Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-09-27
THE CHRONICLE.
HEDGED IN.

HEDGED In.
The way is long, and toilsome is the journey
Broken by many a gorge and rocky glen,
Bleak hills abruptly rise along the pathway
Nor can there be discerned
One beacon light In the far onward distance
To where his footsteps tend:
To where the waterfall makes merry music
VI the swirl torrent struggles to descend.
All day by devious paths his way pursuing
Anon through tangled copse, and sedgy fen
By towering cliffs, O'ergrovn by broom, and
heather,
Onward hisfootsteps tend;
To where the golden eagle screams around
her sheltered nest.
And stoops to wheel her dizzy flight, above
the dark abyss;
Just meath the cloud-eapped mountains
Where human foot hath never dared to
intrude;
Where nature dwells alone, with solitude,
Thither his footsteps tend
Long since, the sole companion of his
Hath fallen by the wsy-side, he alone
Must stin pursue the rough and tedious
pathway,
Tho pierced by many q thorn;
Tho the long way be marked by bloody
Unaided, and alone. must stin press on.
The travelerpauses, sinks exhausted down,
Where nature had in some revr lsion formed
a rocky stairway. slippery and steep. near by
The awful torrent madly rushing on,
In its wild dashings making dismal moan,
Filling the air above, with clouds Of mist
Around, beneath, is sdarkness. not shadow,
To break the fearful gloom, about him cast,
The day long since went out in clouds. and
Night. gathers o'er him. in the wilderness.
But hushl there comes a sound of dire
portent
Thedreadful roaring of the cataract.
Is but whisper. TO the frenzied uttering
OF the wild storm at his back;
And near, and nearer comes that horrid
sound,
And now. the believing thunder shakes the
earth around.
The murlzy clouds fearful deluge pour,
Making the awful darkness more profound,
The sitting air Is soon one sheet OF fame,
Crash follows crash, the very heavens seem
By this Wild warning of the elements.
And now, oh wonderer. whittier wilt thou
turn.
No light TO guide thee on thy fearful way;
Beholdi around, above, the storm raves on.
And cans't thou meet the tempest's power
alone?
But see, reyealed by the fierce lIEhtning's
glare,
A cave, beneath the over-hanging cliffs,
The opening just before thee, quick, descend,
And may the powers above, thy way attend.
Upon shelving rock, himself ne casts,
Hard by, to where the seething waters pass.
30 worn and weary, now himself doth find.
To deep forgetfulness, an easy prey,
That sleep. her heavy mantle doth unfold,
And his numbed faculties doth quickly
bind,
bis drowsy powers with subtle spell doth
To her soft influence yields his over-wearied
mind.
Oh sleepl sweet emblem Of eternal rest;
Thou eom'st to us with healing on thy wing;
Rest, and refreShment unto us doth bring;
What wonderous magic is there in thy
touch.
D ! thou life giving, health restoring sleep.
Rut see. the traveller wakes; what fearful
sound
Is that which meets his eager ear near by?
rhe truth, too soon, his boding heart hath
t is the maddened torrent. rushing by,
And here within this drear and gloomy
he soon shall ind dark, and lonely grave.
His body torn. and mangled. cast about,
Sow here. now there, upon the Jagged rocks,
Al bruised, and bare, and bleeding, still
By the tempestuous waters, hurried on,
Till drawn down the terrible abySs,
Ind swallowed up, by the engulhng flood
The storm shall chant his mournful requiem,
he fOaming waters be his winding sheet;
'or psalm, nor prayer, shall DER his grave |
be read,
Dnly the murmur of the sullen wave
hall muSic make above his lOnalU had
While the cold waters shall his body lave.
md Is this. then, to be his fearful end9
5 this brief moment, thus, to be his last?
5 there no mortal arm, can succor lend,
S there no mortal power can shield or save? /
'ook unto heaven, to heaven address thy
prayer.
md now, o. Father, pity his distress;
ave, save this wanderer in the wilderness;
,ook on him in much mercy, hear his cry
,et his petitions unto Thee arise;
ave. save him in his helplessness. and in
lis weakness save him, Thou All Powerful
One:
nd may his prayers for mercy. reach Thy
throne.
he storm hath passed, the tempest Iulled
he moon in Ioveliness sdorns the night.
he glittering stars are shining. clear and
Drlgnt.
bove a world. fair sleeping in their light.
he elements, which late 50 ofercely wRrred,
re wrapped in silence, nothing now is
heard.
j all that waste of wilderness around.
ave the soft murmuring Of the waters
near,
Thieh, as by magic. passed beyond the
bound
Z the dark cave. receding, far and near,
eceding whence they came, and left no
trace
T their sad doing. in that dreary place.
ut now light shines through the ereviees
I the cleft rocks above the trsveler's head.
e sees with joy, he utters but one word.
wed, saved, he feels, he knows his prayer
is heard,
answered, on his knees he falls,
} thank the "All Father" who hath heard I
his call.
h. E HART.
o.. Aug. ls7l. 1