The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-04-07

With nights khadoys rno6 them
! I'm MAJ 3 Would soa l. living bu'
for tse SEtible hirpiig Of th'
ai4a lslrr, 5. :
Our young friend asks GU,
opinion as to manner of prodac'
ton this mavj e sShe is inclined 4
suspect It was u imodest attempt at a
valentine, from The conclusion and
tie date of its reception. We incline
to agree with her. Space f0rbids ouI
giving The grounds on which ws
found our hypothesis, as the same
cause has prevented our earlier giving
our opinion. We insert the produc.
ton as something nondescript, though
we think we and our friend have
solved the riddle of its character and
purpose:
I-s~-I-had -retaraed from faarrisge cer-
AMeny ,aml the assembly of few OF
the more favored of the guests, and
was ensconcedl in my own study to
resume a work which felt even so
special an OCCASION as This could
seartcly Justify me il neglecting. l
CAME III With manful resolve, but all
power of concentration over my
Fthoi ghts was gone Now 4 jeud'
zeS,55tt, shot but lately a mimic bolt,
would flash again before my memo
ry's eye; now an arch or pensive cast
L had just seen upon some fair brow
would nestle upon my dull page. Ef-
fort was futile, and my fsrthest reach
ing gaze was retrospective. Over.
come, l ceased to struggle, and unused,
until finally it seemed to me l was
resolved into sort of dual individu-
ality-Of Head and Heart And my
proper self sat by and overheard this
dialogue between the two:
HEAD-According TO promise. you
should be prepared, like a sharp mer-
chant, 10 honor the heavy draft yoU
bade me draw Oh you. Now you look
as if you had already gone to protest.
Instead Ofgivine yourselft0 one work
con a8lOre, you are all abroad to-
night. How's this?
HEART-COme, come. old Plato, be
little indulgeat. Let's ease over the
sharp juts in our path. l grant yon
made J on the promise, but your gait
is too stiff, your procedure too abrupt.
Why, you would grasp bGttsrfy's
wing as you would piece of parch-
ment
HEAD-And more need have we
now of parchments than butterfly
wings; more need of lamp light, with
its smoke even, than the sunshine.
You know and love the cool, calm
temperature, with the clear, steady
light. IfI went with you to inhale
the hot breath of social festivity, if l
ventured in the blaze of beauty to-
night, il was but an Interchange of
coprtesies. and upon the distinct un-
derstanding and condition that you
would return with me, unfinished by
the one, unreeorded by the other, to a
sphere and a work more worthy of us
both.
HEAET-A truce TO your pra:ing.
In truth, j am not in the mood for it.
Your platonism is crystal clear. and
perfect: but it is ice, and makes me
wrap myself still more closely in the
warm memories to-nigfes scenes have
brought back to me. You need not
speak, know what you would say.
Your sneer tells me how empty you
consider these vapOrs of the mind,
these dead memories. Dead! / tell
you they are not dead. They are that
which is most alive within me, and
shall live with me. They are my
wealth, the all I have, of which nei-
ther past nor future can rob me.
HEAD-Well, well, old boy, i do
not wish TO cilide YOU. Our mother,
Nature, made us different $50 radical
ly, that | confess | cannot sympathize
at all in much which see moves you
most. 1 remember how differently
We viewed a certain Irishman, whom
we once had in our employ, until we
learned much of his past history and
circumstances, whom we saw, our
selves unseen, afterwards standing
upon the quay of seaboard city of
this country, as steamer came in
across the ocean from his Elin-go-
bragh. You saw in the softened
memories OF dear ones
away, and heard the sigh i'm the exiie's
heart-at least you said you did.
saw in his warm clothing and we'll
filled cheeks, competence and inde-
pendeIce, and thought that instead of
gazing idly across the wide waste of
waters, he should have been adding
to his isscomfortable store; instead of
broOding over those he had left in the
hOvel al home, he should have been
rearing q stalwarl race for himself.
Well, well, and so we differ; but no
great harm done. But let us be little
serious, and, what is unusual with
me let me be little inquisitive. You
did not attach yourself TO any one
yonder tonight, nor did you seem to
take enough interest in anything to
bring upon you the reactionary de-
preston with which you seem to suf-
fer now. You did look over often, it
is true, at the bride, and something
tende:ly, too, thought; but that was
natural, considering the relations you
bear. Come, new, old comrade, (for
we must rise or fall togetherD / will
try and lay aside my wisdom-niy
selfshness, if you like it better-and
enter into your feelings and position
certainly don't wish to force an en-
trance into your confidence, but unless
/ have some explanation of this de-
preston which follows occasions and
scenes which buoy up most men,
must most emphatically enter my non
placet upon similar occasions in fu-
ture.
HEART thank you for the kindly
effort 1 am sure you are making to
share the burden of my sadness: but
you have not the meekness which is
fitting to bear this cross. But / am
not equal to the promise 1 have made
you-l cannot join for the completion
of our work tonight, and it IS little
enough that | should tell. you skim
mingly OF what has untitled ME. /
love to go to such scenes as We wit
messed tonight, as that Irish exile
loves to go to the sea-shore. In the
intensity of his loving longing, a fog
bank becomes his native shore.
once had hope, which was the sum
of all earthly hopes, and sometimes
can see it for an instant in these
In "a =