Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-09-09
For the Journal
LEAVES FROM MY PORTFOLIO.

For the Journal
LEAVES FROM MY PORTFOLIO.
Come, sit with me, dear reader, by
the open window, for tits the hour
+" When the Inst sunshine of expiring day,
in summer twilight, weeps itself away"
Watch those rosy, purple clouds,
piled up in the golden west, slowly
changing their gorgeous, sun-tinted
raiment for the more sombre hue,
be6tting the hour Of night; the noisy
tumult of day is subsiding to a low,
indistinct murmur an evening song
now breaks on the ear, and anon the
mellow notes Of tugle como floating
Ger the water, broken now and then by
the melancholy notes Of whippoorwill,
filling our hearts with sensation of
awe and dread. A star makes its
appearance, now followed by another
and another, until, as if by magic, the
azure canopy, stretching far and wide
above us, is dotted by millions of
diamond lights, scintillating and
cleaning on us, till we are tempted to
believe they are the eyes Of those loved
ones gone before, searching our Utmost
souls, and when our pure and noblest
thoughts meet their gaze, how they
CLEAN and glitter with love and light;
but, ali! when they gaze on the dark
and sinful thoughts that sometimes
sway our souls, how their loving light
pales away, even as though they were
blinded by tears !. Now the moons
broad, red disc is slowly rising behind
the trees, casting pale, mellow light
over hill and vale; softening the rugged
hills; bringing out in bold relief the
white cottages against the dark, green
trees bathing all the landscape in
beauty. All, now her beams have
fallen on the water, and glittering there,
from magical golden bridge over the
dark, blue river, on which you imagine
you can see the fairies crossing and
recrossing in el6n frolics. The south
wind is whispering now his love-story
to the listening leaves, who dance and
tlutter in their joy; now, like a gay
deceiver, he has left them how sad
and motionless they hang-while he is
wooing the flowers in the vale, or
murmuring through the lonely pine.
This is the hour l love best, and yet,
tonight, ! am oppressed with sadness !;
the world lies so calm, so pure, in the
moonlight-can it be that aught Of toll
should mar its loneliness yet, tits
even so-how many homes is this golden
moon beaming upon, where strife and
discord prevail how many hearts filled
with envyings and bitterness Aye,
even in some Of the homes / have been
this day, where all was fair to the
outward eye, Joy and mirth seemed in
every heart, but could l not see the dark
shadow, that only seemed banished for
a while, lingering near, waiting the
opportunity to steal nearer and nearer,
and envelope all in it's clouds? Who can
tell the misery Of life in these homes,
guarded by shadow, it may be, of
sighted love, an angry or cruel word,
a broken faith, or broken heart! Is
not life Of loneliness like mine far
preferable? Dear married friends,
why will you not realize how much is
dependent upon you in keeping these
shadows from your own homes for
once admitted, from ever so slight o
cause, and they will never leave; you
may Danish them for time, but, all +!
they are:hoverng near and willreturn ere
you arc aware oft. You, oh, husband,
close the door carefully as you enter
your home admit not that dark shadow
with you to darken the brightness Of
those happy hearts within 4 gentle,
loving wife is there, wearied, perchance,
by toll or pain, or those little trials so
wearing to her spirits ; yet, as you
enter her face is lighted with smiles to
welcome you no trace Of pain or
WEAKNESS can you see there, and cannot
your very heart echo the words Of the
poet CHANGER
CA WIFI a Seinte Marie benedicte,
How might a man have any adversitee,
That hath a wifi ?"
Your children, too, are there with
Joyous hearts, and meet you with
laughing eyes and rosy checks. Oh,
guard them well, that no dark shadows
may rest on them, chilling their joyous
mirth and saddening their happy faces.
And you, too, oh! wives, how much
you have in your power to keep away
all shadows +; your empire is there and
yours the power to rule it wisely and
happily !; to beautify and make your
home SO happy that your husbands
steps will, as he turns homewal d,
involuntarily quicken, and his earth
warm as he thinks Of his wife and little
ones. And your children in after
years, when they have left the roof tree
and gone out to buffet with cold world,
will look back upon their childhood's
home as darkened by no shadow, and
the lesson there learned will be a
safeguard from all evil with the world.
$50 fret net like an idle girl,
That life is dashed with fieeks of sin,
Abide-thy wealth is gathered in,
Wien time hath sundered shell from pearl"
Cousin KATY.