The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-02-25
Unetrn.
Ia eoUPEssTON AND APOLOGY.

'Tss fine tIst 7 should loose from life at last ~
- This heart 4asfrgorthy longing @ lor the past
~ Ire life be turned 10 iosthing.
For love. at,leslst this love Of one1or one,
Ia At the best, not al beneath the sun,
- - = And at the worst 'tis nothins
Not that of all the past, 1wculd forget
one pleasure one pain I cherish get
And woud oishonor never
an have felt. But cherished though IL be,
'Tis time my past should set my future free,
For LIES renewed endeAyor. -
Not much Irevetence that remorse which AIes
*~~ To desert caves. and bids its dupes deapse
Themselves whom il preys;
r- Wasting the worth of life On worthless pain,
To make the future, as the past was vain.
By endless selfdispraise.
As though, fOrsooth, because man is not
His self-niade god, he needs must curse his lot
With self-contemptl as though
Some squalic msniac, that with lifelong moan
Insults heshan blood, with these hath done
The best that man can do
amIkeen to urge that CANNON claim
on this world or another-here, for fame
which only grows on graves
Or these for so much, purchaseable here
By earth 'sjoys sinted, OF celestial cheer;
The stimulsnt Of slaves.
Not for reward, not for release Of pain,
But with man imperative disdain
on all that wastes mans nature
Rise my soul, and reach TO loftier things,
Untrammeled by this horid weed that clings,
stunting spirits statuTei
-,tS Twas not born to sit with shronded head,
Piping skrill ditties TO the unburied dead,
While lies armed host sweeps by.
hear the clarion call, the war-steed neigh.
The banner futterng in tire winds free play,
The brave mans bxttle-ery.
AndIam conscious that where all things strive,
RI lis shameful tOsitstill- I would not live
content with hfe lost
In chasing mine own fances through void air,
p Or decking iortn in fofms sEd phrases far
The miserable ghost
OF personal 10y or pain. The ages ron
FOrsard: and. faryard with ttem draw my soul
&c Into uEss infinite sea-
And TO be glad, or sad, 4 care No mere;
But to have done. and to hsvebeen, before
-=,..fs cease TO do ana be, ---s-s
From the nninusest struggle TO excel, - r
OF things whose mOraentary myriads dwell e.
-----s-- In drops of dew clLhned,
To spirits standil g.on Ines upnOYt stair.
NAos, ate anse "a er worlds and are
In mak-lz Of mankind
All things cry shame on lips that squauder speech
In words which, if not deeds, worthless each,
Not here such wOres wanted,
Where ali bestiTs itself, where dumb things do,
By nobly silent action. SPEAK, and go
Forth to their fates undsunted.
shame on the wretch who. born man, foregoes
Mans troublOus biTthright for brutes repOsel
Shame on the eyes that see
This mighty universe, yet not there
Something OF 6lficslt worth may dare
bTavely 70 de and be
Yet is there nauglt for shame in anything
Once dear and beautiful. TIE shrIveled wing,
Scathed by what med star,
And proved, alasl no STAR but withering fire.
Is worthier than the wingess worms destle
For nothing fair Tar.
Rather the ground that's deep enough for graves,
Rather the stream that's strong enough for waves
Than the 10 Use sandy drift
Whose shifting sur ace cherishes no seed
g Either OF any flower or any wee,
Whichever wsy it shift
Or stagnant shallow which the storms destise,
Naught fneing there TO prey upon, prize.
Why should man's spirit shrink
From feeling the Utmost-be il pain
Or pleasure-al twas formed, formed in vain,
To feel wi hforce2 Think
That never to have aimed and missed is not
To have achieved. hold the lofier lot
To ennOble, not escape,
LIES sorrows and loves pangs. count man,
Though sick 70 death, for something nObler than
healthy dog or ape
Ideem that nothing suffered or enjoyed
Bya mans soul deserves TO be destroyed;
But rather TO be made
Means Of souls increased capacity
Either to suffer, aid 10 gain thereby
more exalted grade
Among the spirits purified by Psini
Orto enjoy, and thereby to attain
That lCvelier influence p
Reserved for spirits, that, md the general moan
OF human grisfs praise God with cleaTest tone
OF joyous trust intense.
And for this reason, I would yet keep fair
And fresh the memory OF all things that we're
Sweet il the eir place and season;
And forgive my life its failures too.
silce failures old, TO guide eDdeayOrs new,
prize for The same reason.
-Ecltctts for February.