The Lincoln County herald., 1871-08-24
TERMS W ADvEn rssa NC.
Distance heads EachantneRt,

Un the island Of Lide, within hail *
Venice, one hears on the Sabbath very
heaven OF music Aossing over the laguss
from the church bells Vt "thst giorious
city in the sea-" The atmosphere seems
to ripple with silver waves akin to those
which twinkle on the sea Of glass before
you. A Macy dane OF clear sounds
bewilders you with delight. Il - mosaic
OF music, or If you will, lace work Of
melody. Lne would not wish to lose =
note, or hush the glorious clangor Of
bell. How changed it all is, when the
gondoliers feet has brought you close
under the Companies, when you are glid.
ing along those marvellous streets where
",he salt sea weed ollugs 10 the marble Of
the palaces" Then the booming of the
bells, incessant, impetuous, laundering,
garrulous, discordant, becomes almost "a
unb+arsble sfl,ction. On the right
little noisy demon calls from the hollow
Of his cracked shrine in . voice dolefuily
mono,o onous, and yet pfcrcinU, awakening
whole kennel Of similar spritos, each one :
more III conditioned than his brother !
these, ia turn, grouse q huge and mon.
strous Diabouls, who groans at you as t.
longing to grind your Protestant bones,
and feed the departed souls Of lnqusitors
with the dainty bread. Two or three
sweet little bells cast 10 their dulcet notee.
but the ear resents aAsn impertinence
their unquestioned addition to che deafen.
ing Kn-whi'e worse than all, if perA
chance a moments pause should occur,
and the discordant and the booming nsiee
makers should rest, as though from sheet
exhaustion, some miserable cur of bell
close at hand is sure to yelp out like .
s,ad d puppy TO the utter despair Of the
wearnd trave'er. Charles Lamb may
talk OF bell ringing ''us the music nigh.
est bordering upon heaven" but too
much Of it is nearer suggestive Of an-
other place At certain hours in Venice,
the bells Of hundred churches, all neat
at hand make day hideous to the carr
and cause ono 10 wish for night, when--
"Darker and darker lr.r %
| The black shadows fall;
| Sleep and oblivion fh
Reign over all.' .f.....
Thus and thus it is with the world
every where and evermore. Far away
and out side the world is harmony aud
delight nearer and moro closely known,
it 10 horror and confusion, To the
young and experienced. the cadence
sweet OF love aud mirth is rapture aud
The towers Of earth ring out concert
filing hope with transport; but when
the gondola Of experience has brought
the man into the very city of life, be
hears horde Of BELLS
"Soemnly, mora nfnlly,
Dealing their d.le."
He is startled by mighty khells weas
ried with piercing tones Of care and
wearted out or hope, Us with mournful
accents troubles clea.e the air, and the
Graz ng Of peals Of controversy, bobus-
jors Of nonsense, and chimes Of Islander.
frightened sacred qdie. from the scene,
and sound hideoos requiem to peace.
Things are not what they seem" From
afar. society is full Of friendship; nearer
i, is hollow and hypocrical pleasure
dreamed Of is Elysium, bot mingled 10,
too much of it is iehsnnt; philosophy
seems deep and at a distance, but, searched
with care, it is proved to be vapid and
pretcntious. All the worlds miragei
heaven alone is real. From thy din. y
earth, we turn to the divine Sabbath bells
Of heaven. which from tho far of bills
proclaim the everlasting Joy Of the New
Jerusalem.
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