Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-10-13
WHAT Is LIFE9

the grandest poet,-have asked them.
selves, in various moods, one question
-"What is life z" The answer Of this
universal query would ill volumes
In each reply there is n view of the
respondents life. Let us glance at a
few Of them.
The first gentleman who undertakes
to define life for us is not of the most
amiable cast of mind decidedly not
the gentleman we should be inclined
to make a voyage round the world
with. He begs TO inform us that life
is a desolatc journey, beset at every
step by briers. Not at all an encour-
aging prospect TO young people,
flushed with hope, who are starting on
the voyage,-who are just about To
put their first finger upon the treach.
erous thorns. This gentleman we
recognize as Of that peculiar class who
putmourning upon brides, reminding
them, just by way of damping their
present happiness,-tha the morrow
may find their lover in his grave,
Not quite reasonable course this, in
our opinion. We all know that death
is inevitable, and not q few of us, let
us hope, do something as we proceed
in life, TO fortify US for the approach
of the enemy when he advances upon
us. But why bo shifting continually
at the door of the charnel-house
Another individual approaches with
definition. He is n solemn man,
not to be lightly approached by any
one. He is not 10 be trifed with on
any occasion. We should say he did
not smile on his wedding day. Life,
he tells us, is but q journey 10 the
grave; therefore, men are 10 puckeI
their faces into the most serious ex.
preston, and live near an undertaken.
This is a most melancholy gentleman,
who wears his sadness as other men
wear holiday looks,-who is, in fact
very proud of his solemn aspect. He
shines at funerals and perhaps the
proudest moment of his life was when,
as chief mOurner he followed his father
to the grave, between rows Of staring
strangers.
And now comes n iovial reckless
fellow. lie is n little worn, we think,
and the brightness of his eye suggests
the use of artificial stimulants. He is
n thoroughly careless man. Careless
of dress, careless as a husband, care
less as y father, particularly careless
in business, and careful TO imbbe
his proper, or rather improper, guam
tity of spirits before going to bed,
Yet he, with all his ldiSse- fdre logic,
has his definition of life. lie brings it
out pertly enough, ask him when you
may,--to him life is q farce. He is,
at bottom, helpless individual, with
very little faith in the social virtues
inclined 10 langh at heroism and to
palliate ruflianism; yet, himself, a
thoroughly good-hearted fellow.
A pretty girl now trips towards us
with her definition. She is of the SEN
timental school; we see that at once.
She has a white rose IN her hair; her
check is pale, and she sighs frequently.
"Liie, she says, ais q 1Ower,-to.day
bright and beautiful, and tomorrow
nipt by the frost" We thought SO
exactly the definition We expected.
She is young lady who, possessing
much natural sense, and having one
day opened al odd volume of philos.
ophy, conceiyes that she has an insight
not vouchsaied to common mortdls.
that she is ethercalised, and that all
her thoughts must be conveyed to the
outer world in metaphors. She is
passionately fond of flowers, adores
the megatherium, and has much to say
(out of an elementary geological work
on the tertiary formation. She in.
forms her partner, in the course of a
quadrille, that experience teaches her
she exists as q tangible reality, but
philosophy tells her that she only
exists in her imagination. Many
readers have met the young lady.
The last we heard of her was. that
she hadadopted the Boomer costume,
and expected a cornetcy in one of her
Maiesty's household regiments.
And now we are to observe 8 very
sallow young gentleman, buried in the
muslin and game Of dozen young
ladies', who are listening with open
mouths We remark that the young
gontlem8ns hair is worn extremely
long, and parted down the middle Of
his head. The world is allowed 10
see much of this young gentleman's
neck, we also perceive A glance at
his shirt-collar,-complcting the SOL
emn picture-wo recognise the unac-
knowledged poet; the injured individ.
ual who haunts the cotcres Of lsling-
ton TO while away time, till posterity
pronounccs final and triumphant
verdict on his poems, entitled, "Sarah
Anne. and other Verses" Here he is,
an infinitely condesconding Apollo,
and the young ladies, not without
trepidation, hint that they have blank
leaves in their albums. To one he
gives an impromptu written on the
summit cf Mout Blanc; to another
favoured lady he presents his lines on
the docoase Of a faithful spaniel and,
TO q third, he offers an answer TO the
great question. Here il is: "liie is
a rapid sver, flowing into mysterious
sca' The definition, according TO
the poets confidential friend, is true
poetry, for "it leaves plenty 60 the
Imagination Our poet deals in the
vague and mysterious exclusively
and dandlcs death through his verses
with that sportive activity which, ac-
cording TO himself, only truly great
minds can comprehend. He plays at
football with the destinics, and terriies
young ladies by the levity with which
he alludes to all that is solemn in life,
aud terrible in death. All this is a
great pity; he would have made a
capital bankers clerk. Bnt, luckily,
ono of his circle has the hardihood to
rebukc the presumption Of his verse
TO advise the cutting Of his hair, and
tho dnnwnr in ,Vhirh his eVnoscd neck