Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-04-13

THE flush Of youth soon passes from the
face,
The spells OF fancy from the mind depart;
The form may lose It's symmetry, its grace,
But time can claim no victory DER the
heart"
There arc dark streams flowing along the
earth's lowest depths, which the suns rays
have never greeted; there are pearly %rivulets
stealing through flowers merrily dancing
in the light; there are fountains proudly
dashing their silver spray, and rejecting ten
thousand prismatic dyes; but which Of these
can compare in beauty, sweetness and purity
with thc well-springs Of the heart. How
clear are those waters, ere the sediments Of
sin have darkcned, or the gall of bitterness
has mingled with its drops. A heavenly
thought might he baptized there, nor have
its glory ebscured. Gushing forth forever
in a full current to all around, they never
s~tagnate. They arc as bright as the glitter
ing Diamond Of the Desert" pure as the
crystal tear that bedews an angels check.
and as healing as "Siloam's brook that flowed
fast by the Oracle Of God"
a drop Of dew collects upon the roses bud
IN freshness and beauty. In a few moments,
1t melts away, and rides upon the day.star's
beams to its home OF clouds. 1t hangs in
mid air among murky yapors, plays lightly
around the setting sun, bathed in gorgeous
splcndor, and looms up in the darkly rolling
IL
thunder storm. Again it is merrily bounding
In The mountain rapid, or moving slowly,
majestically along between dark waving for
ests and low dropping willows. 1t still goes
on, until IL Is found in the proud pillows of
the sea- drop of dew upon the wide, wide
ocean. Or ming1ing with some baser sub
stance, it may have been lost to human OBJ
seryation, and its wanderings known no more.
SO is it with the welLspring of the heart
In LIES young summer its waters are as
fresh and limpid as the dew-drop in the roses
bud. At the family ireside they flow out in
rE5 streams Of love and affection. Long az
ter that sacred spot is left, do they continue
their outgoings. But Oceans waves, when
borne into Polar regions, CONCEAL into icy
GLACIERS and so do the waters of the heart
when Kseetipg o cold, selfish world, cease its
active outgushings.
IN enemy too, may poison that ~fountain
may convert all its c~learness and beauty into
spool of foulest darkness Slowly and sure
ly, he, drop by drop by drop, infuses thu
mischievous elements. Anger, envy, jealou
sy, lust mahce, revenge, and q host of evi
ingredients arc thrown together in wild cor
fusion, and, with no affinity remain unmixct
In the stormy strife for mastery which er
sues, it happens often, alas, too often, ths
the irail vessel in which they are held, is di
solved. The golden bowl at the fountain
broken, and its sweet and bitter waters al
all lost together. These make the wild was
places, where muTky floods saagnate, and
maAler of vie reptiles fad a home. The
are soon waters, lRaek and heavy as the DE
Sea .wayss. and hittox nc ~ ee-
Yes, usre arc hearts pure and fresh, u
tainted by sin, and interrupted by the work.
daGlApg touch5 but they are not of cart
earthly. They ilaVe obtained froM Heav
n chaINl, @a6th converts each errvenom
drop as il fills into unblushing purity.
These, icS and far betwecn though they IN
NC, constitute &Ae green cases in the grt
moral desert upon which the soul may fe.
with supreIne delight.