Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-08-19

4AGAEOHRSGGs
We pause and take a Retrospective
view of past life. We glance at by-gone
hours; We view them in the "dear light
of memory" "A heart.aigh comes mp, as
we think Of buried hopes, fallen aspira-
tions, and blighted friendships; Of de-
parted Joys, crushed affections, and Sey-
cred tiea Then there comes a longing
for the days agone, the days of sunny
childhood, and the pleasant hours OF
early youth, when we looked through the
rosy lena Of Hope to the far-of Future,
anticipating nothing bat pleasant path
WAYS and green and shady bowers where.
in 10 rest and refresh ourselves, when
weary Of the Journey and dissatisfied
with It's duties. Who does not cling 70
the Past and say with the poet,
al xOula give the hops. Of year.
Fer those by-zons hours
Who that has taken weary steps in
Lifs's great highway does not love to
plunge beneath the lava and ashes Of
Lifs's volcanic throes, and disinter the
buried images of other aud better days
days when existenes vas full Of bope,
and the heart promised what the fancy
drew; when the most fancifnl dreams
wore the tangible shapes of realitI2
The visions of other days rise before US,
softensd by the ideaIizing tone Of mem
DRY. By-gone honra@ catch a6etitious
radiance in their fight. Their pastimes
were more exhilerating than any possi-
hIa present or hopsd,fOr future can be.
If there were harsh colorings or dark
shades TO those pictures, they dis
solved out of the violet mist Of rsmam-
brancs. Time, Who Hihgs the vail of
oblivion Der the WEAKNESS that 8
gone, foods the mind with reelected joys
Of vanished years. ,,~~e-,-,
Who 10 there, then, that has not sat
with open but unseeing eyes; clasped
hands, and signing breath, looking back
ward to lifs's beginnings1 Who has not
gazed, as if perforce, upon their child
hood, and all along the way by which we
have come? Oh, how marvellous was
life when Il FIRST began to unfold, as
leaf BY Leaf, it opened to our expectaul
gA4s We remember the feelings with
such distinctness that we seem TO be
again experiencing them. We recall
too, the sweet society our childhood bad
in home and mother-love how uncon'
scious we were then that life should
bring so many changes; how thoughtlesi
Of tbs fact that the race which We wer'
summing with playful and unequal stePa
had no stoppings nor returnings; that W
must 60 on, on, on, until we had ont
run home, parents and shelter. Onward
with quick and fast lengthening foot
steps, grAsping for far of visions 0
ambition and pleasure, which only prov
to be bitter ashes" to our taste
There are dark clouds Of gloom some
times before nss we did not anticipat
these in those happier and sunlit years
: But, amid all this darkness, we can see
IL we stop to mediate, q light in th
distance, 9 glance Of that promise
Canaan unveiling in the horizons an
they who despair are wrong, for ther
: win be happiness in the future, as we
az in the past But how changed be
comes the human mind when years an
: experience teach us bittsr truths, an
! amid the rude jostlings of life, we utte
loud cries Of long pent up agony, whiel
y has been crushed away down in on
Z hearts, and wall comes forth froi
: our spirits, so mousnful, so agonizini
. that il has power to penetrate the va
% that hides from aur faces the gates !
= day" and the echo Of the sound is waite
q by angel voices into His ears, who,
% compassion, sends o dazzling ray
. eternal light sartaward; and We pre-
chserfnlly through the discouragir
!. present and hopeless future. Youth
( the smile Of the future before m u
.. known being, which ia itseH Il is ms
y aral for il to bel happy, it seems@ r.
at though we breathe Ia hope. What realn
ls Of enchantment we once existed ii
what sfairy-oastles and mid-summ
nights dreaml Oil .childhood's gear
how brightly shone Gods sun upon &
a. innocent and pure pathway, never, nev
Q, to be fofgottsnl l--es--a NE& E
st We can remember, vividly, eve
l. change in our life time; every diss
pointment; every idol which We b
70. raised; every dream of ambition; eve
~ fond desire; every unrealizsd hope. Th
IN GENE up in memories glass, and pa
ID one by one, like spectres Aad lea
q empty chambers II onr hearts. Aset
'er fade from our vision We exciaim; y
me 60" This life Is only q shSd
lar fleeing from MS, and Why will We
ire grasp the true substance, which
IN Heaven. There are few minds to Wit
nd looking back can bring mo- conf
q. When life is dismantled Of the gsrlar
ed of youth--gsms of beauty-memory
Inc stores what years have taken aw
IRE A breath Of wind has blown upon p
ing delights. They are gone never to
der turn; 3 wind has blown coldly
steadily, all along hfe's years, till
md q leaf, nor flower of all that bloom
mt, frnitage, is left on either side.2 II 8
sx- Rsmenbrsnces of them are all !
ara left rs now. Gone is the spring '
it's delicate wildwood flowers and .
ing birds. Gone, the sunner, viii
'ri- splendid skies and rich landsea
. q | Gone. the anfuun, With 1ita stores