The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-07-23
An Earthly Paradise.
From HdlVthorneS Diary, in The Atlantic
Monthly for JuIy.
CONCORD, August 5. 1912.


CONCORD, August 5. 1912.
A rainy day-a rainy day. 1 am
commanded to take pen in hand, and /
am therefore banished to the little ten
foot square apartment, misnamed my
study; but perhaps the dlsmalness of
the day and the dulness of my solitude
will be the prominent characteristics of
what 1 write. And what is there to
write about? Happiness has no sue
cession of events, because it is part of
eternity; and we have been living in
eternity ever since we came to this old
mnnse. Like Enoch, we seem to have
been translated to the other state of be-
ing, without having passed through
death. Our spirits must have fitted
away unconsciously, and we can only
perceive that we have cast Off our NOR
tai part by the more real and earnest
life ofour souls. Externally our Para
disc has very much the aspect of IL
pleasant old domiCil on earth. This
antique hOuse-for it looks antique,
though it was created by Providence
expressly for our use, and at the pre-
cise time when we wanted it-stands
behind "A noble avenue of bnlm-of-Gil-
cad trees: and when we chance to OBJ
serve n passing traveller through the
sunshine and the shadow of this long
avenue, his figure appears too dim and
remote to disturb the sense of blissful
seclusion.
Few, indeed, are the mortals who VEN
ture within our sacred precincts.
George Prescott, who has not yet grown
earthly enough, ] suppose, to be de-
barred from occasional visits to Para
disc, comes daily to bring three pints
of milk from some ambrosial COW; oc
casionally, also, he makes an offering
of mortal flowers. Mr.. Emerson comes
sometimes, and has been feasted on our
nectar and ambrosia. Mr.. Thoreau has
twice listened to the music of the
spheres, which, for our private conven-
ience, we have packed into musical
box. E H, who is much more
ut home among spirits than among
tleshy bodies, came hither few times,
merely to welcome us to the ethereal
world, but latterly she has vanished
into some other region of infinite space.
The rash mortal, on the second Sun
day after our arrival, Obtruded himself
upon us in u gig. There have since been
three or four callers, who preposterous-
ly think that the courtesies of the lower
world are to be responded to by people
whose home is in Paradise. 1 must not
forget that the butcher comes twice or
thrice Il week; and we have so far i'm
proved upon the customs of Adam and
Eve, that we generally furnish forth
our feastS with portions of some deli
cate calf or lamb, whose unspotted in
nocenCe entices them to the happiness
of becoming our sustenance. Would
that l were permitted to record the
celestial dainties that kind Heaven pro-
vided for us on the first day of our ar
rival! Never. surely, was such food
heard of on earth-nt least, not by me.
Well, the above mentioned persons
are nearly all that have entered into
the hallOwed shade OF our avenue; ex-
cept, indeed, a certain sinner who came
to bargain for the grass in our orchard,
and another who came with IL new els
tern. For it is one of the drawbacks of
our Eden that it contains no water fit
to drink or to bathe in; so that the
showers have become in good truth
GOdsend. 1 wonder why Providence
does not cause clear, cold fountain to
bubble up at our doorstep. Methinks
it would not be unreasonable to pray
for such n favor. At present we are
under the ridiculous necessity of send
ing to the outer world for water. Only
imagine Adam trudging out of Para
disc with bucket in each hand to get
water to drink, or for Eve to bathe in !
1ntolerable (though our stout hand
maiden really fetches our waterD
In other respects Providence has
treated US pretty tolerably we'll but
here shall expect something further
to be done. Also in the way of future
favOrs, II kitten would be very accept
able. Animals Except, perhaps, n pig)
seem never out of place, even in the
most paradisial spheres. And, by the
way, a young colt comes up our arena,
now and then, to crop the seldom trod-
den herbage; and so does company
of cows, whose sweet breath we'll re-
pays us for the food which they obtain.
There are also few hens whose quiet
cluck is heard pleasantly about the
house. a black dog sometimes stands
at the further extremity of the avenue,
M f1NT g. I'll Ii Il \.
when whistle to him, he puts his tail
between his legs and trots away. Fool
ish dog: if he had more faith, he
should have bones enough.