The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-06-19
Timothy Titcomb's Letters 70 Young
Married People.
NuMRER EIanT.
Prom the Springfield Hspubliesn.


This is my twenty-foufth and last letter 10
lhe young, As preliminary 10 its eompo'
fiion, have re-read every previous letter
and the subject Of this has been suggested
!. W the perusal, have asked myself "what
klnd OF men and women will these letters
uake, II there happen ~ be any who adopt
iheir rounsels ?" The reply oomes 10 me In
'he form Of a yihibn which will unfold TO
l ipu.
/ See young man standing at the opening
} tatea Of life, and with, earnest eyes scanning
Z The landscape that stretches before him,
Flowers are springng Ut his feet among the
velvet grass brooks are dragging their
chains Of flashing silver over the rocks, aud
passing in careless frolie toward the sea
tffds are sitting like blossoms amid the over
hanging foliage, and breathing their fragrant
melody upon the air breezes full OF love are
tanning his check, and fillng him with a
sense Of Intoxicating pleasure, and the sky is
bedding over him with no break Of blue save
where, in the exalted perspective, golden
clouds ait like crowns upon golden noun
tains. Hia heart ~ bold, his limbs are strong
his blood is healthhl, and hiA whole suscep-
,lhle and seuauous nature throbs With re-
spoEses TO the appeals Of the beauty and mu-
sic and sweetness around and before him.
lie takes a step, and Pleasure comes from
her secret bower, and invites him 20 her ban
quet Of delights, lie pauses for moment,
ihiyerS with the stress Of the temptation, puts
Net re'olutcly aside, and passes on. Idle.
meas, lolling beneath shade, points 20 a va
cant seat, and closes her languid eyes but
with disgust he leaves her, and presses for
ward, Ambition beckUhs from some sudden
summit, but he heeds her not Then Duty
comes, and standing before him--a firm and
Earnest fgure--points TO burden, and bids
him take il up, and bear Il as he journeys
onward He pauses looks around, AHEAD
above, then lifts il to his shoulder, and with
muscles firmly strained presses forward With
new Nlgor. Soon he becomes accustomed to
the load, and then Duty comes again, and
bids him add to Il. He willingly takes on
the new burden, aud as he docs 10, finds his
heart warming with ehecrAulness, aud his
voice bursting into song. Rcvelcrs stepped
With wine and wild with hilarty, look up
from their uncovered table at the sound Of
the healthy lhy, and laugh aud SCOT, but
thcy do not approach him. Temptations that
tbtong the path ofthe weak and faithlcss stink
away from him without attack or, II one
scatter It's charms upon him, they slide of like
dew irom bronze.
So Duty becomes 60 Ehin guiding angel.
Wherever she leads he follows In her steps
h, drops into deep ravines, hidden from the
light of the SUM- he plunges into streams
whose billows alright and chill him, and
crosses them by a might which grows with
every struggIoj he scales mountains that lie
in his path, piled with huge discourugcmonts
and sees from the summit Of achievement.
shimmering in the distance, the streams Of
great reward, winding among meadows Of
heavenly reoo mpcnse. At last he comes to
point in his way where he pauscs, aud looks
around him. In the pause, he listens TO the
beating of his own heart. II iythc thrill and
rhythm of manhood which that heart is
strongly telling. lie sees that he has made
progress toward the golden mountains, with
their crowns Of golden clouds. The noise Of
the jewellers has died upon his ear. Pleasure
and lndolence are far back, and the temptn.
tions of youth are past, and he is, so far, safe.
He sees how the burdens he has borne and
the struggles he has put forth have knit his
muscles, and strengthened his will, and de-
yeloped his power. He sees how each CON
stituent Of the manhood that has now become
his choicest possession was won by toll and
fatigue, and selfdeninl and patience and re-
sistance Of temptation. lie sees that il
could have been won in noa other way, and
gives honest thanks to that Providence which
has thus transmitted the evil of life into
good,
There we leave him standing, and change
the scene AT another gate maiden enters.
The rose sits upon sher ebsek, and the lily up
on her bosom Good angels are lowering
all about her aud hiding in some secret re- !
cess, she kneels and dedicates herself to Hea-
ven. As she comes into the path, the Temp
ter looks at her, and sinks away from her
sweet and unsuspicious eyes, as if they were
windows through which he caught glimpse
of God. She is conscious from the FIRST that
life has meaning in il, and that the soul |
which informs her has duty and n destiny.
She knows that that soul is to be strength
ened and enriched,---that it is to be kept pure
and beautiied with all precious Cruces
Fashion and Frivohty faunt their gewgaws |
before her eyes, but she puts them aside
Th6y seek TO divert her into vain pursuits,
but she has a steady purpose and keeps
steady path. Focks of seductive thoughts
hover about her head, and tease her bewlder-
ed eyes but she repels them until ,hey leave
her. She gathers the flowers Of life that
bloom by the way, AND places them in her
hair Kind words and smiles 70 out from