Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-04-02
WHITTIER r.!

a
little babbling, Draw ling brook, whose banks
were moss studded with violets and tender
lilies.
And my heart said to the streamlet,
"Whither? whittier 2"
Then the streamlet prattled to the peb-
oles In its bed, and murmured, Coward,
onward, ever onward to the sea, the great
VIDE, glorious sea, from whose bosom rises
the golden sun to the happy sea, whose
waves are emerald and gold" and the
brook hurried on.
AS walked up the stream, behold, there
came one with long golden curls, and he
was young. His eyes were eager no look
TO the right or left did he cast ever or
ward. onward flew his earnest glances as
though they would outstrip him, and reach
the wished for goal before him.
And my heart said, " Whittier? whith-
err"
i Aud the youth answered hurriedIJ-
II Onward, onward, ever onward to life, to
fame. to happiness p And be passed
on his way but behind him came fair,
fair girl. Her eyes were looking onward
towards the youth, and she strobe upon
the violets and lilies, but she plucked not
one.
And my heart said, Whither?'
And with her low, sweet voice, she an
swered, Onward onward, ever onward
to love and happiness, whittier he goeth.
thither / follow, to be his bride, and dwell
in JOY for ever" And her light etep was
no more on the flowers, but she followed
him she loved.
Anon came and old grey headed man.
His step was slow and his eyes dull, yet he
walked onward without cease, and in his
arms he bore chest Of riches and he
cursed the violets that they stayed his path,
yet be bore the Golfer uneomplaining.
And my heart said, Whittier ?'
And he replied, Coward, onward, ever
onward to wealth, and ease, and quiet; to
the enjoyment of years of calm, rich ole
age" Yet was he old and grey already
but still he hurried onward, ever onward
And 10 /! beheld the sage, and my heart
said, Whither?"
He turned not his eyes upon the fair
horizon, and spoke, Coward, onward,
ever onward to knowledge, god like knowl-
edge" Then ne closed his thin lips and
passed on.
Then | said within myself, "Lo, mine
heart, thither turn all eyes, thither fly all
thoughts, thither bend all steps. Let us
turn. let us too go onward, ever onward ~
30 spake l, and turning back, | went down
by the side OF the stream, and the stream
grew wider, and deeper, ano more silent.
and, behold! by the side of the bank, be-
meath willow, was moored little beat,
and 1t was shaped like a shell, with a
swan wing for sail :" and the name of
that boat was Thought" Then stepped
in and loosed it, and it bore me down the
current. At length / came to the last bend
| n brOaH ri /
of the sea and an eddy bore nv boat into
little creek amid wild weeds. and rustling
rushes, and tall flags The boat stood still.
Then leaped to land, and the reeds muir
INJURED. Onward, onward, ever onward ("
and at my feet was grave. There was
naught save green mound, and by the
side OF it lay that iron Golfer that | well
knew Its lids had burst open, and the
gold and gems lay scattered among the
long grass, aud the buttercups shamed the
gold
Then the cypress leant ove- me, and said
" See, he fell as he was pressing onward
ever onward he looked for longer Jour
ney, but 1t was not granted aud his riches
whom do they prosper ?"
Then wept for him, and said, Fare
well, my brother"
But the reeds murmured Onward" AID
obeyed; and behold from the brow of
the hill | saw the sea bur it was dark and
restless and its waves were not as emerald
and gold, but like black pals, with white
foam borderings.
And the river was lost in the ocean.
90 the wide, wide, sandy. desolate shore
/ saw q wretched hut, and by the mouth of
the river, but apart from one another,
saw two figures.
Then entered the hut; and no fair girl
was there, but q yale woman, and a child
lay in her arms.
Then took the babe and kissed it. bot
it was cold, and q violet and lily were in
its hand. | gave the child back to the
mother. and my heart said to her, "Whith.
err"
She pointed upward to the sky, and said
"Thither! My husband liveth and toileth,
but my child is gone thither."
And saw that those other twain figures
were the youth and the sage. And the
sage beat upon his breast, and he stood Gar
out, with the water of the ocean at his
knee. Then | asked him, d" Whittier %
and he groaned and said, THUS far and
no farther but knowledge is not of Here,
but of Thee!' and he pointed to the Heav
enc. lie spake again, and said, d" Lo,
have come thus far, and know nothing, and
| am but as child would that ] might
60 thither and know all"
Then | turned to the youth that was a
youth no longer, but man with the nuns
Der of his years marked on his brow his
hair was dsrk-it grew long. and lank, and
unkempt, and it was touched with silver
and l said to him, Whittier ?" and he
moaned back an answer, like the sad sea
waves at night, "Thither. Fame j.
naught, and happiness is not to be won.-
Life is miserable, but thither. thither. or
to the silent Heaven, thither 90 I" and be
toiled on.
Then l spake to the silent river, "Whith.
er? whittier? ?" And the waves tossed ur
their spray towards Heaven, and said
Thither to the bright blue skyp'
Then the sun broke forth, and could
see the water-mist rising, and the drops Of
the river mounted up his golden beams like
the angels on the golden ladder of the old
patIiarch's dream. And anon there fioated
bright purple cloud in the calm serenity
of Heaven.
Then saw l that the sun cleaned on the
sails OF vessel that came steadily across
that dark sea to that lone, desolate shore
ana the name Of that vessel was " Death, D
And as the winds breathed in the sails
: and whispered amid the cordage-they
murmured-" Onward, onward, ever on,
ward beyond this dark sea onward to peace
, and rest in Heaven" Then those watch err.
on the shore cried, Welcome" So the
sage cast his books into the sea. and the
weary man laid by his labor, ard the moth
r er came forth from the hut, and folded hei
child to her heart, and amid them stood the
shadow IF the old man, but his iron ches
was not with him.
And they cried Welcome" And the
winds murmured from that stately ship
onward, onward, ever onward !"
And my dream faded.