Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-04-30
Mr.. Anderson's Column,
The Dark Hour.
NuMBER TWO.


NUMBER TWO
Webster, With the practical definition Of a
lcxicogrnphcr, says a song is that which Is
sung with musical modulations of the voice,
whether OF the human voice or that Of bird"
But Dryden teaches him sweotcr definition
IA sacred poem or hymn TO he sung either
In JOY or thanksgiving or of lamentation."
The word "hymn" though generally applied 10
sanzas to be sung, means, primarily, tune.
Taken in Its effects, asong is the relief Of tho
soul-the outgushing of the heart. A wall
may be song Sometimes groan or sigh
is a song The sweetest song in the world is
"THe Msererc"
The song Of the day Is an out-gush of 10y.
II may be loud, even harsh, for ii lets off the
exhubcrancc of animal happiness. But when
all Is hushed about the soul, and il sits in the
night of sorrow, waiting for the day break of
Gods peace, or hoping for no day to dawn and
remembering only the day that has bcen-a
strain in minor, stealing gently on the senses,
not loud, not abrupt,-how it soothes and
calms till the soul is bathed in luxury of
tears, and begins TO see the gray streaks of
the dawh Such nightsong is that of Mrs.
Browning:
Speak low to me my Savior low and sweet,
From out the lIaelujahs sweet and low,
Lest should fear and fall and miss thee 20,
Who ART not missed Of any that cntrcat,
Speak to me a. to Mary at thy feet
The Lark of England, that rises at the dawn
with an outburst of song. soaring in his melody
and in the air till he becomes intoxicated with
joy, is the fit bird for the glad sunrise but
night has the nightingale, whose song, plain
tive, and touching, endcars it to the heart of
every one. The ro5iH's song, in America, is
the song of the day but who can resist the
influence of the plaintve whip-po-will, as he
gives bis bird-song in-the. night? No one
would ike to hear the lark or the robin at
night, even if they could sing then nor would
the nightingale or whip-po will be welcome 10
the day.
SO our day-songs are strictly for our houIs
of gladness, and our songs in the night are for
our hours of sadness ;-gentle songs, minor
songs, sad songs-yet repletc with happiness
that is incident to sulTering-redncd almost
celestial
If ii had not been for suffering we would
not have had the hymn we love SO much, by
Mrs. Brown -
Il love to steal awhile away
From every cumbcring care
And spend the hours of setting dsy
In humble, grateful prayer
or the one by Stowell equally familiar:
From every stormy wind that blows,
From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, sure rercat.
'Tis found beneath the mercy-sea"
From suffering came this verse by Herrick:
In the hour of my distress,
When temptations me oppress,
And when my sins confess,
Sweet spirit, comfort me-"
and this, (by whom do not know, but it floats
pleasantly in my memory)
Lord. would thank thee, if thine hand
Hath sometimes planted in my way
thorn, TO teach, this earthly land
l. notintended for my stay;
But that Il better rest remains
Which neither sin nor sorrow stains"
The hymn is a song in the night, which COM
mences:
As oft, with worn and weary feet,
We tread carths rugged valley oer,
The thought how comforting and sweet,
Christ trod this very path before
Our wants and weakIesses he knows
From lifc's first dawnng till its close
and this:
Much have borne, but not a. should bear;
The ,oud will nmsubdued, the formal prayer
Lord, thy Christening rod"
Monsell, from a deep night of sorrow writes
MY Fathes and my God
o set this spirit free!
I'd gladly kiss the rod
That drove my trembling soul to thee
And made IL thine etclnully."
How touching are the lines we often sing,
and never without emotion
with fearful eyes I ooA around,
Life seems dark and stormy sea;
Yet midst the gloom hear sound,
heavenly whisper, Come to me-
From the deepest suffering, that made his
hair gray even when young, and that shaded
his whole liir,-a shadow of the cross, how
ever,-touching, beautiful, almost heavenly
Muhlenburg wrote the hymn, 1--WE sung ii to,
day, the day wrtc)
II would net live always, ask not to stay
Where storm after stOrp' rises dark orr the way"
Listen to Mary, Queen of Scots, as she an
proaches death after the deepest suFering:-
80 Dominic Deus. spcravi in re,
mj Jesu nunc lihrru me
In dura taHna.
In misera pGiH,
Languendo, gemendo
Fl genufcctendO,
Adore, imporo,
III liberes me-"
Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, writes in 1907,
40 Jesus mi dulcissime
Spes susplrantiS animac
TIE quaerunt l,ae aChrymw
TIE clamor mentis iniime."
God gave the nights of sorrow from which
thcsc soiSa Ill lhc HiSHt CdIlc we cun lnhlk
God for the nights that were so prolific ofgood.
But while we thank him for sending Affections
10 others, and from which these songs have
been born, we can thank him,-very sadly,
though-for afiliction which he sends TO u.s.
that enables us TO appreciate and enjoy such
consultations Other than through experiences
that are sad, we should have lost all their
tender rathos-all their delicious sense of pen.
sive bliss. BY them we feel subdued and hum
bled, and lean more heavily on that arm which
is put under the sorrowing and suffering, and
that leads us to look up and say Yea, though
l walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, will fear no evil, for Thou art with
me-"
ANOTHER PAPER AT PAINEsvILLE.-The
Adcertister announces the establishment. of an
nj hpp of tlnt ,;t ;ul