The Hickman courier., 1869-02-27

tivated race, who were oni lords oi
this beautiful domain, h the pre-
ceeding sketches, briefly afF2d. 'Tis
4 theme to which the imagination fondly
clings, and from which it refuses to be
divorced 'Tis delightfuland pleasing
fancy (if only such) that the dead OF
other ages do linger with somewhat OF
affection around the scenes they once
inhabited, and best love the flowers that
spring from the dust which was once
their own. If Il + be so, what ghostly'
companies are among these hills for
every glen, and swelling ridge is lined
with their bones. And if we could but
speak into visible existence these haunt
ing spirits, there would scarce be room
to let the soft moonlight, or stronger
sunlight through their crowded ranks
What maidens should we discover la
menting over the burial vault of lovers
What mothers, sad robed and sorrowful,
bending their knees in prayer beside the
cherished forums of tender infancy !!
What angel watchers would be seen at
the" head and foot" of countless fathers
and friends
All these mouldering, wasting bones
How wildly they bring before us the
animated forms of the dim, and scarcely
recognized past MethiBks | can see
one of them even now, in fancy, passing
before me, in all her maidenly charms,
young and very beautiful Her brow as
fair as the morning, and her eye beam
ing with the azure beauty, and un
fathomable glory of the sky, in whose
liquid depths lover could see worlds OF
beauty and starry radiance. Her form
was cast in the mould of the olden time
not far removed from that of Eden
+! There could have been but few genera
tions (for generations then were centu-
ries) between her and her mother Eve
and her voice still had in its softer
cadences somewhat of the music of Para
disc All who can describe the ravish
ing beauty of the daughters of Eve
while yet the Earth was young Bu
she was woman, and she loved. She
was woman, and she died. Yea, sh,
died, and it requires little effort to cal
up the manner of her departure. Will
her slender arms thrown beseechingl
around her lovers neck-with hot anc
feverish lips on his, and her breath thicl
with kisses, she went forth to that un
known realm, into which, human philoso
ply has for ages vainly sought to look
After weary vigils, outlasting the stars
f the lover also felt the approach of tha
darkeniDg hour,-that gathering o
glooms, aud followed her to the land o
, shadows Since that time THOUSAND
years has perhaps been three times count
ed upon the circles of Heaven, and time
! in its flight has raised these "hills aroun'
f Hickman" i'll ragged desolation, a
| monuments for that silent aud innumera
! able company that here await the retur'
, of the immortals.
4 Who will say then that these hills d
f not contain real treasures to the dill
? gent seeker more precious than the yel
I low dross of eau IL But there remain
/ still treasure house that has not ye
r been opened I allude to the fragment
ary legends that even yet Ind an occa
V sional echo among these monuments
+ hills. They resemble in the broken an
. disconnected manner and form, in whic
q they have reached us, the single strain {
e a wondrous song, or the sofSped echo {
d music returning to US aft ie origins
melody has ceased. In a pbseque'
IT sketch l expect e eormes s1e Ilssc.