Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-05-01
For the Watchman.
Passing way.

had forever fed and as listened to bis totter-
ing footsteps, each football seemed to say-pass-
ing away | stood beside the couch OF beauti-
fu young girl, upon whose cheek the hectic Hush
Of that fatal destroyer, consumption, could he
seen. and as the setting sun threw food Of glo-
rious light upon the dying face, her last faint
moan seemed to say-passng away. have seen
the rose in its beauty, opening Its tiny petals and
spreading its leaves to catch the first kiss of the
morning sunlight, and in the evening it was dy-
ing upon its stalk the grace and beauty OF 1t
was gone its loyeness had vanished away its
leaves were scattered upon the ground and no
one gathered them again. have seen stately
tree. whose branches reared themselves majestic
ally towards the heavens whose boughs were
sprend wide and covered with yerdure, making a
goodly shadow whose trunk was as strong
pillar. But long since it has been shorn Of its
pristine beauty and verdure by the east wind
il. branches have been Topped away by the axe
| tho worm has made its way into the trunk its
/ heart has decayed It's stateliness and symmetry
are gone and it has mouldered aud fallen fiat to
/ the ground | have seen man in the pride and
glory of his strength, his checks glowing with
beauty. his eyes sparkling with fire, his limbs
full of activity, and his heart teeming with that
which was good and true. But long since he has
been laid stiff and cold in the ground his feet
can no longer move, nor his hands stretch them
selves out his life has departed from him, and
the breath out Of his nostrils. Yes, all earthly,
material things are passing away. The spark
ling fountain. the crystal stream, the towering
mountain and the mighty ocean. The pride, the
vanity. the pomp and pagcantry Of earth, its tin
sci dmpery aud painted beauty, arc all passing
away. The fidccss jewelry that glitters in the
arched chambers Of immensely seems to repeat
the lesson of their own eternity, and yet they
too in their turn must pass away The stars that
have been shining in their places for centuries
uunumbered that were gozed upon by Adam
FROM the garden Of paradi-e and which have
been silent witnesses Of all that has transpred on
this earth of ours since they sang the song OF its
birth. must, with the heavens, be rolled together
as scroll. The river Of time is forever flowing
into the ocean Of eternity and all that is created
must pass away all that is born must die,
r Some pass of the stage Of life in early youth, in
2 dulg the happy thought, perchance, that the
E river of life is a smooth, lmpd stream, whose
waters are never ruilled and whose banks are al
ways covered with the rarest exotics and most
beautiful foliage Some pass away in the
10 strength aud glory Of their manhood, when the
temptations of youth have been overcome, and
many hard lesson learned when wisdom and
, knowledge have been acquired by mistakes en-
gcndered through nexperience when they have
lust clmpassed that most useful and practical
o knowledge, how to live and act well and wisely
] = t., fha afy Win
n every power aud faculty of head and heart has
4 reached maturity and perfection, like shock o.
corn that is fully ripe in its season Ere to
morrows sun breaks forth in oil its splendor upor
Il the world, the tolliug bell shall announce death
D., H1ary age shall lean upon its staff busy man
/. hood shall drop It's cares, and youth leave it
sports The distant hills shall send back thu
echoes Of thirty strokes tears shall fall from
= many eyes and then the world shall roll OF
" again a before Death is in the world thu
1t poiler is among the wor6s Of God The grea
leveller Of the human race makes no distinction
lie enters alike the cottage aud the palace, ant
~ neither poverty or wealth can shield his victim
By the same stroke be often prostrates you'll
~ and old age, and before his cold breath tn
p strength OF manhood flies, and beauty fades
u Nor is be moro wont to spare the yirtuous thai
the vicious, or the learned than the unlearned
: knowledge and pety, from what other ills the
may protect can never shield mortal man from
. death Indeed, genius by the very brightness O
her flames, attracts the arrow Of the fell destroy
- err while pety, like grain, is earliest gathere
~ when earliest ripe. 1t is mournful fact tina
among those who are yearly gathered into tn
7f h, moi orly
w. pride of their friends, but the most promising son
of the church. But as the fragrance Of the flow
~ ers earliest plucked il the sweetest 50 their re
membrance is dearest whose sun has gone dow
:" after short, though brilliant career By tn
Nv infrmity Of human nature, few persons if any
w have attained any considerable age without hay
y ing done some things which, though atoned 70
in great measure by other and better deed,
remain as sad mementos of the imperiection
humanity. Yet, sometimes, If not often, thos
Of who have died in earlier life have left for tn
OF comfort Of surviving friends character whic
iss no recollection can stain.
NJ. When we contemplate the ravages Of time bt
for a single year, and reflect upon the change
and events that have taken place even in our ow
lie limited sphere we must be sensible OF the ms
Ter curity Of all things earthly, and feel that tn
,ly world is not our home and cannot long be OF
on abiding place. By casting back our eyes to veal
T. when our feeble existence commenced, we lear
that when few more friends have left u.s. and
few more changes Knocked US, our voices, TO
ief must be hushed our hearts must cease to bea
ed and our heads must be placed upon that pillo
III. from which they will be raised only when time
he no more. Who of Us will be summoned to star
!. before the " great white throne -" ere anoth
year passes away, is known only in the counc
'n' of eternity Doubtless there are many VIII
ito looking forward into the future, are ready
emit promise themselves much from the prospects al
If friendships and connections they have secure
But while they are doatng upon their dreams
happiness, and saying in secret to their heart
" tomorrow shall be as this day and much mo
in' abundant, we feel constrained to say TO theI
me d" boast not yourselves of tomorrow, for y,
uf- know not what day may bring forth 20
rs In this situation, then, and with this belief, ,
tn. are almost ready to cry out in despair. is the
Ia no substance among all these shadow? If 4
pleasures Of life, and even life itself, are tran,
''e tory if the works Of nature continually chan
on ing, and the monuments Of art crumblng to /
TX, dust-if while looking upon our friends th
his have fled from our anxious gaze aud we feel tn
MI we are as transient as they--if we have look
al in vain for durability on every object to whit
we can turn our eyes, on what shall we rest
in' what can we place our support? Can nothing
VI named to sustain our sinking hearts? Thanks
d the author OF all good, we are not left without
,ur guide. There is point to which we may dire
80 our eyes. Though all created substances pers
~ hope is eternal. The hope Of future happne,
'"' which the love of God, who meekly endured h
agones of Gethsemane and the Cross, to seeu
ing for us, is never falling source of consolatio
Unser any trouble, however grievous, it comfor
the heart and soothes the mind When memo
BAR brings to view joys that are past and gone, d
l., parted friends that are near and dear, eve