The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1867-04-26
For the Gtizen.I
The RoIian Harp

~ The EoIian Harp
Baeb into the Sunny past, o, weird mu-
SIC dost thou bear US, a happy child again
around our mothers chair! Green fields,
sunny slopes. pesTling brooks, sehool-days,
with the laughter of children, coming "a Id
going. faces which we once knew but which
had faded from memorys friends almost for
gotten, come thTonqing back, coEjured by
thy sweet Sounds o. Magician
A bright meoplit night, the midsummer
air redolent with the perfume of aowers,
a soft breeze stirs the foliage the sweet
hymn floats upward. the little family circle
kneels1in prayer. and thy strange weird mu-
sic mingles with "0uI1 Father which art in
Heaven, = as it falls il mello red accents
from the lips Of our gray-baired parent Is
And now the scene shifts. A snow shroud
envelopes the earth The trees are bowed
with drapery of frost-Work, and the wind
ing river issa mirror of ice. The moon
sgein lights up the night. A burning tree
stands upon the ice,bound stream, sending
its lurid blazes high into the air, and show
eripg its millions ofsparks upon the gleam-
ing river Pealaher peal Of laughter, and
the gay voices break the midnight still
ness, IS the Skaters plying the "armed
heel, p are heard and seen flying over the
ice Ike winged creatures A light sled,
with two merry girls. muffied in furs, now
appear upon the river. guided By "a feet
skater just ia the dawn of manhood-the
hapdsomest, braYest, modest Of them all !
So powerful, so stately, SO flushed with
gayety and exercise, as be paused to rest,
and leaving the sled, again flies over the
frozen surfaee,-now here, now there,-he
is passing under the burning tree Oh,
the 'earfnl, the horrible crash The wild
unearthly screams that rise upon the air
then hurryiug footsteps toward theshore |!
and all Is still, save half smothered sobs-
now still Now the heavy footsteps Of the
little party are heard upon the crusted
snow. The moon has hid her face behind
a cloud. and the lurid Tree, weird like.
glares upon the snOP-eoyered. earth, and
the ice-lOcked stream
The scene changes. How frfully the
harp walls mingled non with human means!
Turn down the pail and look /. The brown
eyes are closed the silky locks are pushed
back from his lofty brow, the bright flush
faded, and she whom he loved best of all,
sits like a stone image near him. Poor
Zanda She like many in fiction. made
but one cast of the heart.
The panorama moves on Memory,
faithful to the past, looks upon the fairy
scene. Flashing lights, soft wild music,
white robes, dimpled arms and gliding feet /!
Zanda is there, with her wreath Of black
braided hair dropping with white lilies !
Sadness is written upon every feature. A
year after, her eyes are shut with solemn
kisses
"Peace to thy broken heart and early
grave" Wall on, Q harp, and bring back
the faded past. Sing to US requiem Of
the loved and lost Of other days OF the
moOnlit skating party, only too remain =
One lies in the coral caves of the deep,
trembling, blue sea another 10 the path
less pine woods another rests beneath
proud marble another sleeps, rolled in his
blanket, upon the bloody ground where he
fell amidst the waving oaks, with two moss
covered boards,--the only memorial Of the
poor soldier-but why enumerate Deep
is the sleep of the dead-'slow their pillow
Of dust" The decree has gone forth, tbs
the fate of all, all ME-.