The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1869-12-24
sin Both worlds"


following review Of il which appeared
l lWthe last issue of the "IaIG Field aA,l
4 Farm" it must be remarkable produc-
,ttian The description of lazarus, OF
lthk Dead Sea, of John the Baptist, and
foH Helena, the Aiheniau beauty. arc
8ahHlling, while the first death OF the
Ftotner, as related, according 10 the
3tAk, by himself, yet so Impressive can
- 4 feil to create, with all who read il,
seest earnest desire to read the re-
cs:ssss;scrsk.. ..as S''' :. 'se
1&svo is much beauty Of thought,
Vmuch glowing fancy I'm Both Worlds, .
by DR.. Wm. II. lIolcombc. lie tells a
strange story in lien Of proiace--a
story of finding iiosil man in n cave
! on Mount Iebanon--a man with n cyl.
! indrical case Of bronze living upon his
I breast the ease containing n parchment
of great length written in beautiful
Greek characters. which upon eNamiua-
tion and translation proved to be the au-
I t0biogaphy of Lazarus. whom Christ
raised from The dead. An original pre-.
face, certainly. Lazarus. after the in
{ PRODUCTION, is permitted TO tell his own
story, and through the kind aid of Mr..
Holcombe, he cErichcS his beautiful ro-
nance with poetical cloquoncc. Laza-
rus OF Bethany, according to Sacred
History. was the only&an permitted TO
conScientiously penetrate into the in
visible world, and then return with its
awful secrets TO earth. Tie theme is Il
grand one. and none but mind with
ambitious aspirations would attempt 10
handle II. Our author does not hesitate :
he is not abashed by the greatness, The
sublimitv OF his subject. With mortal
eyes he boldly attempts to explore the
realms OF immortality. And we must
admit that he rcvels in delicious p0cSy,
even IL we cannot Gpnccdc his logic
sound. Random extracts will best OK
plain DR.. IIolcombe'S style. How vivid
Is the description or the Dead Sea, and
the wilderness of Judca: I'VE were
winding downward TO the Salt sea, that
great watery waste, in whose silent
deeps Sodom and Gomorrah lie bu-
ried 4; on whose shores stand bleak and
deselate mountains full OF sulphur
springs the gloom, without the glory
Of nature the houie of wild beasts and
lepers aud demons; mountains fearful
in their nakedncss and Solitude evil
genN guarding in stern silence the ctcr.
naLGgep Of the lost cities OF the plain"
sn(*93s }r Is a pen-portiait OF John the
Baft, as he appeared beguiling the
solitVde of his wilderness home by sing
ing longs in praise OF Jehovah -
Grounding the intervening slope, saw
n man seated upon n stone at the mouth
of large cavern. His quick eye de-
tectedme in q moment, and he advmc-
ed to meet me. He wore a single gar
ment wrought of the finest canel's hair,
which was secured about his waist bv a
leathem girdle. Simple toilet, But
when you looked at his fine head, with
its long black hair curling about his bare
neck, and his beautiful oval face, soft MS
y girls full of sanity thoughts and
heavenly emotions, you knew that you
were in the presence of one who was
clad interioriy in iinc linen and purple"
Lazarus was progressive IN tcmpera-
ment, and before his first death he was
not inclined TO be enthusiastic on the
subject of religion. He was somewhat
platonic in his philosophy. II do not
remember" he explains, that ! ever
felt any decided respect or love for the
religious institutions of my country
| was born, suppose. with the element
of yeneration for the past left out OF
my mental organization. could un-
dcrstand why men look back TO the in
fancy aud childhood Of the race for the
oraclcs Of wisdom. II Is rather the
business OF each century TO scrutini2e
rigidly the Inheritance il has received
from the preceding century, and TO re-
ject everything which Is wothless, un-
philosophical and immature
What glorious word painting in TIE
portrait drawn Of the celebrated Athc-
nian beauty, Helena. "No language
can convey any adequate description Of
this cunning masterpiece of nature
There was no statue in all the rich col
lections of Gyeciau art which cScellcd
the matchlcss symmetry Of her form or
the perAARcauty of her features. She
was M |2k dream of perfection, enl-
hodi%V "a delicate tissues OF splen-
did woihanhood. A neck aud bust OF
Immaculate beauty were surmouuted by
n head, every attitude of which was n
study for artists aud lovers. Her hair
was u cloud of dark brown waves faint.
~ dashed with gold. Her broad, impe.
rial brow was pure as the silver surface
of some cloudless dawn. Her soft, ha,
eel ewes were radiant ceuters Of mex.
pressiblc liahtRnd power. Her checks,
nose, mouth aud chin were miracles Of
shape, warmth and color. Her she'll
tinted ears were hung with pearls less
than themselves: aud neck
lace Of golden beads made conspicuous
q throat II could not bcantiry. Her hands
and fingers were SO lucid, delicate aud
expressive that they might be called ica-
lures also, revealing in part the move.
mcnts of her mind
Thus Lazarus died: Z" grow worse
and the cnd approached. had not re.
allied my condition; had neither fear
nor hope ] Ind no thought of death or
Of Jesus. At last however, when ]
was dying, heard my sisters calling
on his name, The name must
have touched some silver chord OF
memory Tho sweet, benevolent face
before me- Mary Magdnlon
Ia her dark robe knoclng behind. The
tender words, Thy sins are forgiven,
echoed in my ears Mary and Martha
seemed TO me like two shining angels
floating up into Heaven. A sudden halo
blazed around the hcad of jesus. /