underground
retreats from the region poisoned by
sunshine Next year you will find the
grass growing tall and green where the
stone lay; the ground-bird builds her
nest where the beetle had his hole:
dandelion and the butter-cup arc grow
ing there, and the broad fans Of insect
angels open and shut over their golden
discs, as the rhymatic waves Of blissful
consciousness pulsatc through their
glorious being.
The stone is ancient error. The
grass is human nature borne down and
bleachcd Of all his color by it. The
shapes tha. are found beneath are the
crafty beings that thrive in darkness.
and the weaker organisms kept hclp-
less By it. He who turns the stone
over is whosocver puts the staff Of
truth TO the old lying incumbus. no
matter whether he DO il with serious
face or laughing one. The next
year stands for the coming time
Then shall the nature which has been
blanched and broken rise in its full
stature and native hucs in the sunshine.
Then shall Gods mi1strels build their
nests in the hearts Of new born hu
nanity Then shall beauty--divinity
taking outlines and color-light upQg
the souls Of men as the butterhy?fiif-
age Of the beautified spirit risi1 from
the dust, scars from the shell that held
a poor grub. which would never have
found wings had not the stone been
/ lifted.
! You never need think that you can
turn over any old falsehood without q
terrible squirming and scattering Of
the horrid little population that dwells
under IT,