New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-20
The Ruins Of Time.

The following composition was yesterday
read at the commencement exercises in the
Upper Girls High School by Miss Maggie
Bridsins. 1t is worthy of perusal
There is everywhere manifest the agency Y
OF some mysterious power under whose con-
trOl change and ruin are wrought on all
things. Nature. on every hand bears evi-
dence of decay. The tender flower which
opens in the morning sunlight withers at
midday. The tree, which in spring puts
forth its budding beauties, soon exchanges
its lively verdure for brilliant tints and
golden hues. Sure signs Of its decay.
The youth who to-day bears on his cheek
the glow OF health and vivacity tomorrow
becomes the aged man. with wrinkled brow
and head whitened for the grave Thus.
also it is with the works OF man. But the
dire evidences of this destructive power are
not confined to his material creations alone.
They are visible iii those loftier monuments
OF his skill and wisdom. the governments of
the earth. Empires have risen. t1Ourished
and decayed. One after another the king
doms OF earth have obtained supremacy
over each other. but as their rise was rapid.
so was their deciine-the star Of their en-
pire soon set. and with it they sunk into
their primitive insigniticance.
Where now is the AreOpagas, the most
renowned court of the Athenans, hallowed
by the sacred associations of the heroic age
and the ancient religions which cluster
around it Where now is Greece. the moth
er OF learning, the glory of the earth What
remains Of Rome" Rome. that sat on her
seven hills, ana from her throne of beauty
ruled TIE world" Where are her illustri
ol!s statesmen. her valiant warriors, her re-
nowned poets. her sage philosophers. All
these have passed away. and their works of
T. ltYp a tl.aS roll of
their former grandeur.
Whence cometh this authority. thus to
blast the beauties OF the earth What is
this invisible demon. before whose breath
the works Of nature and man pass rapidly
away lis the ruthless destroyer-time
TO him all things must bow. Whose hardy
as to resist him What So powerful as to
ba.f'e him, Is time. then. invincible!
Can it be that the all-wse and good Gre
ator thus permits his noblest works to be
destroyed 1t cannot be. for this destrnc-
ton and death that We see around is not
real and final. 1t is Gods plan for devel-
oping and renOvating the world.
Although the tender flower withers. it has
a germ within that will bloom at some
future day. The trees that disrohe for their
winters grave only remain in their death
like sleep until awakened to a new life by
the reviying airs of spring.
Ai.C det'l Aldu. ttSttutiuS tue
hill of life. soon. indeed. sinks into the
tomb, and returns to the dust from whence
he came; but his soul returns to its Maker
there TO dwell in the realms of bliss. Not
one of the works OF man has been de
stroyed. From the ashes of fallen empires
have risen other governments. increasing in
all that tends to perfection.
Upon the soil of Greece and Rome illus
trious races have been nursed. and from the
sun of their glory and grandeur unquencha-
bic rays have emanated to light other
lands; and how pure. how bright flame
caught from these models now !lumines the
civilized world.
And the American government. founded
on principles of equality and justice shall
in the coming ages rise to the glory and
beauty Of perfection.
Times dominions shall not be eternal
This state of change shall have an end
When the angel shall place one foot ON land
and one on sea. and swear that time shall
be no more. then the works Of nature will
no longer decay. but ever remain perfect in
grandeur. Then will man not
grow old, nor nations struggle for suprem-
acv. Change and decay will have passed
away. and evermore shall endure untading
beauty and glory.