The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-05-09

charm! Before this occasion, Il had
often wondered where could be the
fun of early rising, of jumping out of
bed half asleep, tumultuously tossing
on your clothes, Mt the speed of cleo
tricity, and rushing out frantically
like one demented-anda all for what?
Why, to see the sun rise. 1t used to
pnzzle me to find anything agreeable
in it, and it seemed to me that dew
drops, "charms of earliest BIRDS" the
breath of morn and sunrise were
egregious humbugs. But have lived
to admit that they are all enchanting
realities, and to be impressed with
The truth, that there is no hour in all
the twenty-four, not even the purple
| eve, nor sunset, nor where the quiet
skies are gemmed with stars, which
is SO delightful, so elevating, so inspir-
ing, as the hour of sunrise. En-
gagged in such thoughts, the time did
not drag heavily. Before / had ex-
hausted this fruitful field of imagina-
ton, another was suggested somewhat
metaphysical in its tendency. A
change came over everything-the
trees, with their rich autumn leaves,
the wild bowers, the sunny landscape,
the very sun itself, no longer appeared
the same. Why must tkir gs change,
wonder, when they are pleasant?
There had been q few scattered clouds
about the horizon, and they gathered
around the sun, darkening his bril-
liant face. In few hours, not one
of his beaming rays could be discern
ed anywhere. They had disappeared
''lke dream when one awaketh. :"
1t grew quite dark, and the rain fell
i'll slow, monotonous dingle This,
then, was the inglorious end of all
that beauty, all that grand illumina-
tion, which, at early morn, had bathed
the world in such flood of glory! 1
was reminded of that little verse of
Moore's, which everybody knows and
repeats:
''All that's bright must fade
The brightest still the tlcctcst:
All that's sweet was made
But to be lost when sweetest.
OF course the drizzle changed into
a pouring food by the time we had
to change cars. The passengers MI
had their tempers sweetened by get
ting drenchel almost to the skin.
The conductor came forward and
piloted me through labyrinth of
trains to the one in which the re-
mainder of my journey would he
prosecuted. 1t was entirely destitute
of occupants, which afforded me an
unusual advantage in the selection of
seat took possession of one in
the extreme end of the car, and turn
ing to the conductor, remarked:
Judging from appearances,
should say there was little travelling
on this road"
-"1es," he replied, you are cor
rect in your surmise. 1t is only a
branch of the main road, and some
times, for days together, there is not
a single passenger. And depositing
my lunch basket, carpet-bag, and all
the paraphernalia indispensable to n
lady in tmveling, the conductor
bowed i'll acknowledgement ut nv
thanks for his courtesy, and made his
exit. l was thus left in solitary. un
disputed possession of the entire car,
and for once could not make the
usual complaints on account of the
crowd, and want of breathing
space. I might, indeed, have dozen
seats at once, if l liked, but not
knowing exactly what manner of pro-
ceeding would enable me to occupy
SO many, contented myself with
one.
Some very curious and edifying re-
hectlons were suggested to me about
the uselessness of having more of any
thing than our wants demand. i
had often, ! recollected, in moments
of weariness body cramped in
an uncomfortable posture, and my
mind afflicted with its own inactivity.
indulged myself in the useless pas
time of wishing-for instance, that I
had dozen seats Whereas, it now
became apparent to me, Ivy the light
of present developments, that if, on
such occasions, benevolent fairy
had appeared and fulfilled my desires
to the letter, / would have been at an
utter loss to devise any use whatever
to which the said seats could have
been applied. made sundry reso-
lutions (Which have been kept invio-
late since9 never to be so unreason-
able again. AS this commendable
resolution was, metaphorically speak
ing, signed and sealed, I began to
feel keenly alive to the fact, that nv
state of solitary grandeur was rather
oppressive: Have You ever taken