Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-04-17
MIGHT THOUGHTS.
BY $. K. P
Through the shadow past,
Like a tomb-searcher. merkOry ran,
Lifting each shroud that the had cast
Der hnriad honos >,

Ten years have passed since1 saw my ma al
tive land, or looked upon an aold familiar v
face" Ten years have passed since last 10
stood upon the Threshold osthe old home n
stead, and oh who shall say how, amidst .
all my triumphs, my heart has turned with
a yearning tenderness to the roof that shell 4
tered my infancy. J
AsI part tonight the CERTAIN Of memory, r
and permit my thoughts to wander through
the iabarynths of joys and sorrows which the =
past contains, q spirit of unutterable lone
illness peryades my heart. feel, indeed, like
one amidst the F~astness of desert, not a sign
of vegetation near, not a flower anywhere 10
relieve the wandering eye, no ripping stream /.
whose flowing melody should relieve the air
from the weight Of the surrounding silence.
| look around, but no smile of recognition or
of welcome from loving friends meets my
eye no well remembered voice falls upon
my ear no hand grasps mine in love and
fellowship. ] am, indeed, alone-all alone.
The family chain was broken and the sew
cred links scattered when | was but a child. +
The old homestead passed into strange hands.
An old friend of my family adopted me. |
was treated kindly and affectionately and
the only fountain of .jJyethat my youthful
heart ever knew, was in the bosom ofthat
family. But | had my joy for a brief season
only. Short as it was, however, it was fraught
with an influence whosepresence has been, in
Jennie Gordon, my c1df ffffsmHaa n my
was the fountain of JOY to me, and her love
the influence which, amidst all the cares and
turmoils which have surrounded me-, never
for a moment left me. We grew up together;
studied together. Even in our childhood, the
hope of one was the hope of the other. In
our youth, whatever pictures the fancy of
one would draw Of future happiness, the
imagination of the othe7 would endeavor to
give them a brighter coloring. Of our love
we never spoke. We were satisfied ofits
existence. We never knew the day of its
birth. and we never thought that a time
would ever como when it should die. She
, was singular as a child, and as she increased
+, in years, her peculiarities, it seemed to me,
3 became more firmly fixed. Her father and
r mother would sometimes say that they fear
S ed her mind was not always strong, and the
e neighbors would atItlpes look at her and
:, shake their heads o~r@slNusly. Iwouldyt 1
h laugh at these fears of ottr friends, for I krNw
o that what they took rs evidences of her
e mental weakness, were the deep searchings
l. and the giant efforts of q strong mind t.
Of comprehend the greatness and the glory Q
rs God, as displayed in everything which HI
OF hand has created for good. have seen he
often sit for hours with her eyes fixed upo
rs the heavens with such intensity that on
he would think that life and death hing upo
or her gaze. | would sometimes break IN upo
ut, these spells Of star reading, when she woul
Ter turn her great eyes to me, beaming with
nd world of deep thought and feeling, and sa.
IS II cannot see them now, but | shall befol
,ur long.n This was her inyariable answer, al
nal as the words fell upon my ear, my hea
till would always beat quicker, and for Ga.
ing afterwards a scene of dread would come ov
oy, me. for which l could not accent.
nd The Autumn of the year hadlcome. a
nature was changing its livery of gree
on for golden tints. The winds no long
and stirred the leaves with melody like un
that s. iEaRRjns sh hFA els e hat gsteoff1t hTeafl4a.
TIPS WINS eoenAaeT4woru 1ff WIS Wfsd Il
drawn from a fountain # everlasting love
IN. one came to me that last evening, a
my SAID, "George, to-morbw you leave
W italy, there to pursue your studies in
sol- very presence, as it web, of the OLD maste
1 You are going where you can, indeed, !
only look upon but touch what the immor
ing genius of Angelo, Raphael and Da Vi,
va nave rendered sacred1-you will soon
iI amidst the scenery that gave inspiration
III tnelr genlus--you viii become a freoue
visitor to places that were once hallow
oih oy their presence. These things added
your devotion to your art, will barely lea
room In your mind for other things whic
az IN the Judgment of her who loves YOU befo
u9 all tue world, are paramount to these idols
Iod your neart. wish ycScnow to go with
lad, to look upon the woFffHFN mipbfier gen;
and than either of tho ;mnont.1 m::euleI gem
WIN mentioned, so that, when the great oce
APP rolls between us, you may have the rec
lection OF one scene of super-human beau
= ana glory to- bring your mind in its fres
ness and purity back to this night and to m,
l went out with her to a little knoll
ana lew hundred yards from our cottage. VIII
pointing to the beautiful heavens studd
Win millions of stars-pointing to the mo
anu waking with the stately steps of an Empre
the upper deep" she said to me in 10
aeep tones, Look upon that work, and in
I'm, your future efforts after fame, rememt
uio what shall say to you to-night-the |,
Of night that l shall stand by YOUR side in II
world" Stop Jennie, | said such talk
out of place now. My heart is sad enou
her atthe thought of leaving you, and you shou
40 endeavor to shed as much sunlight arou
uid my last hours with you, as possible, inst
nd OF casting such shadows upon nv hea
bo But she continued, you know how deem
DIV, the love bear you. and you know thai
would not Willingly give you pain, but | mu
an arnesc'iope ",as-my heart dictates Y
me De reaiized, II they will conduce to yonr at
Jay, naI lapp,ness. IL will be proud day to =
10 Ynear your name mention
ties in terms of eulogy by the great and onoJ
wild ecstacy willfll my heart to ove g9ou,
ed if my eyes ever rsst upon a work If ,fow WI
e as hands, c%reatiol of your genius and S o.
arth soul with its gIfat love, its deep and I'd b u
heir love, will whenf shall see YOUR pa n1na MOI mol
rted ten in character of living fire nnon 4 thn W.T. VIII
ESQ., of fame, thank Cpd for granting po vo s's 81 sf Gro
thu your heart cold wish but, George 81 tba,
- oou'e.'lis lHer yet than this fame :
be- the world, to ich l wish Your 9 tb ,a" ! )
msf apa y yosa .s sbSfi directed is L IS this i Tia
rec ly hong, tp~lcRnowledge Your ; IN solld
cps. ness 10 god the high gifts which he ho
the sa. ~ you' and to ask that the gift
e is may oefiMa SO employed as to reflect IF.
tho uiolyt spxs great or noble can be ac
ight on fppo, %le souls satisfaction, unless
nbls We .ee1e eoflousness that in all our eff
\. ose ( ~ providence has followed rs
aPprof sou Will think of these things
sraot md KKake, When in far off Italy,
a,u Ypoetry-cfadle of immortal
iany a l!u atla sohqulet Autumn evening Won
J on ~ Il IL s. ~ winch to muse of home
its - 'a,naAper whose prayers the while
rtles aar go. y heaven that your lines