Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-10-16

round this old revolving world, that its wear
led millions might enjoy another season of
refreshing repose and Alonzo was returning
to his place Of rest when he saw a mansion
all brilliantly and unusually lighted up. And
from thence the voice of JOY and glaaness up-
on the vibrations of the evening sir came TO
his ear, and thither his attention was directed,
and there he saw familiar faces-the genteel
and the wild-the protesting Christian and
the hardened daring sinner but all seemed
genteel and happy: And there he saw a
friend to whom Dame Fortune" had handed
over a goodly portion of this worlds wealth,
and ne seemed to enjoy the scene delightfully."-.
And then he looked around for another friend
to whom the old Dame had not been so liber-
al, but whose presence had been acceptable
In adverse circumstances in days by gone and
who had done what he could to alleviate the
sufferings of friends and ~neighbors around
him when the hand of affection was heavy
upon them, while other friends, fearing dis
ease and death by contagion, came not to
perform the Office of friend-to comfort and
console-to cool the fevered brow-to battle
the languld limb; and watch through long
weary nights around the bed of sad affection
but he saw him not there. And then Alonzo
said to himself, had that friend only possess
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number of sable sons and daughters of old
Africa, THEY would have been respected and
HE would have been invited here.
In the distinction made between those two
friends there was no consideration in refer
ence to moral character; the distinction which
Old Dame Fortune had made between them
was the one regarded here; and vet the
friendship of the one was merely social; that
OF the other, was the friendship of the heart
allied to virtue.
The drunkard, the rake, the gambler, the
swearer, the t~attler, which curse the world
and people he'll, can move in the high circles
OF fashion, and then go down to the lowest
dregs of society-the frazzly ends of degre-
dation-lf it be in the dark-where virtue
never enters-and yet again they are, among
the most welcome guests at a social party, If
perchance they have a little of the pelf of this
world. When will virtue be respected as she
ought? When will the hideous monster rice
cease to hold up his thousand black heads Ia
respectable society 2 !. What awvorld we
mind of Alonzo as he went on to his place of
rest, where he laid himself down and slept,
and dreamed that he was standing upon arr
elevation in the midst of an extensive plain
on a great festival day, and human society
was passing in review before him. And tho
there was a vast multitude. in which was
represented every grade of society, yet he
could see no great disparity of happiness be-
tween the high and the low, the rich and
the poor, as they mingled in one common
mass around him. For he saw that the rich
were oppressed with their wealth-that they
were harrassed and distracted for the secu-
rity and maintenance of what they already
possessed, and that they were running here
and there and everywhere studying and
scheming and burning midnight oil and wear
ing away their lives to premature death, for
the purpose of obtaining what was in the
possession of others. And he saw that the
men of power, on whose shoulders rested the
responsibilities of government, and who gui-
ded the destinies of the nations, were unsat-
isied. They had toiled step by step to as
cend the ladder of fame, and some had at
tanned to the ultimatum of their highest as
pirations, and were standing on the high
plnnacles of the temple of fame, and yet they
were unsatisfed. New excitements had risen
to increase the thirst of their ambition never
to be satiated. They sought for happiness in
the high honor of the world, but found it not.
He saw that some ambitious wretches were
meditating schemes of invasion and conquest.
that they might be called heroes, and gain
the applause of the world. And he saw un-
principled, ambitious leaders making parti.
sans of the FESTIVE and the reckless t. carry
on their schemes of conquest, rapine, and
murder against the happiness of society and
the peace of the world. And he saw also
that those who were at the head of affairs
in the governments of the world were aflict
ed with holding the reins and guiding the
helm, and that the governed were oppressed
with innumerable, sometimes real and some
times imaginary. But the greatest of al
evils from which other evils flow, he saw il
mans own sinful nature.
Such was the picture that A,onzo saw in hi
dream, and at the top of that picture wa
written in characters of the living light O
inspiration, vanity and v~exation Of spirit,
and at the bottom of that picture was writ
ten in characters of blood, "one murde
makes a villain, thousands a hero"
The journey of the day and the dream 9
the night teaches me, said Alonzo, that ther
is no happiness in the world-no paradise O
earth. And yet, continued he, do know
and by the grace of God can testify that th
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