Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-05-29
FOLLOWING THE SUN.

The tide Of emigration again sets west
war with the opening Spring. Besides
those that rush toward sunste in the thun
dering train, the green borders of the
great wagon roads are nightly lighted by
the camp fire of the home hunter. The
canvass-covered wains labor on, and the
Ifaxen-heads Of coming men are pat out
between the tawny curtains, to see the
wonders by the way.
When one thinks of it, it IS toward.
the West, at the West, in the We t, thai
the hopes Of half the world is straying.-
Fhe East is associated in the thought, with
very old rains, and very ancient graves,
and very many yesterdays. But the West
lis vigorous and young-how glorious It's
rivers, how free its air, bow broad It's prai-
h lies, how sall Of blue and beautiful to-nor-
rows.
So thinking, thousands hurry over the
Ioll sofn thresholds Of the East, aud leave
the friends they were born with, and set
their faces to the West, and depart. The
sun is to them, like the pillar of fire u
the lsraeliteS; 1t goes over the route they
are taking, every day; and sets every
night IN the West they are nearing-pre-
ci-ely where they are going. The West
How can they help knowing exactly where
il lies? Isnt it just beyond that golden
cloud they almost always see low down in
the horizou--a little to the left Of that
crimson one, that looks for all the world,
like a c,tstls-in the air? Don't they uu-
lerstand very we'll, that the evening star
shines over their homes that as to be, by
that river whose waters are like silver, a4d
whose lnurmurs are nothing but music
y here there is never any sickness, and No
use at all for Il grave.
On they come. They reach Michigan,
but Michigan is eastward Of sunset. They
reach Chic0g but Chicago is q portal,
aud the Vest Is only a little, very hit Q
way beyond. On they go-by this route
and t,lut route and route of their twn.
There eau be no mistake, for the sun is
Lot a blunderer. We are tod there are
graves This side Of the West, but such Is
noe the land they are seeking. Those
Ma9elanic clouda--will they ever reach
them, or is it indeed true that for great
hopes as for dying days and gathering
shadows, there IS such place as the West
Of the heart-noG laid down upon earthly
charts, but just beyond the cloud?
There then, after all, is the true Allan
tic-in the heart, and exactly in the heart
where gather all the morning hoTes and
glories Of the soul 10 It's beautiful Vest
There the golden clouds are; there the
crimson castles rise upon fields of azure
here nobody dies and thence no traveller
returns.
But then these pioneers who seek the
West, like those who sought of old the
Philosophers Stone, wall bring to light
new treasures, and new wonders in The
resources Of our great republic. They will
lay the foundations of homes that other
Imen may complete; turn the furrow for
harvest that other men may garner.
How the come! How they gol There
10 It's the cloud; there sets the sun. The
ears are wills; ling them away; the vain Is
la6orng on its route; the shoulders bend
beneath the knapsack and the West =
the West? why, the West is just beyond
the the rim of to-day only IA little way
over the line into tomorrow B. E. Tay-
Tor.