The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-02-25
Communicated.
II e y U V z N / s /.

Inc morning CLOUDS nu0g 0ull ana IeHueA nueu,
The morning star peered not beneath the veil,
The morning mist arose with chill imbrued,
The morning dawned cheerless and wan and pale,
u pom a ship at sea, which idly stood
Out from the slope of New England vale.
Thrust into contrast by the mountains rude,
Which distant scowled, like giants in an angry mood
Upon a group of men around fire,
Which the strip of sand reluctant burned
1t might have been called Comforts funeral pyre,
As shivering rouud its feeble heat they turned;
Upon two others there grandson and sire,
Of whom this history is most concerned,
Who kept aloof, and walking, strove I a'quire
Relief from boisterous Boreass fitful ire.
Thus dawped the morn two hundred years ago,
Upon the two men walking on the beach.
The elder, with measured tread, and slow,
The youth, erratic a baby's speech
This one had seen scar ;e twenty winters snow,
That had experienced most that age could teach
But each straight and comely, and could show
face that loves friend, nor fears an honest foe.
Come hither, boy said Paul, nearer nv side
would inquire what thinkest thou of Life?
If thou art floating smoothly on the tide,
Or whether shoals, of which the stream is rife,
Impe!e the craft, turning her course aside,
And making the young voyage one of strife T"
g / know not what to answer" Claude replied
g M thoughts such a theme, adventurous, never
[hied"
''Aye, it is always thus the old man said,
When in sound health, our thoughts they wan
On our condition, but if limb or head [der not
Suffer, now quick we 1gel til q injured spot.
So It is with vigorous youth, joy hath not fled,
Because the want of joy was ne'er its lot;
But grizzly pated age to sorrow s wed
And love Is circumscribed, and hope Is banIShed.
&" III tell thco Claude, to live is to be young;
Barren existence comes with our grey hairs,
And poverty of mirth the body s stung
With shooting pains, and trebled are our cares.
But stnted pleasures at our feet flung,
And even these envalope us in snares
No silver music in sars is rung, tongue
-frl
g Some years ago, they might have been two score,
We lived together in winsome place,
She was my wife, called her Isadore,
The name is pretty for gentle face;
l planted round our cottage Dc o.r,
Red, flaming roses, TO tell those who pass
Oar little gate, of the great l. va bore
To her, my pearl, my sun, my joy, my Isadore.
&C. They only bloomed one season. for a wind
At once chilled them t. sere unsightly things,
Tarnished my jewels lustre, and unkind,
Blotted my light by clouds with sable wings:
The neighbors buried her, but left behind
babe, TO cheer me with its prdttlngs
But much of time, chaotic was my mind, [Llind.
Peopled with specteJed phantasies, dark cherries,
q At length, when shackled Reason burst the bands
Which held in thraldom like pinioned slave,
It's won't capacities, my willing hands
EsSayed employ and my heart was brave,
Armed at my Couutry's righteous demands,
sped her foes to crush, her honor save;
Now bound in frozen zones, now scorched in tropic
One Jay, while stroIling near the Gallo Rhine.
met priest, on book and beads intent'
His care was to seem careless, not mine,
For upon companionship was bent,
And so accOsted h i'm, and asked the line
His meditations took; the CON plinent
OF prayers day he offered on the shrine
of his devotions: and more of similar design.
He said if prayers enough could make d saint,
His name with Peters would in future vie;
And muttered some half audible complaint,
About the time in the Worlds history
When he was doomed unknown to fast and faint,
Then die, be buried, and forgotten lie;
He rendered me his book, curious and quaint,
a musty vellum thing, all stained with mildew
taint.
It was written in antique, Olden style
And diff cult Of many to discern,
But bending to the task, after awhile
did its purpOrt and its mystery learn
secret vast, charm which shall beguile
The wrinkles from mems faces, and o'erturn
The policy Of life, aud reconcile mile
Our thoughts to coming toll for many month and
'The book disclosed that in this western world
A stream hath source and even onward flows;
Whose waters by the sunbeams tinged and pearled,
When tasted, gives relief from all our woes;
Whose waters flowing like flag unfurled,
When tasted, gives us youth and sweet repose
And from long study, by conviction hurled,
II prove this secret true unto worn out world.
For this We labored, for this crossed the sea-
For this We with the mighty billows COPIED;
The frantic WINDS the storm were nought to me,
If by their help gain, what have hoped
Is mine to gain, blest Immortality
My darkened mind unfruitfully hath CROPPED
To prove this truth expedient now L see
The light begin to break, to shine resplendenty" !"
And so the two upon their journey start,
Old Paul to find a myth not to be found,
For no such stream bUbbled from mountain heart,
Nor softly murmured DER terrestrial ground
But wishing to believe the counterpart
His wish became his faith, deep -"ooted, sound.
But Claude, for adventures, takes part
Eager in his design to chase the feetin9 hart.
They Travelled westward in the Spring time sweet,
When blossoms come upon the trees like flakes
OF colored snow, when feathery warbers greet
Each others song with song, and when awakes
Nature from her deep sleep, and robed in mete
Apparel springs to life, aud sath forsakes
Brought aught to Paul save toll, and to his hopes
Ard Summer, when come gorgeous butterflies,
When in the husky bull frogs croak
When locusts rattle forth their dismal cries,
And cleaning flies to reverie invoke,
When to take shelter from the burning skies
We gladly rest beneath the spreading oak;
This season journeyed they, but old Pauls eyes
Saw not the stream caught up its ullabie.
And Autumn, rich in IDellow fruitfulness,
When trees are glowing with crimson fire,
When sunset throws misty radiantness
Upon the balnIy air, when Heaven seems higher
/ And Winter too, when pure the Earth is drest
/ In iewelTy of ice, and white attire
/ All passed away without the long sought rest,
/ Revealing not the stream of which he was in quest
But still with growing mania perverse,
new found rill would keep his soul alive,
/ And though he passed it with an inward curse,
Against repeated failures did he strive,
! Until five annual seasons did rehearse
/ Its story on his weakened frame, and drive
His cherished joy away, as when the hearse
4Inn low, ftt ff.,p